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The most beautiful and famous Russian horse breeds. Description of horse breeds with photographs

For many hundreds of years, horses have been considered the most beautiful and graceful horses bred by humans.

In Russia, this industry has undergone several stages of development.

Horse breeding: breeding features and main breeds are questions that should be answered before starting this business.

Before the 1917 revolution, Russia ranked first in the world in the number of horses. There were approximately 45 million animals in the country. At this time, horses were used as draft power, as a means of transportation, and as the main source of hides, milk and meat.

After the Great Patriotic War, the situation changed radically. The role of horse breeding was significantly reduced. There were several reasons for this:

The death of a large number of heads during the war (about 10 million heads).
Disbandment of the country's cavalry after the war and its replacement with motorized tractors.
The development of a technical process that entailed the replacement of mechanized machines, tractors and machinery.
In agriculture, the emphasis on horses was changed to cows and pigs as sources of meat and milk. This is due to the fact that these animals are more productive in breeding.

All of the above reasons provoked a decline in the level of development of horse breeding in Russia. The number of livestock, compared to pre-revolutionary times, has decreased by more than 50%. Despite this, in the 50s the country was one of the top ten countries for horse breeding.

Nowadays, horses are bred mainly in areas where the indigenous population continued to lead a nomadic lifestyle (Altai, Buryatia, Volga region, Western Siberia, the Urals, Kalmykia).

The process of redistributing the number of horses is actively underway: the number of horses in rural regions has decreased significantly, while at the same time it has increased in private enterprises and private stud farms.

The process of development of horse breeding in Russia has undergone many changes and redistributions. Despite this, the beauty and grace of these amazing animals won, which resulted in a gradual increase in the number of horses in our country.

Directions in the field of horse breeding

Modern horse breeding has several directions of its development. Each of which has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.

Among them are the following:

Meat. Modern Slavs have practically stopped eating horse meat. The same cannot be said about other nationalities. This automatically leads to the development of an imbalance in the distribution of horse breeding in Russia. I would like to note that factors such as climate and economy do not have a significant impact on the development of this area. The feed rations of horses and cows are almost identical. In addition, animals require the same conditions of keeping and breeding. Despite this, the cost of horse meat is several points lower than beef. This means that the decline in the horse population in the country is primarily due to the characteristics of the food market, where horse meat is not in great demand. This applies to fresh meat. Horse meat is used quite often in sausages.
Dairy. Mares' milk is popular mainly in non-Slavic regions of the country. In the central part of Russia this product is not in demand. This was the main reason that dairy horse breeding is developing mainly outside the European part of our country. Mare's milk is rarely consumed in its natural form. It is used to make kumys. It has high caloric content and nutritional value. Experts recommend drinking kumiss in the treatment of tuberculosis and gastrointestinal diseases. In this regard, the dairy sector of horse breeding in Russia is even less developed.
Non-commodity (breeding). Due to the fact that horse draft power has given way to tractors and cars, the role of sport horse breeding in our country is growing rapidly. Pedigree horses are bred to participate in racing. Nowadays, only rich people can afford to engage in this area of horse breeding. Equestrian tourism and horse hunting are also very popular. This entails a gradual increase in the number of horses.
It is also worth paying attention to such a direction of development of horse breeding as sports. Despite the fact that horses require almost the same conditions of maintenance, breeding thoroughbred horses is not only very expensive, but also risky. In this regard, this direction of horse breeding is not profitable, but rather acts as a hobby or entertainment for the rich.

There are several areas of horse breeding in Russia (dairy, meat, breeding, sports), each of which has its own characteristics.

Horse breeds

More than 250 horse breeds are known in the world, of which more than 60 different breeds are bred in Russia.

Horses are draft horses

All of them are conventionally divided into the following types:

Horse riding. Mainly used at sporting events and racetracks.
Heavy trucks. They take part in field work, as well as in the transportation of medium and heavy cargo.
Horse-pack. They combine the qualities of the first two types.
Pony. They are used as decorative horses at children's parties and holidays. In some agricultural areas, ponies are used to transport small loads over short distances.

In turn, each of the above types has features of body structure and content:

Trotting Oryol. This breed has been shaving owls since the 18th century. The history of its development has several options. The main characteristics of Oryol trotters are their great height, agility, strong physique and correct conformation. In pre-revolutionary times, horses of this breed represented the majority of people in Russia. Over time, the breed has undergone significant changes towards increasing the agility of the trot. Nowadays, trotters are used mainly at horse races, hippodromes and equestrian sports. This breed is often used to improve the quality and performance of other known breeds by crossing them. The average height of Oryol trotters reaches 160 cm, gray color predominates. The Oryol trotting breed of horses is bred mainly in such regions as Voronezh, Moscow, Perm, Tambov.
Trotter Russian. It was obtained by crossing Oryol trotters with American ones. It is distinguished by great endurance and ease of control. Representatives of this breed have a well-developed hindquarters, which gives them the ability to overcome obstacles well. Most Russian trotters are bay and have well-developed muscles. The height at the withers reaches 1.62 m, the neck is long and straight. Bred in the Tambov, Ossetian, Saratov, and Moscow regions.
Heavy Russian. This breed was developed in the early 50s as a result of crossing Belgian horses and Russian trotters. A distinctive feature of the representatives of the breed is their small size with a height at the withers of 155 cm. The horses are agile and extremely hardy, and have great strength. Russian draft horses are known throughout the world for their high fertility. They have good milk and meat parameters. Mostly red or red-piebald. They have a wide range of uses: for transporting goods, working in the field, traveling. Farms for breeding this breed are located in the Perm and Vologotsk regions.
Budenovskaya. This horse breed gained recognition in the early 50s. It was created for horseback riding and also for harness riding. Representatives of the breed are characterized by such qualities as a massive physique, wide rib cage and pubic part, strong and dry legs. The height of Budenovskaya horses reaches 170 cm. These animals are mainly red in color.
Horse thoroughbred. In our country, horses of this breed began to be bred from the beginning of the 18th century. It became the basis for the selection of many other famous horse breeds. The height of the withers reaches 163 cm. The limbs are dry and well developed. Animals are distinguished by their agility and endurance. It is used primarily for horse racing at hippodromes and other sporting events. They are bred in the Krasnodar region, Stavropol region, Ossetia and the Rostov region.
Arabic. They were bred on the Arabian Peninsula, which has a harsh climate. This left its mark on the main characteristics of the breed: strong physique, unpretentious breeding conditions, endurance, well-developed muscle tissue. Has a red color. The growth of animals reaches 150 cm. They are used for sports competitions, at horse races, for crossing with other breeds (improves their characteristics), for export. Farms for breeding livestock of this breed are located in the Stavropol Territory and Voronezh Region.
Akhal-Teke. The breed was bred more than 2 thousand years ago. Over the years, the breed has improved and changed. This resulted in the following characteristics for representatives of the Akhal-Teke horse breed: temperamental character, dense and dry body, exotic appearance. The average height of horses reaches 160 cm. The colors are different (damn, nightingale, red, pegasus, etc.). Horses of this breed are mainly bred in the Stavropol Territory, Kalmykia and Dagestan.
Horse Russian. It was bred as a result of crossing horses of the Oryol and Rostopchin breeds. The height of the withers of these animals ranges from 160 to 167 cm. They have a beautiful body of raven color. They are distinguished by their endurance and playful character. Used in sporting competitions and for dressage. Breeding bases for Russian riding horses are located in the Samara, Moscow and Ryazan regions.
Terskaya. Horses of this breed are distinguished by their playful character, temperament, and strong physique. Thanks to this, they have a wide range of applications: sports competitions, field work, cargo transportation. This breed is often used for crossing with others, which helps to improve their qualities and improve their constitution. The height at the withers of Terek horses reaches 150–159 cm. They have well-developed muscles and strong legs. Horses of this breed are bred mainly in the Stavropol region.

What you need to start a business

Breeding horses is a complex and painstaking business, which requires not only attention and time, but also large material costs.

Before you start doing this business, you need to decide exactly for what purpose they will be bred: to breed new breeds, to obtain meat, milk or hides, for equestrian sports, etc.

After determining the goal, you need to obtain a basic knowledge base on breeding horses, caring for them and communicating with animals. To do this, you can complete quite expensive courses. Here you will gain knowledge about horse breeding in Russia, horse breeds and their distinctive features.

The initial stage of a business will require significant investment and enormous patience. Breeding horses requires going through several important stages:

Drawing up a business project. It is necessary to determine not only the initial number of livestock, but also the goal being pursued. The choice of horse breeds and the conditions for keeping them depends on this.
Creating the necessary conditions for keeping and walking horses. To do this, you cannot do without a fairly large area additional to the stable. In addition, you need to think about the place where the feed will be stored, and also stock up on all the necessary equipment and means for caring for the livestock.
If the enterprise is quite large, you should consider recruiting professional staff. He must not only have the necessary specialized knowledge and have considerable experience working with horses. People should be fans of their business, love horses and feel them.
Now you can start purchasing horses. The success of the business and healthy offspring depend on the quality of the headband. In order to avoid getting into an unpleasant situation, it is better to take the help of professional horse specialists and veterinarians.
Horses must be looked after constant monitoring veterinarian To do this, you can enter into a cooperation agreement with a reliable veterinary clinic.

You should not expect income from this business in a short time. It will take more than one year to return the invested funds and make a profit. If you follow all the rules for keeping horses, make significant investments, have patience and love for horses, over time this business will bring great profits.

IN modern world Horse breeding is quite well developed: various breeds of horses bred for sporting competitions, recreational riding and use in agriculture differ in the appearance of the animals, their physical parameters and character. In Russia, horse breeding for many years was one of the most important activities for life: horses were used in peasant life, army, in war, and until the beginning of the 20th century. It was they who served as the main means of transport, as throughout the world.

In the modern world, horse breeding is quite well developed: various breeds of horses bred for sporting competitions, recreational riding and use in agriculture differ in the appearance of the animals, their physical parameters and character

Today, the list of horse breeds numbers hundreds of species, both purebred and hybrid, bred for the purpose of improving physical characteristics or preserving blood. Both foreign and Russian horses, which have become famous in most countries of the world due to their endurance, grace and beautiful appearance.

There are several criteria: which of them influence the formation of the breed becomes the main classification factor. According to common schemes, breed groups are divided according to the following criteria:

Territorial distribution: forest, mountain and steppe varieties are distinguished.
Purpose: riding, harness, riding and pack.
Origin: cultural breeding, local, transitional.
Method of breeding: herd, factory, mixed.

In Russia, there is currently a comprehensive classification that combines the main factors of difference between breeds. According to this system, horse breeds are distributed into the following groups:

Factory-bred, artificially bred and requiring particularly strict conditions of detention. The group includes riding horses, light draft horses and draft horses.
Locals who have better adaptability to local conditions, but are less successful in terms of performance. Their advantage is the ability to feel good with minimal care. This includes mountain, northern forest and steppe horses.
Transitional, often appearing during the crossing of the first varieties.

Gallery: Russian horse breeds (25 photos)

The best foreign horse breeds

Every country has breeds whose qualities have made them famous far beyond their homeland, and the most famous include English, Arabian, German and French horses. Many of them took an active part in the formation of Russian breeds bred artificially. The most common ones are horse breeds: they are distinguished by their particularly graceful body, excellent racing characteristics and noble appearance. Among them, the most famous varieties are:

The Akhal-Teke horse is distinguished by a short mane, thin skin, an aristocratic profile with chiseled features, a long neck, strong and slender legs. Its running style is similar to forced marches, and per day it can cover up to 250 km, and this endurance makes the Akhal-Teke ideal for long-term training.
Arabian horse - ancient breed horses, which were bred back in the 4th century. Such horses have a dense, lean build, a characteristic head profile with a square forehead, a curved neck, a rounded body, a high tail and an elongated croup. Most often, Arabian horses are of bay color; black specimens and representatives of the sabino color are less common. This breed is interesting not only for its outstanding racing characteristics, but also for its life expectancy: thoroughbred horses live up to 30-35 years.
Thoroughbred riding horse. The breed originated in Great Britain and spread throughout the world. These horses have no competitors in racing because they have better agility abilities. Thus, the norm for galloping is considered to be a speed of 1 km/min; over a short distance, the average speed of an English horse is 60 km/h, and when covering a distance of 3 km or more, the speed is 55 km/h, so this breed performs best in speed competitions. It is noteworthy that only horses of the first breed can participate in the competition: during the competition, the Englishman will catch up with any other thoroughbred horse. Thoroughbred horses are distinguished by the depth of their girth, highly developed leg muscles, long shoulders, and drooping rump.

Among the riding draft breeds, the Trakehner is considered one of the most beautiful: these horses were bred in Germany, only purebred specimens are used for breeding without the participation of crossbreeds and other breeds. Stallions reach a height of 166 cm, mares - 164 cm. The most common colors are bay, black, gray and red. On the left thigh of a Trakehner horse, bred in Germany, there is always a mark in the form of elk antlers. Trakehnens are excellent for sports activities, including for beginners, they are balanced, free movements in the race, they perform well in show jumping and riding. Another popular breed obtained in Germany is the Black Forest horse, named after the area where it was bred. She is distinguished by a beautiful arched neck with a long and lush mane, a powerful physique, dense and strong legs, it is used both in harness and for riding.

Today, the list of horse breeds numbers hundreds of species, both purebred and hybrid, bred to improve physical characteristics or preserve blood

The most famous foreign heavy truck is the Percheron, bred in France. Most often, Percherons are gray or black in color; they are well suited for transporting heavy loads due to their endurance, and thanks to their soft and smooth ride, they are often harnessed to horse-drawn pleasure carriages. Based on their body type, these horses are divided into small, medium and large Percherons, and their physical capabilities are divided accordingly.

Another popular breed of draft horse is the Ardennes horse, which is used primarily as a draft horse. It appeared in the Ardennes Mountains region, became widespread in adjacent territories (Belgium, Holland, France), and is used in purebred form and for crossing in order to preserve other breeds. Ardennes horses have an average height of 1.60-1.62 cm, their weight varies between 700-900 kg. Characteristics breed - a heavy, broad-browed head, strong short legs with thickening pasterns and overgrown fetlock joints, a short body with a wide back, a lush and thick mane. The color of Ardennes horses is usually bay, gray, red, roan or dun; dark bay specimens are less common; black horses are practically never born. Despite its impressive size, the Ardennes horse has a wide and light stride and needs a small food supply.

Riding breeds of Russian horses

In Russian horse breeding, the most famous riding breeds are the Don, Russian riding, Kabardian, Terek and Karachay. The Russian horse was one of the first to be developed: Count Orlov-Chesmensky was responsible for its creation in the 17th century. they began to be crossed with the Rostopchin breed to strengthen their physical qualities. The greatest damage to the breed was caused by the use of horses during the war years in the 20th century, but thanks to the work of scientists from the Timiryazev Academy, the livestock was restored. Today, Russian riding horses are used in sports, especially dressage. Most often they are black or dark bay in color and are distinguished by a straight profile, a straight back line, long thin legs and a thick tail. The presence of light marks on the body is considered a defect.

The Don horse, bred in steppe conditions, is no less popular: the Cossacks who settled in the territories adjacent to the Don received a breed that was equally well suited for military service, economic tasks and horse racing. Over time, Don horses began to be crossed with eastern breeds to improve their conformation, and they showed themselves most clearly in the cavalry during the First World War and the Civil War. The Don breed was also used to breed the Budyonnovsk horse, crossing it with a purebred. The distinctive properties of the Don horse are excellent racing qualities, endurance, unpretentiousness in maintenance and a hot temperament.

Oryol Trotter (video)

Trotting horses in Russia

In trotting horse breeding, the best Russian horse breeds are best known:

Oryol trotter. The breed appeared by crossing Danish, Arabian, and Meckleburg horses and was named after Count Orlov, who bred it. Agility when trotting and excellent performance are the main features due to which trotters are not only popular all over the world in pure quality, but are also used in breeding new or improving existing breeds. Oryol horses are different tall, a harmonious physique, muscular legs and a swan-curved neck. Most often there are light colors, from white to light gray, but you can also find the Oryol trotter of bay, black or dark gray color.
Russian Trotter is a breed obtained by crossing the Oryol Trotter, American and Friesian horses. This is the youngest variety, which is used in equestrian sports and to improve the exterior characteristics of other horses. A distinctive feature is its exceptional agility: in terms of trot speed, the Russian breed overtakes the Oryol trotter. The body of the animal is dry, harmonious, the back is elongated, the neck is of medium length. The color is mainly bay, red or brown. Rarely the Russian Trotter can be grey.

Popular breeds of Russian heavy trucks

The most famous draft horse bred in Russia is the Vladimir one: it is distinguished by its impressive physique, tall stature, wide back and large, powerful hooves. The Vladimir heavy truck was obtained by mixing European breeds with local horses, the stallion's weight varies between 600-700 kg. When harnessed, they can pull up to 1.5 tons in 5 minutes or 4.5 tons in a quarter of an hour. And in the Soviet army they were often used for military purposes to transport artillery pieces, provisions and other cargo. The maximum weight that a Vladimir heavy truck can move varies between 20-23 tons.

Another popular breed is the Russian Draft. The description suggests that this horse is of short stature, with weak hair on the legs, a submissive temperament, while it is quite energetic and behaves well in harness. The Russian heavy truck is capable of pulling a weight of up to 9 tons for several minutes; it was often used for land cultivation in the 19th-20th centuries, harnessed to a plow or tillage machine.

In modern horse breeding, the leaders among riding and sports breeds remain English, Arabian and Russian horses, which show excellent results in dressage, speed racing and vaulting. Russian trotters have gained worldwide fame, becoming the best among such breeds, and among heavy draft horses, which are used less frequently today, the French Percherons and Vladimir breeds are popular. Russian horse breeding today is not as well developed as in European countries, however, many breeds are still popular for both equestrian sport and personal use.

Attention, TODAY only!

Hello dear readers of the blog Dacha Owner. In this article we will look at all the main breeds of horses that are found on European territory, with detailed descriptions and photos. And so we went:

What breeds of horses are there?

Currently, all horses are divided into two groups:

Racing
Stepper:

This group includes:

1) Arabian type horses:

Arabic,
Varvariyskaya,
Persian,
Tekinskaya,
Karabakh,
English blood,
Rostopchinskaya,
Turkish.

2) Breeds of the northern forest type:

Scottish nonns,
Swede,
Elepper,
Vyatka,
Zhmudka,
Blame and others.

3) Mixed horse breeds:

Orlovsky and American trotters,
Gonter,
Trakenskaya,
Oldenburg horse etc.

4) Breeds of the Mongolian or steppe type:

Mongolian horse,
Kyrgyz,
Bashkir,
Kalmytskaya,
Uralskaya,
Sibirskaya et al.

Horses walking photos

This group of horses includes:

Belgian,
Persheronskaya,
Boulogne,
Sufolkskaya,
Shiyrskaya,
Clydesdale

6) Medium and small working horses:

Ardennes,
Danish,
Dutch,
Russian work horse

The Arabian horse is the best representative of oriental horses. She mainly served

material for improving horses with fast running. There is not a single country with large horse breeding where this horse is not exported to improve local horses.

The hobby reached the point that heavy farm horses were infused with the blood of an Arabian horse. The homeland of the Arabian horse is considered to be the western bank of the Nile and Dibia. From there it penetrated into Northern Arabia.

Currently, there are about 120 thousand Arabian horses in the Euphrates Valley and Syria. The Arabs do not have a written pedigree of horses. The pedigree of horses is passed down orally. There are few purebred mares, and even fewer stallions.

It is believed that for every 200 purebred mares there is one purebred stallion. The Arabian horse is not tall, 1,421-1,510 meters. Her forehead is wide, slightly convex, her eyes are expressive, large, her nostrils are wide, her ears are small and mobile.

The neck is light, but not swan-like, the shoulder is good, the withers are high, the muscles of the elbow are well developed, the back is short, the ribs are steep, the groin is small, the croup is raised, the tail section is beautiful, the joints are well developed and sharply defined, the wrist and hock joint are low. The legs are strong with sharply defined tendons. The pasterns are thin and long, hard, like a glass. The most common color is bay - about 35%, gray - 30%.

Arabian horse well conveys to the offspring low demands, endurance, strength and dryness of the body. Related to the Arabian horse are: Barbary, Persian, Turkish, Turkmen, Karabakh, Kabardian and other horses.

Currently, the main material for improving riding horses is English racehorse. This horse was created by crossing a local English horse with the best Arabian, Barbary, Persian and other oriental stallions. The stud book of English racehorses shows that some 176 oriental stallions were imported into England to improve this horse.

According to experts, the English racing horse contains up to 75% of the blood of eastern horses. From them she received beautiful slim forms, dryness of structure, energy, speed of running, and from the local horse the massiveness of the body and height of growth.

The height of the English racehorse is 1.51 to 1.73 meters. The English horse perfectly passes on to its offspring: height, voluminous lungs, large heart, dense muscles, hard bones, lean build, energy and speed of running.

Breeds of the northern or local type photo

These breeds include:

Estonian klepera,
accusation
Vyatka horses, etc.

For us, the Finnish horse and our Vyatka and Obvinsk horses are of practical interest. Finnish horse or the Swede is a favorite horse in our Karelia and other neighboring areas of our Union with Finland.

Medium sized Finnish horse head with wide ganaches. The neck is thick, muscular and short. The ribs are rounded, the back is wide and muscular. The croup is somewhat drooping, the legs are dry and strong. Height is 1 m 48 cm - 1 m 55 cm. Color is mostly red. Swedes are distinguished by fast running and are suitable for agricultural work.
Vyatka and Obvinsk horses come from local horses, improved by Estonian klepers back in the time of Stroganov. These horses are well built, have a fast run, but are small in stature. To improve these horses, Russia buys Swedish stallions and sends them to breeding stations in the Vyatka and Perm regions.

Mixed breed horses photos

Trotters are among the mixed breeds of horses in Russia. This cultural horse, quite common in our Union, is of great importance to us. The trotter was created by Orlov ( ) The blood of this breed contains the blood of English racing Arabian, Dutch, Danish, Mecklenburg and other horses.

41 stallions and 71 mares of ten different breeds took part in the creation of this breed, until they managed to get “Smetanka”, and from it “Polkana I” and “Barca I”. Orlov created two types of horses: trotter light type and a bushy type trotter. In the first, Eastern blood predominates, and in the second, Dutch.

For our country, the bushy type trotter is of economic importance. The bushy type trotter is a large, massively built horse. Her height is from 1 m 55 cm to 1 m 74 cm. Weight is 400-676 kg. The head is beautiful with expressive eyes.

The neck is high and beautifully arched, the chest is wide and long, the back is straight. Well rounded but slightly dropped croup. Strong legs with well-developed muscles and tendons. The hoof is durable.

The running is beautiful. The bushy type trotter is strong, playful, and durable in hard work and over long distances. He has a gentle disposition. When mated with a peasant horse, it conveys its qualities well. There are areas in the Voronezh, Tambov, Tula, Oryol and other regions where the trotter has improved peasant horses over a considerable area.

The bushy type trotter, while a good farm horse in the countryside, is not suitable for the city or for carrying heavy loads. A good trotter has enough strength to carry quite large loads, but he does not have the proper composure in hard work, and therefore is more likely to wear out than Brabançon and other heavy draft horses.

Unfortunately, in our country there are relatively few trotters of thick mud, but a larger number of them are of the light type. Before the war, there was a passion among horse breeders to increase the running speed of our trotters by infusing the blood of American trotters. The American Trotter is a mixture of the blood of an English racer and an American pacer.

This breed was first created by the English horse Messergeri, bred with American mares. The result was half-breeds, distinguished by fast running. The frequent receipt of prizes at races by American trotters forced our horse breeders, pursuing mainly the benefits of the sport, to infuse the blood of American trotters into ours.

This influx of American blood increased the running speed, but reduced the height and weight of our trotters. In agricultural terms, this trotter worsened the useful agricultural qualities of our trotter.

Among the mixed breeds, in addition, the following are known:

English horse Gaunter,
German horse
Trakenskaya,
Oldenburgskaya,
Hungarian et al.

Horse breeds of the Mongolian or steppe type photo

A typical representative of steppe type horses is the Mongolian horse. The main breeding base for this horse is the steppes of Inner Mongolia, covered with good pastures. Total quantity There are about 16,000,000 of these horses. The typical Mongolian horse is small and, on average, no taller than 1 m 22 cm.

The head of a typical Mongolian horse is large with a wide forehead, large ears, the neck is straight, fleshy, the withers are low, the chest is wide and very deep, the back is straight, the loin is high and wide, the croup is muscular and, often, slightly drooping, the legs are short, dry, muscular and very durable.

Mongolian-type breeds bred in Russia include:

Kyrgyz,
Kalmyk,
Bashkir,
Transbaikal,
Amur and other horses.

The largest number of this type of horse is Kyrgyz. , having common typical features of the Mongolian, differs from it in the following: it has a drier head, high withers, a neck of moderate length, light and dry. This horse is distinguished by its extraordinary endurance and unpretentiousness to feed.

At good feeding she soon eats up and without significant work gets very fat. Despite some external roughness of build, she is agile, energetic and fast. The best Kyrgyz horses run a distance of 20 miles in 27.5 minutes.

When mated with English horses, they produce good half-breeds, very suitable for cavalry service. Mating with trotting stallions produces very good riding horses.

Fewer than the Kyrgyz ones in number, but better in quality (greater height and weight), we have Kalmyk horses. This horse, even if not improved, is very suitable for cavalry. With good feeding and proper care gives good growth: there have been cases when a Kalmyk horse,
When she joined the cavalry, at 3.5 - 4 years of age she gave an increase of about 16 cm.

Bred on the Don, it is rarely found in its pure form. This horse has been improved since ancient times by the influx of blood from English, Persian, Arabian blood and half-bred stallions. From the old Don horse the new one received greater endurance and unpretentiousness to feed, and from cultivated stallions more beautiful shapes, greater height and weight. The Novodon horse has a height of 1 m 33 cm-1 m 57 cm.

Large breeds - working horses photos

Since ancient times, two main types of horses have been bred in Belgium: the lowland horse, the Flemish horse, and the mountain horse ~ Ardennes. The need to have a strong horse for working with heavy agricultural implements and the demands of cities force the Belgians to breed a heavy horse.

The Ardennes, being less strong, less tall and less massive, are gradually disappearing. In the near future, these horses will disappear completely. The large Belgian Brabant horse has a height of 1 m 55 cm - 1 m, weight - about 800 kilograms, varied color: bay, red, roan, black and gray. Horses of this breed are early maturing: at 2 years old they are already fully functional.

The head of the Brabansen is large, but dry, the neck is short and thick, the chest is wide and deep, the back is of medium length, muscular, the croup is forked and somewhat drooping, the legs are dry and strong with small brushes. The volume of the leg under the wrist is about 26 cm.

The horse is very strong and suitable for carrying large loads and at the same time quite mobile, is not prone to colds, is indiscriminate in its feeding and uses it well. In our country, Brabançons are bred quite well by peasants - and they happen to be from peasant queens. They convey their qualities well to our peasant horses.

French draft horses photo

The local old French horse, through the influx of blood from eastern stallions, has now developed into two types: Percheron horse and Boulogne. Percherons deserve the most attention. The color of these horses is often gray, their height ranges from 1 m 55 cm to 1 m 71 cm, and their weight is about 650 kg. The Percheron is a large, strong, well-proportioned horse.

Despite her massiveness and calm character, she is quite mobile. Americans love this breed of horse very much and do not skimp on spending a lot of money on good Percherons, and therefore the price for them is very high. When mated to simple Russian peasant mares, this horse does not quite consistently convey its qualities.

Of the English heavy horses, the first place is occupied by Clydesdales. The height of this horse is from 1 m 66 cm to 1 m 72 cm. Weight is about 800-850 kg, the color is often bay, with a bald head and legs in stockings. The head is relatively light and dry. The neck position is correct, the neck is rounded, the shoulder blades are set obliquely, the chest is narrower than that of other heavy horses, but it is deep.

The legs are overgrown with large brushes, the hooves are wide, sometimes flat. The step is cheeky, wide, the trot is good. At a walk on a good road, the Clydesdale carries 2457 kg-3276 kg. Their working qualities are undeniable.

The practice of our peasant breeders in Tambov, Ryazan, Kursk and other regions has shown that these horses are suitable both for rural work and for sale in the city. Unfortunately, in some areas, farmers in our country, being carried away by the height of the horse, create its height at the expense of the lower bones of the legs, and therefore unsatisfactory.

Clydesdales pass on their qualities well to their offspring, and half-breeds, in most cases, are powerful, tall and similar in color to sires.

This horse is intensively bred in the Vladimir region. Many of the horses bred in this area have received so much Clydesdale blood and are so typical that they can be considered purebreds.

In addition to the Vladimir region, Clydesdales are grown by peasants in the Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Tula, Tambov and other regions. The best place to buy Clydesdale manufacturers is in the Vladimir region.

Height 1 m 63 cm - 1 m 66 cm, weight from 736 kg to 819 kg, color mostly red, hairy legs long hair No. This horse is hardy, has cheeky movements, and matures quickly. There are few good horses of this breed, they are expensive. Here in Russia they come across as an exception.

English horse Pirehorse more common in England than Suffolks. The height of this horse is from 1 m 66 cm-1 m 72 cm. Weight is 736-900 kg. The color is varied, but black and karak predominate. This horse has a very large overgrowth of long hair on the legs, reaching the carpal and hock joints and even covering the front of the fetlock and coronoid bones. There are few of these horses in our country, and they are not beloved.

Russian farm horses photo

Simple peasants represent a wide variety that is difficult to characterize generally. But they can partly be subsumed under the following groups: beaters, drays and a simple peasant horse.

Peter the Great sent Dutch and Danish stallions to the Voronezh region to improve peasant horses. These stallions, as well as the stallions prescribed by Orlov; When crossed with Russian peasant horses, they formed the Bityug breed.

Bityug is of average height 1 m 50 cm, the head is not large, shaggy, the chest is wide and muscular, legs are brushed, but dry. Bityug is strong and has a satisfactory trot. Nowadays it is very difficult to find real bityugs. This breed has almost disappeared. She partly degenerated as a result of poor maintenance and care, and partly changed as a result of mating with Clydesdales, Shires and other horses.

Draft horse photo

Large, heavy, raw peasant horses that do not fit the bityug type are called dray horses. These horses deserve attention only as larger material for improvement by thoroughbred stallions.

A typical peasant horse is small - from 1 m 22 cm - 1 m 54 cm. Weight 245 kg-295 kg. She is late in maturity, has a coarse, heavy head, a narrow chest, a drooping narrow croup, weak joints and poor bones. Its economic importance is very small; it cannot work in plows, mowing machines and other cultivated agricultural implements.

Raising such a horse costs more than its sale price. Improving this horse: increasing height, weight and strength is the immediate, immediate goal.

Our peasant horse, if well maintained, fed and cared for, can improve greatly. When mated with good stallions: trotters, Clydesdales, Ardens, Percherons and even half-breeds of these breeds, it produces good offspring.

This horse can be improved by good maintenance and feeding, and especially by infusion of blood from horses of the best working breeds. The surest way to implement measures is horse breeding cooperation.

Horse breeding cooperation, led by specialists, will teach how to conduct business and find means for this purpose. Currently, there are quite a few such horse breeding cooperations in our Union. Some of them, although recently founded, work great.

Horseback riding in St. Petersburg

Finally, we bring to your attention a video about our trip to the equestrian club, where we had a nice weekend with the whole family and had a blast riding horses.

Russian horse breeds are very diverse and include both local and little-known ones - Altai or Vyatka, as well as breeds that have shown themselves in all their glory to the world community - Russian riding, Terek, Oryol, Budennovsk and Don.

All horse breeds bred in the Russian Federation are distinguished not only by their refined appearance, but also by their high adaptability, human orientation, endurance, productive and beautiful movements.

Kabardian breed

The Caucasus is a picturesque mountainous region that has become home to several distinctive horse breeds. The Kabardian horse breed was formed and officially approved more than three centuries ago. The main ones for Kabardians were local aboriginal breeds, which were crossed with exported Arabian and Akhal-Teke stallions. Later they added Karabakh blood. The Kabardian breed of horses is strong, hardy and has high cross-country ability and good health. These qualities were influenced by keeping horses on grazing throughout the year: summer pastures rich in forbs were replaced by meager winter feed.

The Kabardian horse breed is divided into several intrabreed types:

Horse,
Massive,
Eastern High.

Regardless of the type, Kabardians are not distinguished by their height - at the withers they rarely reach 160 cm. The head is dry, usually hook-nosed. The neck is low set, medium, with pronounced muscle relief. Kabardians have a short back. The croup is well defined. Bay color of all bases.

Karachay breed

Horses of the Karachay breed are an excellent result of centuries-old local selection. The breed was formed from steppe horses with an influx of Arabian and Akhal-Teke blood. The Karachay breed of horses plays a significant role in the life of the peoples of the Caucasus: horses are used to herd cattle, make long journeys, and are used for work in the fields. Horses are not only hardy, but also energetic, can maintain agility over long distances, are comfortable at all gaits and have an economical ride. In the years Patriotic War It was the Karachay breed of horses that was supplied to the cavalry.

There are three types in the breed, and in most there are representatives of the main type - suitable for riding and harness work.

At the withers they reach 150 - 155 cm. Horses of the second, riding type have a large share Akhal-Teke or English blood, and are distinguished by a more dry structure and higher growth - 155 - 158 cm. The Karachays of the riding type have found their use in equestrian tourism and national equestrian games, in distance running. Representatives of the massive type are shorter and stockier. At the withers up to 148 cm.

The Karachay breed of horses is well recognizable - the hump-nosed profile of a rather simple head, the neck with a noticeable Adam's apple, the back is strong and muscular. The chest is developed and voluminous. The legs are dry, with beautifully defined joints. The color of Karachais is often black or dark bay.

Bashkir breed

Short, elegant, bony and good-natured - the Bashkir horse breed attracts the attention of visitors to numerous horse shows. The breed is widespread in the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions, Bashkiria, Tatarstan, Kalmykia, Khabarovsk Territory and Rostov region. The descendants of modern Bashkirs are the already extinct wild tarpans, to which the blood of local steppe breeds was actively poured. Short horses are distinguished by their health and unpretentiousness - they can be kept on pasture throughout the year, tolerate even very snowy winters and are able to maintain their body even on meager feed. Bashkirs have found their application in driving and children's equestrian sports, and are also bred on dairy farms.

During the year, fillies produce more than two thousand liters of milk, from which kumys, some types of cheese and infant formula are made.

Yakut breed

The Yakut horse breed is one of the most northern. In winter, the coat grows up to 15 cm, and the thick undercoat allows it to withstand even the most severe frosts. In Yakutia, animals are kept on pasture throughout the year. The horses are distinguished by their massive build, stockiness, and are of medium height - up to 150 cm at the withers. The legs of the Yakuts are strong, with well-defined joints, overgrown, with wide hooves. The neck is muscular. The back is short with a strong and well-defined croup. The small head has a straight or concave profile.

Yakut horses are used for riding - they are capable of walking many kilometers without rest. They are also used for various national equestrian games and competitions. Outside their homeland, horses have become popular for children's show jumping, dressage, and harness sports. Horses are also bred on meat and dairy horse farms. During the lactation period, mares produce over 2500 liters of milk.

Horses of the Budennovsky breed

The Rostov region is the region that became the birthplace of the Budyonnovsk and Don breeds, the gold of the steppes. Today, the Budennovsk breed of horses is bred at several state stud farms and private breeding farms and is the decoration of any horse show, exhibition, or competition. Golden-red beauties attract attention, are real long-livers and have good health.

The founder of the breed was Marshal Budyonny, and it was based on Don mares, on which purebred English, as well as Arabian and Akhal-Teke stallions were used.

Breeders pursued the goal of developing a breed that was unique and unpretentious, strong, hardy, and with good agility.

Description

The Budennovskaya horse breed is one of the largest.
At the withers it is up to 180 cm.
The profile of the head is often straight, the long neck has a long and beautiful nape.
Back with good muscle definition. The legs are long, sufficiently strong and dry.
The color of the Budennovsky is red in all possible shades and undertones, the silky coat has a rich golden tint. Black and nightingale, as well as bay representatives of the breed have a greater influx of purebred or Akhal-Teke blood and are high-blooded horses.

Budyonnovsk horses are used in all classical types of equestrian sports and are tested on the racing track in Rostov-on-Don.

Russian riding

The Russian riding horse breed has a rich and interesting history. Active work on its revival began at the end of the last century, and the breed itself is just over two hundred years old. This magnificent breed originates from the village of Ostrov, where, under the leadership of Count Orlov-Chesmensky, a comfortable, graceful and correct, harmoniously built riding horse was bred. For breeding, stallions of English riding, purebred Arabian, Akhal-Teke and Andalusian, Lipizzan and Frederiksborg breeds were used. Possessing unique characteristics, the animals were nevertheless on the verge of complete extinction several times and were revived, collected bit by bit by amateurs. Today the population numbers only 250 queens. However, there is a good trend in population growth and active use representatives of the breed in classical sports.

Russian riding horses have a harmonious and correct structure for a riding horse: long back lines, a developed croup, a long neck with a beautiful bend, a pronounced poll, and high carriage. The muscles of the back, shoulders and croup are well defined. The legs are beautiful, long, with pronounced hocks and well-defined tendons. The color of the horses is monochromatic, there are almost no markings. Most often you can find black representatives, bay or dark bay. The coat is silky, with a beautiful shine. At the withers up to 172 cm.

Oryol breed

The real pearl of Russian horse breeding is the Oryol trotting horse breed. Count Orlov’s generous legacy to his descendants and the entire global trotting community. Orlovtsy are the oldest factory horses, bred under conditions of a stud farm, careful selection and targeted selection. They are distinguished not only by their agility at the trot, but also by their rich and expressive appearance, intelligence, human orientation, and beautiful gait.

The Andalusian, Barbary and Lipizzaner breeds of horses, involved in the breeding of the Orlovtsian, added a recognizable profile to the appearance - an expressive and often hook-nosed head, beautiful expressive eyes, a long neck with a long nape and a graceful curve, a rich mane and tail, as well as an elegant color - silver-colored. gray. However, there are also black and bay Oryols, and less often red ones. The Orlov breed of horses is surprisingly harmoniously built and is suitable not only for traditional trotter racing, but also for all types of sports, including those that are good for children.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the traditional Russian troika teams, where the Orlov team is irreplaceable.

Ukrainian riding

The Ukrainian riding horse breed today is a good competitor to European riding breeds. The animals have excellent free and correct movements, a strong jump, and a harmonious structure. Temperament is lively. It is based on the best Italian horses - Furioso and Verniers, German Trakehnens and Hanoverians, as well as Arabian and Akhal-Teke horses, Hungarian, Friesian and Russian riding horses. Selection and selection for working qualities and exterior is carried out to this day - only the best representatives are selected for the breeding composition after testing for the quality of movement and jumping.

The result is an excellent athletic fighter, with withers up to 175 cm, a beautiful and expressive head, a long neck with a good poll and a high outlet. The back of horses is long, straight and muscular. The legs are strong, dry, with pronounced joints and tendons. The hooves are smooth and of regular shape. Black and dark bay representatives are most common; small markings are allowed on the exterior.

We are unlikely to be mistaken if we say that the relationship of a person to a horse has always been special, unlike the relationship to other animals. Despite the fact that the horse was domesticated relatively late - the sixth in a row among other animals - its role and importance are difficult to overestimate. Most of the peoples of the world were once nomads, even if forced and for a short time, so she quickly became an indispensable companion in their difficult migratory life. They were proud of her, they cherished her, and the Turkmens even kept oral pedigrees of their horses, which were passed on from father to son.

It would seem that in the 21st century, as society developed, the need for horses should have disappeared. But reality is full of paradoxes: the achievements of civilization have not yet penetrated into all corners of the globe, and in developed countries there are still areas of activity (for example, shepherding large herds or herding) in which it is almost impossible to do without a horse. The entertainment industry has not disappeared anywhere - equestrian sports, tourism and the circus are as popular today as ever. Traditional equestrian competitions are no less popular as part of the overall national culture. As for Russia with its problem of transport links, even in the central regions, where the social infrastructure is more developed due to prevailing historical circumstances, there are areas that can only be reached by a good old horse. The global crisis also plays a role in its “resurrection” as a significant element in human life - fuel prices automatically make it not always accessible to the general public, and this, in turn, makes us remember long-forgotten means of transportation.

For urban residents, a passion for horses often serves as a way of relaxation, distraction from the bustle of the metropolis and the need to be on time everywhere, here and now. So we can say that modernity has set another task for the horse - psychotherapeutic. It is known that communication with animals has a beneficial effect on humans, and such a faithful companion as a horse is no exception.

As of 1993, there were about 2 million horses in Russia. Is it a lot or a little? Perhaps the question should be posed on a slightly different plane: is this quantity sufficient to meet the needs of the Russian population? And here it is worth recognizing that, given the unimportant state of affairs in Russian horse breeding, this number may not be enough. Traditional breeds always need to be kept clean, but this is simply impossible to do in everyday conditions. If industrial horse breeding is not in demand, maintaining production in the modern market will become an unprofitable business, and not a single farm, even one that observes traditions and is proud of them, will operate at a loss. This situation has very sad prospects.

A number of local breeds - Kuznetsk, Narym, Pechora, Mezen, Obvinsk, Vyatka - are in danger of extinction, not only because no one takes care of them, but also because in the process of many years of selection they were absorbed by other, more promising species. The statistics are also sad for such breeds that represented the glory and pride of Soviet horse breeding, such as the Vladimir and Soviet heavy trucks (each of these species has about two hundred heads), the Terek, with just over one hundred horses, and the Kabardian - fifty. Even the famous Oryol trotting breed, which “celebrated” 230 years in 2011, is now going through hard times. Of course, one cannot say that everything is absolutely bad - undoubtedly, there are some individual changes for the better, and for this we should thank the real enthusiasts of their work, but against the backdrop of the general decline they are almost unnoticeable. Sometimes all that remains is the memory of the glorious achievements of Russian horse breeding and the belief that sooner or later everything will change for the better. Information can play an important role in this - as a memory of what happened and a guide for those who want to continue history.

Cultural horse breeds

According to various sources, there are from 250 to 500 horse breeds in the world. Some agencies recognize the figure as 427. Of this number, as of 1983, forty-five breeds and breed groups were bred in the USSR, while in modern Russia, about three dozen domestic species and several imported ones are bred, and only 18% of horses are used for breeding development from the total livestock. Among the most common types that stud farms are still involved in are the following:

Orlov trotter.
Russian trotter.
Russian heavy truck.
Soviet heavy truck.
thoroughbred horse.
Arabian breed.
Akhal-Teke (or Argamak).
Russian horse riding
Terskaya
Budennovskaya.

In addition, in small numbers there are horses of such breeds as the Oldenburg, Bavarian, French Saddlebred, Tennessee, Quarter Horse, Andalusian, Trakehner, Hanoverian, American Trotter, Percheron, Shetland pony. Aboriginal horses include the Amur and Yakut.

Famous trotters

Any of the listed breeds can boast not only of external characteristics, worldwide recognition, achievements at exhibitions and in the field of sports and its best representatives, but also a number of legends and actual incidents that surrounded its history. For example, the history of the Oryol trotter is inextricably linked with the name of Count Alexei Orlov (1737 - 1807).

Legend has it that the progenitor of this breed, a milky-white stallion named Smetanka, was presented to the count by the Turkish Pasha as one of twelve horses as a sign of gratitude for the fact that Orlov released captive Turkish sailors captured during the Chesme naval battle of 1770 to their homeland. Indeed, at the end of this glorious battle, Russian sailors managed to save one of the largest ships of the Turkish fleet, the 60-gun battleship Rhodes, from an explosion. A more “down-to-earth” version claims that the count simply bought a horse for crazy money in Turkey.

Be that as it may, the honor of the appearance of the breed in Russia belongs to this man. Smetanka lived in Russia for only a year, but during this time he left behind two stallions - Polkan the First and Bars the First. They were settled at the Khrenovsky stud farm, founded in 1776 in the Voronezh province, and their descendants, born from selection with Arabian, Danish and Dutch horses, became the first representatives of the new breed, which was destined for worldwide fame. In 1847, an All-Russian stud book was established, where Oryol trotters were immediately entered according to records made in advance.

This species was bred very carefully, through selection best representatives and the selection and development of individual lines, paying great attention to feeding and maintenance in pastures and stable yards. This approach contributed to the creation of a truly unique breed, which was able to compete with the best trotters in Europe and America. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Oryol trotter named Krepysh was recognized as the fastest horse in Europe, having more than once won competitions against trotters of American origin who were famous in those days. And in 1974, a stallion named Peony, “born” at the Dubrovsky stud farm (Poltava region, now Ukraine), became the champion of the breed, setting a record for running a distance of 1600 meters in 2 minutes 0.1 seconds.

In addition to sports, representatives of this species were used as improvers of many types. In 1980, there were 552 thousand Oryol trotters in the USSR, of which 40.7 thousand were purebred specimens. Today, unfortunately, the statistics are not encouraging. However, the valuable livestock has not disappeared: they are maintained and tried to be bred at the existing Khrenovsky stud farm, Chesmensky stud farm in the Voronezh region, Moscow, Perm and Novotomnikovsky in the Tambov region.

Not only the Oryol breed is the pride of Soviet horse breeding, which was inherited by the Russian one. The Russian Trotter, although it does not have such a glorious history, is no less popular among athletes. She owes her birth to the American trotter, which practically conquered Europe at the end of the 19th century. Russian horse breeders quickly realized that they could take from the overseas phenomenon, and began to cross the Oryol trotter with the American one, subsequently selecting the resulting offspring. The result was a new breed of trotters approved in 1949, whose representative, the stallion Vlastny, in the same 1974 at a distance of 1600 meters showed a result of 1 minute. 58.7 sec.

In its appearance, the Russian trotter resembles the Orlov trotter, but is distinguished by greater agility, which it inherited from the American one. He took after his compatriot in color - the breed is dominated by bay, grey, red and brown horses. In 1980, 692 thousand heads were counted in the USSR, of which 50.5 thousand were purebred. Unfortunately, we do not have data on the condition of the breed today, but given the above-mentioned trends, we can assume that they are also not brilliant. The existing livestock is dispersed in the Tula region (Prilepsky stud farm), Saratov (Elansky), Tambov (Chuvash and Lavrovsky), Oryol (Zlynsky) and Bryansk (Lokotsky).

Inconspicuous, but so necessary for the country, heavy trucks

However, horse breeding could boast of more than just sporting successes in its time. The urgent needs of Soviet reality required an adequate response, and stud farms did not remain deaf to them. It was precisely the goals of making life easier in the outback that dictated the creation of such heavy-drawn breeds as the Russian, Soviet and Vladimir heavy trucks. Their history began with the appearance in Russia in the second half of the 19th century of Ardennes horses, which had long been bred in Belgium. At first they were bred purely, and then they began to be crossed with local draft horses. In-depth selection work led to the creation of a species superior to the Belgian Ardennes and different from all heavy European species. In the 50s of the twentieth century, the breed was officially registered as “Russian heavyweight”.

The Russian draft horse does not have the lightness, fleetness and grace of trotters, but no one demands this from him. It is valuable in other ways: endurance, mobility and sufficient strength to perform everyday heavy work. During testing, these horses delivered the maximum permissible load weighing 820 kg. over a distance of two kilometers (standard distance for testing horses of heavy breeds) in steps of 14 minutes. 21 sec., trot – 5 min. 20.4 sec. In addition, they are distinguished by good fertility, excellent adaptive qualities to any conditions and have proven themselves as excellent improvers even of Siberian aboriginal breeds.

As of 1980, 128.8 thousand heads of Russian draft horses were registered in the USSR, of which 8.5 thousand were purebred. The standard color of the breed is red, brown and red-roan. Historically, during Soviet Union the most valuable livestock was concentrated in four stud farms, two of which were located in Russian Federation, one in Ukraine and one in Belarus. Currently, Russian heavy trucks are produced by the Kuedinsky stud farm in the Perm region and some branches of the Vologda, Perm and Chesma studs.

Its “colleague” in the Soviet heavy truck category is relatively young, having received official recognition in 1952. The “birth” of the species was a response to the need in agriculture for horses that could be used in field work on the soils of the Non-Black Earth Region and for transporting heavy loads. For this purpose, in the farms of the Vladimir, Gorky, Yaroslavl regions and in Mordovia, the Ardennes, Bityug and Percheron breeds were crossed with the Belgian Brabançon. Similar experiments began to be carried out even before the revolution, then they were abandoned - there was no time for that - but after the war they were resumed in combination with selection by type and performance. The result was a very large horse, with well-developed muscles and bony legs, weighing 650 kg (stallions weigh 780). At the All-Union competitions, the Soviet heavy truck set a so far unsurpassed record for heavy breeds, transporting a load weighing 851 kg. over a distance of two kilometers in 11 minutes. 51.8 sec. step. At a trot he managed to cover this distance in 4 minutes. 53 sec. True, there is information about a more impressive indicator, which was set by a stallion named Force, transporting a load weighing 22 tons 991 kg over 35 meters, but history is modestly silent about what his future fate was.

The color of the Soviet draft horse is red and red-roan. It is interesting that, despite their size and weight, they have high milk production. Also, Soviet heavy draft horses are used for crossing in beef horse breeding in order to improve the early maturity of young animals and increase their weight.

In 1980, there were 109.9 thousand horses in the USSR, of which 6.8 thousand were considered purebred. The best livestock of the breed is concentrated at the Pochinkovsky stud farm in the Nizhny Novgorod region, in Mordovia, as well as at some factories involved in breeding trotters.

It would be unfair, when talking about heavy draft breeds, not to mention the Vladimir heavy truck. It was the result of crossing Scottish and English draft horses with native horses of the Vladimir and Ivanovo regions for the same purposes as the Soviet draft horse. In some ways, they are competitors with each other: it was the Vladimir resident who managed to set a record of 4 minutes at the competition for carrying cargo at the trot. 34 sec. Four stallions - Gomon, Magnit, Pride and Kurgan - in different years received the title “Absolute heavyweight champion of the All-Union competitions.”

Vladimir heavy truck.

Despite such impressive successes, the number of livestock of this breed, even in favorable Soviet times for horse breeding, was only 36.8 thousand heads, of which 2.3 thousand were considered purebred. Perhaps the reason is that the Vladimir breed was bred only by two stud farms - Yuryev-Polsky (Vladimir region) and Gavrilovo-Posadsky (Ivanovo region). But be that as it may, in post-Soviet Russia the Vladimir heavy truck, although it has not disappeared, is going through far from the best times.

Horse breeds

The history of the purebred riding breed is shrouded in the same mystery as the history of the Oryol trotter. First it appeared in England, and the stories of its appearance are one more incredible than the other, and from the end of the 18th century - in Russia. In 1793, a stud book was established, the first volume of which (the studbook) was closed immediately after publication, and in subsequent volumes only those horses whose ancestors were recorded in the first volume began to be entered. This tradition was preserved in the Soviet Union, and from this fact alone one can judge the importance attached to maintaining the purity of this species.

The thoroughbred horse breed was bred for racing, Olympic sports equestrian sports and steeplechase competitions (initially - horse racing over rough terrain to a certain object; today this is the name for horse racing on specially equipped hippodromes or in appropriate areas). And the horse breeders achieved their goal: in terms of agility, horses of this breed have no equal. At one time, the following records were set in the USSR: two-year-olds covered a distance of 1200 meters in 1 minute. 11.1 seconds, three-year-olds – 2400 meters in 2 minutes, 27.2 seconds, four-year-olds – 3200 meters in 3 minutes. 22 sec. Soviet athletes, riding thoroughbred horses, repeatedly won the Cup of Socialist Countries, and stallions Anilin and Aden, “born” at the Voskhod stud farm (Krasnodar Territory), won four times the European Prize races held in the German city of Cologne. Of these four victories, three belong to Aniline. The breed was also noted at the XXII Olympic Games in 1980, where Soviet athletes, riding horses Hepatit, Galzun and Gelispont, received gold medals in the team competition for overcoming obstacles and in eventing.

The purebred horse breed also has achievements in the Greater Pardubice Steeplechase competition, which in its complexity and severity is not inferior to the most prestigious on the planet Liverpool. In 1957-1959, for three years in a row, the race was won by a stallion named Epigraph (jockeys V. Fedin and V. Prakhov), in 1960 and 1961 - Grifel (I. Avdeev), in 1962 - Gaboy (R. Makarov), and in 1967 – Dresden (A. Sokolov). Then the series of victories for riding horses stopped, and only twenty years later, in 1987, the Soviet jockey N. Khludenev managed to win the Pardubice Steeplechase on a stallion named Eros.

In addition to racing, thoroughbred riding horses took part in the improvement and breeding of other horse breeds. However, the breed, in addition to its undoubted advantages, also has several significant disadvantages - it is overly excitable nervous system, demanding conditions of feeding and maintenance, which complicates its full cultivation. Taking these features into account, the USSR developed a whole series half-blooded species adapted to different conditions and suitable for different purposes. It is interesting that these breeds, which include, in particular, the Budennovskaya, cannot be maintained without periodic crossing with a thoroughbred riding horse.

The complexity of breeding the species was indirectly reflected in the statistics: in 1980, 6,240 purebred riding horses were registered in the Soviet Union, which accounted for only 1% of the total world population, so their improvement was carried out with the constant import of breeding representatives from abroad. Currently, in addition to the still operating Krasnodar Voskhod, the Labinsky plant (Krasnodar Territory), Stavropol, Kabardinsky and Beslan are engaged in breeding this breed.

It would be nonsense, speaking about horses bred in Russia, not to mention the famous Arabian breed. A lot of literature is devoted to it - both scientific and artistic - it has been sung since the early Middle Ages, and it is no longer possible to say anything new about it. But this horse is so fascinating that people will talk about it for a long time. If we ignore poetic praise, the Arabian horse is famous for its developed muscles, “compactness,” harmony and sophistication of forms. Perhaps its small size plays a role in this - its height at the withers is only 150 cm. Another valuable quality of the breed is good distance: the sources record the passage of an Arabian horse under a rider over a distance of 2650 km. in 18 days. It is not difficult to calculate that on average she covered 145-146 kilometers per day.

The Arabian horse appeared in Russia a long time ago, but it began to be widely used only in the 18th century, when crossed with the descendants of the stallion Smetanka, which was mentioned just above. Thanks to the Arabian breed, such species as Rostopchinskaya, Streletskaya, and Oryol riding were bred. The Arabian breed itself was also bred. Currently, it is used not only as an improvement breed, but also for private estates, riding clubs, and participation in competitions. The demand for it is great, but its high status and high cost make its acquisition an act of luxury that not every person can afford. And even though it is bred in Russia, the number of livestock is limited. Back in the USSR, there were only 555 purebred Arabian horses, of which 437 were at the Terek Stud Farm (Stavropol Territory). One can only imagine how many specimens are left now... However, the breed exists, and in addition to Tersky, it is handled by the Khrenovsky stud farm, located in the Voronezh region.

As an admixture, the blood of the Arabian horse exists in many forms and, in particular, in the Russian riding breed. She was born at the beginning of the 19th century by crossing the Oryol trotter and the Rostopchin breed (Arab horses, as is known, took part in the creation of both), but for some reason did not receive such widespread, like its “parents”, and gradually fell into decay. Interest in it was revived in the USSR, starting in the 50s of the twentieth century, and eventually it was revived at the Starozhilovsky stud farm in the Ryazan region. It is interesting that the revival process was advised by employees of the Department of Horse Breeding of the Moscow Agricultural Academy. K. A. Timiryazeva.

The horse of this breed is the largest among all similar representatives - its height at the withers is from 164 to 166 cm. It is characterized by an elegant exterior - a heritage of noble Arabian blood - black color and high athletic performance. Soviet horse breeders actively developed this last characteristic right up to the collapse of the USSR, striving to ensure that the sporting achievements of the Russian riding breed were not inferior to the achievements of their “colleagues” from other breeds. They managed to achieve a lot - the Russian horse breed has more than once been a prize-winner and winner of the largest equestrian competitions for the continental championship. She adequately represented Soviet sports at the Olympic Games.

Unfortunately, we were unable to find data on the number of horses of this breed registered in the USSR, but we can state that it still exists today. In addition to the Starozhilovsky plant, a number of farms in the Samara, Moscow, Smolensk and Ryazan regions are engaged in this industry.

No less worthy of mention is the Akhal-Teke horse breed (or Argamak), the pride and pearl of the Turkmen nation. It was the Akhal-Teke horses that largely shaped the appearance of the Arabian horse, so cherished throughout the world. Their unique feature is that the Turkmens raised every horse - due to historical and geographical conditions, they could not keep large herds - and this led to the formation of such thoroughbred characteristics as extreme unpretentiousness and endurance. Akhaltektians are able to go without water longer than horses of any other breeds; they can easily endure hunger and heat of +50, while their agility and speed do not decrease. They are kind of record holders in jumping: they have a jump of 8.72 meters in length and 2.12 meters in height.

These characteristics are largely formed by the exterior. Akhal-Teke horses have a dense, dry structure, little hair, a lightweight build with a standard height for a horse of 160 cm, and a long body. The color of the breed is distinguished by its richness of color, but horses of dun or nighting color with a golden or silver tint are often found. In their temperament, they resemble purebred riding horses - the same choleric people. This breed is also characterized by attachment to one owner.

They were used with great pleasure in various disciplines equestrian sport. In 1960, the stallion Absinthe (jockey S. Filatov) became the champion of the XVII Olympic Games held in Rome, in competitions under the high school riding program. At the XVIII Games held in Tokyo, he received a bronze medal. No less famous is the stallion Polotli, born in 1965, who twice became the VDNKh champion in 1973 and 1977. and more than once won honorary prizes at races in Ashgabat, Pyatigorsk and Baku.

In 1980, the number of the breed was 2100 heads, with local ones - 6650. It was bred mainly in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and the Caucasus. In our time, its breeding is carried out mainly at the Stavropol stud farm and in some farms in Kalmykia and Dagestan.

The Terek horse breed is one of those that are on the verge of extinction, since a figure barely exceeding a hundred heads is a critical indicator. In many ways, this decline was facilitated by the fact that one of its “parents” - the Streltsy horse - was almost completely destroyed during the civil war, and if the Terek breed does disappear, it will be an irreparable blow for Russian horse breeding. Meanwhile, although she does not shine at world-class sporting competitions (although the stallion Tskheti received a gold medal for his performance in the team eventing competition at the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980), she is an excellent improver for breeds in the mountains of Azerbaijan and Tajikistan and is irreplaceable member of circus troupes. They were also often used in tourism and in children's and youth equestrian sports.

In appearance, Terek horses resemble Arabian ones (this breed also managed to have a hand in it), but in temperament they resemble horses of the old Streltsy breed. The color of the Terek species is gray. In 1980, 2,800 horses were registered in the USSR, of which 830 were purebred. We have already talked about the quantity today. The livestock is concentrated only at the Stavropol stud farm and several farms.

Finally, our review is completed by the Budyonnovsky breed, bred on the basis of a thoroughbred horse and approved in 1949. The excitable and demanding-capricious temperament of the famous parent was diluted by the balanced character of the Don and Black Sea horses in the stud farms named after. Budyonny and them. First Cavalry Army (Rostov region). The result is a breed with a wide range of uses: it is used as an improver of local breeds, as a working horse and as a horse for export and sport. It’s worth dwelling on the latter in a little more detail and again recalling the Pardubice steeplechase, where the Budyonnovsky breed participated on a par with the thoroughbred horse and did not disgrace the “honor of the uniform”: in 1964, the winner of the race was the “Budyonnovsky” stallion Priboy (jockey V. Gorelkin). In the 80s and 90s of the 20th century, the Budennovites also became winners of the Pardubice steeplechase, but under the saddles of the Czechs. Horses of this type also showed themselves successfully at the Moscow Olympic Games, “bringing” gold for performance in the hurdle competition in the team competition (stallion Reis) and “bronze” in the individual championship (stallion Tweezers).

In 1980, 9.9 thousand purebred Budennovsky horses were counted, and together with impurities - 49.3 thousand. Unfortunately, there is currently no information on the number of this breed. It is bred in the southern regions of Russia - the Rostov region and the Stavropol and Krasnodar territories.

Native horse breeds

It would be unfair not to say at least a few words about the surviving Russian aboriginal breeds. Unfortunately, out of all their diversity that once inhabited the vast expanses of Russia, now we can speak with confidence only about two - the Amur and Yakut breeds. Only they, thanks to their adaptability to difficult climatic conditions, have been preserved in sufficient quantity to speak of their existence as a breed, and not as individual specimens. Both are distinguished by their endurance, unpretentiousness, frost resistance and have their own small modest achievements: for example, the Amur horse once made a difficult journey from Siberia to St. Petersburg, covering more than 8 thousand miles, and the Yakut horse has an amazing ability to eat grass even in winter, raking snow with its hooves . Only during prolonged bad weather does she need a small supply of hay. The Yakut horse is kept for practical purposes: slaughter for meat and various works in the harsh climate of the northern Russian regions. Pedigree horses are bred on a number of state farms and on the experimental farm of the Yakut Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture. In the 80s of the twentieth century, the number of the Yakut breed amounted to 137.9 thousand heads, which convincingly indicates its role in northern and Siberian life. The Amur horse has approximately the same importance for the population of Siberia and the Far East.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, many breeds are left outside the scope of this article. Perhaps we will return to them later - after all, any breed of horse deserves at least a pair warm words to your address. Even if she no longer exists on earth.