Bashkir breed
History of the breed
The Bashkir breed of horses is a local breed, it is quite widespread in Bashkiria, as well as in Tatarstan, the Chelyabinsk region and Kalmykia.
Bashkir horses are very interesting, first of all, because they are the closest descendants of tarpans – wild horses, unfortunately, now exterminated.
Tarpans were small in size, mouse-colored. Representatives of the Bashkir breed are very similar to their extinct ancestors. But, despite the fact that the Bashkir horses are the closest descendants of wild horses, they have an accommodating character.
The Bashkir breed of horses has been formed for many centuries in the most ordinary Bashkir farms, where horse breeding occupied one of the main places of activity.
The horse walks equally well in harness and under saddle. It has been used for centuries as a pack and all-purpose workhorse, as well as a source of milk and meat.
Features of the exterior of the breed
Like all local breeds, the Bashkir horse is undersized (at the withers – 142 – 145 cm), but bony and broad-bodied. The head of these horses is medium in size, rough. The neck is fleshy, straight, also of medium length. Her back is straight and wide. The loin is long, strong, goes well under the saddle. Croup – short, rounded, deflated. The chest is wide and deep. The bangs, mane and tail are very thick. The limbs are dry, short, bony. The constitution is strong.
Suits: savrasaya (light bay with yellowness), mouse, buckskin (light red with a dark brown tail and mane), and representatives of the riding-draft type also have red, playful (red with a light or white tail and mane), brown, grey.
At present, as a result of work on the breed in conditions of improved feeding and maintenance, horses of an improved type have been formed. The characteristic features of these horses are endurance, tirelessness and great strength with a relatively small stature.
Applications and achievements
Bashkir horses can live outdoors at temperatures from +30 to -40 degrees. They are able to endure severe snowstorms and tear through snow a meter deep in search of food. This is one of the most hardened breeds of horses.
By winter, they grow thick, long hair, which, unlike other horses, does not need constant cleaning.
Bashkir mares are famous for their milk production. Many Bashkir mares give more than 2000 liters of milk per year. Their milk is used to make koumiss (a sour-milk drink made from mare’s milk, which has a pleasant, refreshing taste and beneficial tonic properties).
If there is a “Bashkirian” in the herd and the herd is grazing, horses can be safely left under the supervision of such a stallion. Not only will he not let the herd scatter and go far, but he will also not let strangers near him: neither horses nor people – only a few familiar rangers.
In addition to these rather unusual habits for most breeds, the Bashkirs have several more unique features. For example, this is one of the very few breeds that does not cause an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to horses. Therefore, Bashkirs are considered hypoallergenic.
