Soviet heavy truck
The Soviet heavy truck is the largest breed of horses bred in Russia, and one of the strongest and most enduring heavy trucks.
In the photo: Soviet heavy truck. Photo: google
Contents
The history of the Soviet heavy truck breed
The history of the Soviet heavy truck breed goes back to the 30s of the twentieth century. It was then that the first foals began to be born, having stable signs of an emerging breed.
The history of the Soviet heavy truck breed begins at the Pochinkovsky stud farm. Local draft horses (crossbreeds of Bityugs and Ardennes) were crossed with Belgian heavy trucks -. However, the Brabancons were not very well adapted to the Russian climate, and, in addition to them, the blood of the English Suffolks rushed. The result was not as large as the Brabancon horses, but at the same time stronger.
However, the beginning of World War II slowed down the creation of the breed, and the Soviet heavy trucks were recognized as a breed only in 1952. The improvement of the breed was carried out until the 90s of the twentieth century.
In the 90s of the twentieth century, dark times came again in the history of the Soviet heavy truck breed, and these heroic horses survived only because they were actively bought in European countries. The main customers of the stud farms were farmers, for whom the environmental friendliness of products, combined with low cost, is important.
At present, the main stock of Soviet heavy trucks is located at the stud farms of Mordovia and Nizhny Novgorod.
In the photo: a horse of the Soviet heavy truck breed. Photo: google
Description and characteristics of the Soviet heavy truck
According to the description and characteristics, Soviet heavy trucks are large, massive horses.
The height at the withers of a Soviet heavy truck is 150 – 170 cm, weight – 700 – 1000 kg.
Soviet heavy trucks have a medium-sized head, a medium-length powerful neck, a low, wide withers, a broad (sometimes soft) back, a wide, even loin, and a very wide forked croup. The chest of the Soviet heavy truck is wide, the legs are medium in length, strong and rather dry. Sometimes in the breed there are soft pasterns, saber and clubfoot. The overgrowth of the tail, mane and brushes is moderate.
The main suits of the Soviet heavy truck: red, red-roan, bay, bay-roan, brown. Rarely there are Soviet black-colored heavy trucks.
According to the description and characteristics, Soviet heavy trucks have a calm temperament and good-naturedness – the heritage of the Brabancons. In work, they are flexible and obedient, not prone to manifestations of aggression.
One of the main characteristics of the Soviet heavy truck is the precocity of these horses. Already at 2,5 – 3 years they perform agricultural work, and from 3 years they are used in breeding. The foals of the Soviet heavy truck grow quickly: already at 1 year old, their weight can reach 530 – 540 kg.
Also, Soviet heavy trucks are valued for their unpretentiousness. For example, the diet of Soviet heavy trucks on many farms is bulky and cheap feed, and at the same time horses can feel good.
However, this does not mean that you can save money on caring for a Soviet heavy truck or speed up work if your horse is really dear to you.
In the photo: Soviet heavy truck. Photo: google
The use of horses of the Soviet heavy truck breed
Alas, Soviet heavy trucks are mainly used as dairy and meat horses (or improvers of dairy and meat herds).
However, the Soviet heavy truck is still a good workhorse. This is proved by numerous tests of working horses, on which Soviet heavy trucks invariably show excellent results.
