Perhaps most well known for their lovely long, curly coat of hair, the American Bashkir horse is a breed shrouded in the unknown. The existance of a horse with the *curly* gene in North America is a mystery.
Their bloodlines are clearly the same as the Bashkir horse native to the Ural mountains. Animals with curly coats were discovered in America in the early 19th century.
It’s All About The Curls
Image from Gattou/Lucie
The curls express themselves in varying degrees, some animals only display curls around their points, while others will display curls on all body hair (even their eyelashes).
Whether minimally or maximally expressed, many of the American Bashkirs shed their mane and tail in the summertime and re-grow it with their winter coat.
Similar to poodles in the dog world, the curls seem to magically reduce dander and animals with the *curly* gene are hypoallergenic.
Learn More
Learn more about the breed.
American Bashkir Curly Horse Registry
OK State
There is no relation between the North American Curly Horse and the Bashkir pony, which has straight hair. The dominant curl gene in NA curlies most likely was a spontaneous mutation in the western mustangs. Look at http://www.curlyhorses.org for more information based on facts, not myths.