Kalmyk Horse

Intro

Also called the Kalmyskaya, the Kalmyk Horse originally comes from Mongolian lines and is bred in the territory along the Volga and Ural rivers. Physically they resemble the Kirghiz breed in many ways, except they are taller and tend to be rougher in confirmation.

Origins

The Kalmyk people came to Russia in the 17th century and were of Mongolian origin, bringing livestock and horses with them. The horse earned a reputation for being hardy and possessing notable endurance, even if they were not especially beautiful to look at.

Once agriculture became more mechanized the need for these horses declined and by 1943 selective breeding came to a halt. Later, in 1986 the Kalmyk University of Cattle Breeding went on a mission to locate and count animals of the ancient Kalmyk breed (although purebred animals were considered all but gone). The goal was to establish the purest animals and set up a stud program to save the breed. The best specimens were found in the eastern regions where the animals were more physically isolated.