Intro
Also called the Kalmyskaya, the Kalmyk Horse originally comes from Mongolian lines and is bred in the territory along the Volga & Ural rivers. Physically they resemble the Kirghiz breed in many ways, except they are taller & tend to be rougher in confirmation.
Origins
The Kalmyk people came to Russia in the 17th century and were of Mongolian origin, bringing livestock & horses with them. The horse earned a reputation for being hardy & possessing notable endurance, even if they were not especially beautiful to look at.
Once agriculture became more mechanized the need for these horses declined & 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.
Features
Average height 14.2 – 15 hands
Physique
Head is coarse with a Roman nose
Neck is short
Back is short
Legs are lean & strong (hind legs can be cow-hocked
Traditional Colors
Use
Riding horse
Harness horse
Meat production
Milk production