The Don Horse , for those who know world geography, is easily associated with the river that flows through Russia and this is precisely its country of origin. It was once the horse most used by the people who live in those areas, the Cossacks, who used it above all as a light draft horse or as a saddle horse even if it can also do well with agricultural work and, today, with activities related to equestrian tourism . It is worth knowing it better even if in Italy there are not many specimens and farms that deal with it, at least for its history.
Don Horse: Origins
The Don horse breed was born in 1700 in the area of Russia where the river of the same name flows and which is generally covered with prairies . It is the result not of a single lucky cross but of a slow fusion of a certain number of horses that inhabited the area with rather different characteristics such as the Nagai horse , the Turkmen, the Karabakh and the Karabair . For this reason its shape varies over time and settles over the years, even in the nineteenth century when it is crossed with the Orlov and later with the English Thoroughbred giving rise to the Budjonny.
Despite the evolution of the breed, we can say that the first official breeding dates back to 1770 and was thanks to a Cossack chief who chose to breed this horse focusing on its qualities of resistance and adaptability and hoping to find in it a good battle companion. He was not wrong at all because it was precisely the Don horse that was decisive for the victory of the Cossacks against the Napoleonic army (1812-1814). It is no coincidence therefore that their fame as strong and resistant horses has reached this far.
Don Horse: Characteristics
About one and a half meters tall, this horse can have a coat of different colors but the most typical are bay, chestnut, golden chestnut, black or gray, with some accepted white spots on the head and limbs.
Its body is very robust and muscular. The head is of medium size, has a straight profile and stands out for its large and very expressive eyes and small , very mobile and pointed ears. It is well attached to the neck which fits harmoniously into the body, even if it is slightly curved and long. The withers of the Don horse are accentuated and wide, the dorsal-lumbar line is long and straight and the croup is also wide and elongated.
The general structure is well proportioned and in fact the chest is open and the limbs are long and strong, with solid and muscular forearms and wide and robust shins. The hocks are also strong and the pasterns are long and straight. The toenails, which are hard, have been much appreciated over time because this horse has always been accustomed to walking in dry steppes.
Don Horse: Aptitudes
The very docile but at the same time independent character, nervous but calm , has always made the Don horse very appreciated by the populations with which it has coexisted in its cold prairies. It is also a very resistant and determined animal, and that does not require too much attention because it is used to fatigue and a climate that is certainly not clement.
All this combined with its tall stature and beautiful shape makes it a unique riding horse , perfect if you have to travel long distances or if you want to try equestrian sports . Originally from the steppe, this breed is also very suitable for light draft and equestrian tourism but also has good jumping skills.
In agriculture they were used before the arrival of machines, in equestrian tourism they are still used. In the sports field we can find them among the participants of endurance tests that consist of reaching a distance of 256 km in 24 hours, or among the participants in dressage tests and in the troika pulling , a carriage with skates or wheels, used that must be pulled by three horses.