Breeds: Altai and New Altai horses. Horses of the Altai breed Horse breeds in the Altai region name

Excavations at the Pazyryk mounds have established that the ancient inhabitants of Altai had horses of various breeds already in the first millennium BC.

The mountainous regions of Altai are among the largest areas where herd horse breeding has great importance. Horses were brought to this region best breeds, but only those that are adapted to being kept on pastures throughout the year have survived. The Altai breed of horses, a local mountain breed, has at all times been well adapted to keeping all year round grazing, hardy and efficient. As a result of crossing with heavy draft horses and other breeds, they acquired a balanced character, small stature and good health.

History of the breed

The fact of their ancient origin is not in doubt. Archaeologists have found remains dating back to 4th-3rd centuries BC. Natural conditions Altai Territory with its mountain and foothill regions contributed to the formation of this breed of horses. Horse breeding was a very popular activity among ancient nomads. The harsh mountain climate and pastures open all year round are quite familiar to them.


At the same time, the development of the breed proceeded at a slow pace. Until the forties of the last century, no changes were observed in this local rock. But with changes in natural conditions, the horse began to take shape in a new way. The processes of crossing it with other breeds have intensified: with English purebred Arabian horses, with heavy draft horses, etc. At present, there are very few Altaians of pure blood left. Herd horse breeding has developed rapidly.

Living in mountainous areas, these horses do an excellent job in mountain conditions, in harness, with a saddle and pack.

Description of the breed

True representatives of the breed are not tall ( up to 147 cm at the withers), they have a wide croup (chest girth 170 cm), a large head, a thick neck, short strong, well-positioned legs, strong hooves, allowing them, without being shod, to perform difficult work in rocky mountain paths. The real decoration for a horse is the mane, tail and thick withers. An adult weighs 300-350 kilograms. The fillies are slightly smaller and shorter (142 cm).


Its short stature is its main disadvantage. But when crossed with other purebreds, English or Arabian, Altaians turn out to be larger and more massive, while remaining just as unpretentious.

These horses come in a variety of colors: gray and bay, mousey and red, dun and black, piebald and brindle...

Their unprepossessing appearance does not interfere with celebrating the undoubted advantages of the breed. Animals with a balanced character, strong, hardy and with good health, unpretentious and seasoned. It’s a sin to complain about the character of these horses; they are not capricious and easy to control.

Mares of the Altai breed manage to produce milk in large volumes, on average up to 10 liters per day, which is why they are successfully used on koumiss farms. For these purposes and also for meat production, they are mainly used as a cross between Altai and Russian heavy trucks.

Improved horses, if kept in herds on pastures, reach the following weights: two-year-olds - 425 kg, three-year-olds - 595 kg. Weight Limit adult horse – 600 kg.

Breed Features

The Altai horse is considered one of the best working breeds. First of all, because of its unpretentiousness, minimal need for care, capable of working well for a long time even in harsh conditions. This endurance has become the most important advantage of horses of this breed over others.


They are also very fearless. It is very difficult for wolves attacking herds to profit, because these daredevils themselves will take their foals from the wolves.

At the same time, they are good-natured, calm and peaceful, highly trainable, and will gladly give rides to both children and adults. For Altai horses it will be possible and normal to use on hard work in any terrain, including mountainous ones, without horseshoes, which is greatly facilitated by the structure of their legs, equipped with brushes and having extremely strong hooves.

They are incredibly resilient and can easily withstand frost and mountain climbing. But even the strongest immunity does not protect against diseases. Improper skeletal development can lead to joint problems. Poor hoof control can lead to inflammation or eczema. TO weak points horses include the heart, blood vessels, joints, fainting, breeding disease, laminitis, morbillivirus pneumonia.

Breeding work

The Altai breed is recognized as one of those breeds in Russia that actively used for breeding. And this is not an exaggeration. It is unique performance, super endurance and amazing learning ability that are most in demand. They are also found in horses obtained from crossing Altaians with other breeds, with Russian heavy draft horses, with Arabian horses, as well as with riding breeds.

Among the Altaians there are also “humpbacked” horses, with a very small hump. Its presence in no way affects performance, endurance and other qualities, but for selection it is a sign of a defect or defect.

Breeding work in Russia is carried out both by horse breeding farms and farms with their own herds. Of course, with the beginning of such work, there were fewer and fewer purebred representatives of the breed. And today there are very few such horses left.

There are farms whose goal is to preserve purebred horses. One such example is one of the farms in the Altai Mountains, where spotted horses are being revived forelock suit, once legendary, mentioned in local epics. These beauties, reminiscent of Dalmatians in their color, are not only a source of income. Chubary from the ancient epic is a unique symbol of Altai culture.

The most popular area of ​​livestock farming in the Altai Mountains is horse breeding. They were often brought into the region different breeds, but only those that were able to adapt to the harsh mountain climate and year-round grazing managed to take root. The attraction of this region is the Altai horse. Even nomadic peoples began to use these hardy and hardworking animals in harness work. Also, the Altai breed of horses was effectively used as saddle and pack animals. It has not lost its relevance to this day.

The Altai horse appeared, still III-IV centuries. BC. This is confirmed by archaeological excavations, during which the remains of ancient animals were found. The formation of the breed was facilitated by the climatic conditions of the Altai region, with its mountain and foothill reliefs. It became common for animals to be kept in herds on open pastures in a sharply continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers.

Despite the fact that horse breeding has been practiced in this area since ancient times, Altai horses developed rather slowly. Until the middle of the last century, there were no significant changes in the development of the local breed, which until 1948 was called Oirot. They began to pay special attention to breeding work only when natural conditions began to change.

In 1978, breeding work began aimed at improving the Altai horse breed. For this purpose, stallions of Russian, Soviet and Lithuanian breeds were crossed with local females.

So in 2000, a new meat breed was bred, called Novoaltayskaya or Chumyshskaya.

This horse is well adapted to herd keeping and is very hardy.

Description and characteristics

Horses of the Altai breed are distinguished by their friendly, calm and good-natured character. They are flexible, hardworking, and have good health. Altai horses are predictable, manageable, unforgiving and not capricious, they are easy to train and make contact with their owner, becoming strongly attached to him. They are friendly towards children, willingly giving them rides.

The Novo-Altai horse breed is considered the most efficient, productive and unpretentious, thanks to which they can be kept in areas with a harsh climate and poor food supply. They are also incredibly brave creatures, capable of even fighting with wolves. There are known cases when herds, without human help, recaptured their foals from predators.

Appearance

A purebred representative of the Altai horse breed looks like this:

• straight profile;
• powerful body;
• long back;
• developed croup, slightly lowered;
• wide chest;
• medium sized head;
• fleshy neck;
• short thin legs with small brushes;
• strong hooves (not needing horseshoes);
• thick withers and mane;
• chic tail;
• average height at the withers is 1.4 – 1.48 m (females are shorter than males, approximately 5 cm);
• body length – 1.4 m;
• girth of the leg above the hoof (pastern): for a mare - 17-18 cm, for a stallion - 19 cm;
• girth chest– 1.60 – 1.65 m;
• average weight – 300-350 kg.

According to their exterior characteristics and measurement results, Altaians belong to the elite breeds of horses. Animals with improved selection characteristics reach the following weight when kept in herds:

• 2 year olds – up to 425 kg;
• 3 year olds – up to 600 kg;
• meat horses (Novoaltai breed) – up to 630 kg.

A special feature of these horses is their colors, which can be varied. The most common types of animals are:

• redhead;
• gray;
• bay;
• black;
• dun;
• nightingale;
• savrasaya;
• mousey;
• chubaraya;
• leopard and brindle (rare color).

Selection

The Altai horse is the most popular breed used for selective breeding. Stud farms and farms are engaged in breeding selection. And the longer Altai breeds are crossed with other breeds, the less often one can find purebred Altai.

But there are breeders who are trying with all their might to preserve a “pure” breed, such as, for example, the spotted Altai horse of forelock color. This ancient and extremely rare variety of local horses, similar in color to Dalmatians, is considered the cultural heritage of the Altai region.

The Altai horse began to be actively crossed with Arabian and English horses, resulting in massive and large animals, but with the same endurance as the thoroughbred Altai. When Russian heavy trucks are used for breeding breeding, a breed of meat and dairy production is obtained.

Breeding

Altai horses are bred year-round in herds on pasture. This is facilitated by a large number of pastures and natural walks. Despite this, the animals are large, tall with excellent productive qualities. The breed is mainly raised on meat and dairy farms to produce meat products and products from kumis (mare's milk). Sometimes the profitability of breeding reaches 300%. During winter grazing, herds are used for riding and transporting goods.

Mares reach sexual maturity at 18 months, stallions a little later. Females begin to breed at 3 years of age, and males at 4 years of age. Pregnancy lasts 11 months, during which the female’s body is sensitive to violations of the feeding regime and maintenance rules, which can lead to miscarriage. For the first 6-7 months they can work at full capacity, but from the 9th month it is important to provide them with peace.

Sometimes, when breeding Altai horses, breeders identify defects in the breed that relate to appearance and do not in any way affect the performance of the animal or its general condition.

Horses with a slight curvature of the back, in the form of peculiar humps to the right or left of the vertebral axis, are considered defective.

For this reason, they are not used for breeding selection, but, nevertheless, such horses are distinguished by excellent performance. Purebred Altai horses are bred mainly in the southern regions of Altai.

Feeding

The feeding diet should be developed in strict accordance with the physiological characteristics of horses. It should be based on the following products:

• hay;
• oats;
• silage;
• combined feeds;
• bran;
• fruits and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, apples).

One horse with an average weight of 500 kg needs about 4 tons of hay, 2 tons of oats, 1 ton of root vegetables and 0.5 tons of bran per year.

General norms for animal feeding depending on physical activity(feed in%):

When feeding, you should adhere to the following rules:

1. Vitamin, mineral and biological supplements should be included in the diet. Under no circumstances should dirt or dust get into the food. It is strictly forbidden to feed moldy foods. You can prevent feed spoilage by ensuring it is properly stored, preferably in a specially equipped room.
2. It is necessary to follow the feeding regime. Altai horses, like most other animals, quickly develop habits, and disruption of the usual diet can lead to changes in their behavior and lead to stress.
3. Animals should be fed 3-4 times a day, ensuring constant access to hay. It is better to reduce the amount of food per day, but give it as often as possible. In this way, digestion can be normalized.
4. A working animal should receive food 1-1.5 hours before work. Failure to comply with this rule can provoke disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract, which will result in serious health problems.
5. It is necessary to ensure stable access to drinking water. In the cold season, it should be warmed to room temperature. The norm of fluid intake for an adult horse is 30-40 liters per day. It is strictly forbidden to give water to animals immediately before feeding.
6. It is important to add salt to your food. You can simply add salt to the food constantly, or you can put special licks in the feeder, which allow you to control the rate of mineral intake into your pet’s body. The simplest option is to put a solid block of salt, but it is very problematic to determine visually how much the pet has eaten.

Altai horse breeds are representatives of one of the local breeds mountain view Altai region. In this area, the activity of horse breeding has become incredibly popular since the period when ancient nomads lived. But these horses are still in great demand today. The beautiful nature of the Altai region perfectly contributes to the rapid development of herd horse breeding.

In mountain meadows, as well as in taiga glades and river valleys, there is quite a lot of pasture for horses of this breed. Moreover, this food can be eaten at any time of the year. And for cute creatures, it’s definitely enough. Altai horses are perfectly adapted to the process of working in a harness in mountain conditions. And also for working with a saddle and pack.

All representatives of the Altai horse breed can remarkably tolerate pasture-type feed all year round. A typical Altai horse has average height at the withers, a deep and long body, a wide chest, strong legs with strong hooves and a powerful body. The appearance of this breed is somewhat unprepossessing. After all, they have a medium-sized head and a fleshy neck, and their body is too long and wide.

Wild relatives

Altai horse breeds have a straight back and a straight profile with an incredibly convex and long loin, short, dry and correctly placed legs. And on the front and on horses like this, there are small brushes, crowned with very strong hooves. The data may allow the Altai breed to carry out complex transport work without having to navigate various rocky mountain paths.

The decoration of representatives of this special breed is the thick withers, and the same tail and mane. In spring and autumn, animals quickly get fat. Fillies manage to produce milk in large volumes. In the summer, this amount of drink is from eight to ten liters per day. For this reason, these horses find stable use on dairy farms.

The phenotypic characteristics of Altai mares and stallions vary, just like other horse breeds. True representatives have an average height of 147-148 cm at the withers. Horses of this breed are united by a fairly wide shoulder girdle, chest volume is at least 165 cm. The legs are short, but often straight, without flaws, the wrist circumference is small and amounts to 19 cm. Mares are slightly inferior to stallions in size. Their chest volume is the same as that of males, 165-170 cm in girth. Height is 5 cm shorter. And the wrist is more miniature, 18 cm in circumference. Both females and males are united by a rather long back, a massive neck and a voluminous shoulder girdle. Despite the external stockiness, the Altai breed of horses has strong legs and surprisingly durable hooves, allowing them to make long-distance raids.

The color of this breed can be surprisingly varied. They are not characterized by the predominance of a certain color in the population. Bay, black, mouse and red colors are found with equal frequency. But in the vast expanses of the marvelous Altai region you can see leopard and even tiger colors.

When breeding these Siberian animals, external defects are sometimes revealed that have absolutely no effect on the general condition and performance of the horse. These include slight curvatures of the back located to the left or right of the spinal axis. These so-called “defective specimens” do not participate in further selection and are not included in the stud book, but they feel great and, sometimes, work for two.

Altaians in the reserve

Today, all horses of the Altai breed are bred primarily in the outback in the south of the Altai Territory. In the northern part, just like in the central areas, you can often find the use of trotters. Horses gain weight ranging from four hundred fifty to four hundred ninety kilograms precisely if they were raised in herd conditions. There are frequent cases of crossing Altai fillies with different heavy trucks. And the result of this process is the stallions, which in their adulthood can reach a weight of 500-550 kilograms.

The main disadvantage of this horse breed is its short stature. The smallest of the individuals live in the east. In the same areas that are on the border with Mongolia. In addition, in this same area, there also live typical representatives of the beautiful Altai breed, which have never been crossed with any other breeds. Larger horses are bred in the Ongudai region. After all, this is where the best of the pastures are located. However, it is not only the improved feeding conditions that can determine the size of horses in this area.

Here, all such animals were improved by crossing them with, and in recent times, also with many more riding animals. One of the main advantages of Altai horses is considered to be their amazing endurance. These animals can easily endure the most difficult conditions of the harshest winters that occur in the Altai Territory, as well as the fact that they are kept in herd conditions.

Herd breeding

In all collective farms in the area, special work is being carried out aimed at improving the breed, through interbreeding and the process of breeding “in itself”. In addition, at the present time, special breeding horse farms are already being formed, in which the best representatives of Altai stallions and mares are located. The largest tracts of natural pastures, which are rich in their own vegetation, represent a wonderful opportunity for the development of commercial horse breeding in the mountainous regions of Altai.

In addition, in this way, the production of Altai horses comes out for all other regions that need them. This moment represents a certain additional incentive that exists in a special way in order to significantly increase the growth and performance of Altai horses. Altai horses have a good-natured and calm character. These animals are quite unpretentious, and they are adapted to living in rather harsh conditions. With success, animals can cope with huge volumes of work.

In addition, all representatives of this breed can be easily trained. Their character cannot cause the slightest problem to anyone around them. This is an impeccable working type horse. The process of integral formation of the Altai breed lasted for many centuries under the perfect influence of various natural conditions of the harsh continental climate and real taiga. The remains of ancient horses, which were discovered by experienced archaeologists in the Altai region, date back to the 4th-3rd centuries BC. In ancient times, all representatives of this breed were much larger in size in comparison with their modern descendants. Today, in its pure form, the breed has been preserved only in the most remote mountainous areas.

Gradual improvement of the Altai horse breed began in the 8th-9th centuries. The moment of adaptation to the harsh climate of the mountain region and year-round pasture, as well as enormous strength, excellent health and adaptability to the process of working in harness and under, was laid down over several centuries. In addition to all that has been said, it must be added that in the twentieth century this breed became in an active way, conduct the work of breeders. And the process of crossing with English and Arabian purebred stallions produced much larger and more massive stallions, but exactly as unpretentious and large, just like the Altai horses. Well, a cross between Russian and Soviet draft horses was actively used in the production of meat and milk.

Already in 2000, they received the so-called Novo-Altai breed of horses - “Chumysh”. Today, there are too few purebred Altai horses left. They are all kept in the Altai experimental farm. Collecting the remaining representatives of the glorious breed is an incredibly difficult task. After all, Altai horses were gradually mixed with other horses, simply dissolving them in time.

Character

The Altai breed of horses has all the necessary qualities for survival and work in the difficult Siberian climate. High performance combined with an easygoing, quiet character has made Altai horses not only favorites among farmers and entrepreneurs, but also favorites of children and adults who want to communicate with them. Unpretentious horses have always been valued in the conditions of Siberian winters, and strong and dexterous legs, durable hooves and a developed back allowed them to be used in transporting goods in places difficult to reach for other vehicles.

It is important to note that when this breed is crossed with heavy draft horses of Russian and foreign breeds, the descendants always have a gentle Altai disposition.

Their friendliness and openness to communication make these horses easy to train. They are happy to join in any team work and understand their coach well. These horses will not behave unpredictably in emergency situations. They will always remain a loyal friend and assistant to their owner.

Horse health

Despite its unpretentiousness and high resistance to various environmental factors, the health of the Altai horse must be closely monitored. early age. Special attention it is necessary to pay attention to the musculoskeletal system of the animal: symmetrical muscle development, joint function, condition of the hooves. If this is not taken into account when the horse is young, the problem will become apparent over time and require immediate treatment.

Altai horses can develop dermatitis, dermatoses, heart pathology, lichen, eczema, pneumonia and laminitis.

The Altai horse breed needs care and proper maintenance in the same way as other domestic animals.

Sale and purchase

Today there are a large number of mixed breeds, and there are fewer and fewer purebred Altai horses left. There are Altaians crossed with heavy draft horses and even with Arabian horses. Not so long ago, on the basis of this breed, the Chumysh variety was bred.

Altai horses- representatives of one of the local mountain breeds of the Altai Territory. In this area, horse breeding has become popular since the times of ancient nomads and is still in demand today. The nature of the Altai region contributes to the development of herd horse breeding. In taiga glades, mountain meadows, and river valleys there is enough pasture for horses at any time of the year. Altai horses are perfectly adapted to work in mountain conditions in harness, under pack and saddle. Representatives of this breed tolerate pasture feed well all year round.

External characteristics and impurities of the breed

A typical Altai horse has average height at the withers, a long and deep body, a wide chest (chest girth - 1.7 m), a powerful body, strong legs with strong hooves. She is somewhat unprepossessing in appearance, with a medium-sized head and a fleshy neck, a wide and long croup, which is well developed and somewhat drooping. Altai horses have a straight back and the same straight profile, with a convex, long loin, dry, short and correctly placed legs. Altai horses have small brushes on their legs, and they are crowned with strong hooves. Such hooves allow horses of the Altai breed to carry out transport work without shod on mountain rocky roads. Representatives of this breed are adorned with thick withers, mane and tail.

In autumn and spring, Altai horses quickly get fat. Mares produce large quantities of milk - in summer time years from 8 to 10 liters per day. Because of this, they are often used on dairy farms.

Today, horses of the Altai breed are bred mainly in the outback of the southern part of the Altai Territory. In the central regions and the northern part, admixtures of trotter and Don breeds are more common. Raised in herd conditions, they gain weight from 450 to 490 kilograms and height from 1.45 to 1.5 meters.

Altai mares are often crossed with heavy draft horses, resulting in stallions that reach a weight of 500 to 550 kilograms in adulthood. The main disadvantage of this horse is its low stature. The smallest individuals live in the east, in areas on the border with Mongolia. However, typical representatives of the Altai breed live in the same area, not crossed with any other breeds.

Larger horses are bred in the Ongudai region - the best pastures are located there. But it is not only improved feeding conditions that determine the size of horses in a given area. Here Altai horses were improved by crossing with blacksmith horses, and more recently with numerous riding breeds.

One of the main advantages of Altai horses is their endurance. They can easily withstand the harsh winters of the Altai Territory and being kept in a herd. Local collective farms are working to improve the breed through interbreeding and internal breeding. In addition, special horse breeding farms are currently being created, in which the best representatives of Altai mares and stallions are located.

Large tracts of natural pastures rich in vegetation provide an excellent opportunity to develop commercial horse breeding in the mountainous regions of Altai and produce horses for other regions. This is an additional incentive to increase the performance and growth of Altai horses.

Altai horses have a calm and good-natured character. They are unpretentious, adapted to life in fairly harsh conditions and successfully cope with large volumes of work. In addition, representatives of this breed are easy to train. Their temperament does not cause any problems to others. The ideal work horse.

History of the breed

The formation of the Altai breed lasted many centuries under the influence of the natural conditions of the taiga and the harsh continental climate. The remains of ancient horses, discovered by archaeologists in the Altai region, date back to the 4th-3rd centuries. BC. In ancient times, representatives of this breed were larger in size than their modern descendants. Currently, the breed is preserved in its pure form only in the most remote mountainous areas.

In the 18th-19th centuries, gradual improvement of the Altai breed began. Adaptation to the harsh mountain climate and year-round pasture, excellent health, remarkable strength, adaptability to work under saddle and in harness, endurance, ease of control - all this has been built into Altai horses for several centuries.

In addition, in the twentieth century, breeders began to actively work with this breed. Crossing with Arabian and English purebred stallions produced more massive and larger stallions, but just as unpretentious as Altai horses. And crosses with Soviet and Russian draft horses were actively used for the production of milk and meat. In 2000, the so-called New Altai horse breed, “Chumysh”, was created.

Today there are very few purebred Altai horses left. They are kept in the Altai experimental farm, and it was extremely difficult to collect the remaining representatives of the breed - Altai horses gradually mixed with other horses and simply dissolved in time...

Since the times of ancient nomads, the Altai horse (Oirot) has been a landmark of the region. Horse breeding is very popular here today, and the incredible nature of Altai fully contributes to this.

In the harsh climate of the taiga, a very hardy breed of stallions has been formed that are well adapted to working in the mountains. Over the years, Altai mares have been crossed with many other species to improve their physical qualities. There are very few true purebred representatives left, and they can only be found in remote mountainous regions of Altai. Mainly in the central and southern parts.

Altai horse breed - external signs, physical features

The species is distinguished by its rather powerful, long body and strong legs. Height is average - at the withers approximately 150 centimeters. Chest circumference is 165-175 centimeters. The animal's head is quite large. The neck is fleshy and wide. The back is straight, the legs are placed correctly. The hooves are massive and well suited for transport work on stone roads. In this case, the animal does not need to be shoed.

The following main colors of the representatives of the group can be distinguished: black, gray, bay, piebald, red, nightingale, dun. Sometimes you can even find brindle or leopard color.

Some historical sources classify the Oirot breed as a representative of small Mongolian horses. But unlike them, she has physical qualities improved in the process of long-term independent development.

Horses of the Altai group are used both for harnessing and for riding in the saddle. They have a very calm nature and are therefore easy to train. They are often used in equestrian sports. Excellent health and physical form allow them to transport quite large loads.

Horses are bred in large herds in the Altai Territory. They are grazed all year round. The special climatic conditions and the unpretentiousness of the Altai people fully contribute to this.

Improved species - the history of the Novoaltai breed

The first thing that became the impetus for improving the Oirot breed was a major flaw in the horse’s exterior – short stature. Local horse breeders and farmers began to combat this problem since the beginning of the 20th century. The work on the selection of Altai horses was carried out exclusively for commercial purposes, and was of a spontaneous nature, which did not have a structured methodology and objectives. For this reason, the process took quite a long time.

At the beginning of metalization, Kuznetsk heavy trucks were used. The new Altaians have gained quite a good reputation and popularity. A very large number of these animals were used for the needs of the Red Army. You can find a less common name for these horses – “Argymayevskie”. It came from Argymay Kuldzhin, the man who bred the breed.

Since the beginning of the 50s, stallions of the Don and Budenovsky lines began to be widely used for crossbreeding. Altai horses were crossed with Russian heavy draft horses, Lithuanian and Vladimir breeds. All sorts of experiments have begun to breed meat and dairy species. By the end of the 70s, it was possible to develop species that differed little in appearance, but had a significant superiority in height and weight. The number of Altai horses, the photo of which is presented below for the period of 1975, was about 30 thousand heads. A year later, their number increased in the Altai Territory and increased by half.

The main breeding technique used at that time was introductory crossing. Altai mares were crossed with factory breeds. Absorptive crossing was also used. It made it possible to remove impurities in 2-3 generations.

Absolutely new stage breeding began at the end of the 20th century. Institutes were involved in the development of new Altai breeds, which carried out detailed research and selected stallions and mares for crossing using the method of expert assessment. Six of the largest farms in the Altai Mountains were involved in the creation of the new line.

In the process of research, three main breeding groups of Altai mares were identified to develop new breeds:

• Desirable;
• Universal;
• Indigenous.

The first type was mainly used for the production of inexpensive animals for meat horse breeding. Universal mares were already used more widely. They were used not only for meat production, but also harnessed to carts. The group of indigenous trotters retained their adaptive properties and became the maternal basis for crossing.

For many years, crossing of Altai breeds was carried out to consolidate excellent physical qualities. physical qualities animals. Their adaptation to year-round grazing was preserved. Much attention was paid to the ability to rapid recovery after wintering.

After a long research period, which included a lot of discoveries and mistakes, on March 29, 2000, horses of the Novo-Altai breed of the Altai Territory were bred. They have improved qualities for meat production - the fatness of the animal is 50% higher than the average. At the same time, feeding animals allows you to save enormous amounts of money, which is very important for large enterprises.

During the breeding period, genealogical breeds of New Altai horses were formed, on the basis of which two lines of the Lithuanian draft breed were formed - Arbas and Zhaizdras, horses from the Soviet breed - Rekrut.

Today the animal is crossed with purebred Arabian stallions and British breeds. Research on Altaians does not stop, and new breeds appear almost every year.

How to care for Oirot horses

As mentioned earlier, these animals have a very pleasant character, and difficulties should not arise with them. If you decide to buy a horse in the Altai Territory, young or older, you have done a good choice. The Oirot horse is absolutely universal. It can be used both on the farm and for other purposes, for example, for horse riding.

By special care we mean not only proper feeding, which is also important, but also other factors. Let's look at the main ones:

These small but very important tips will help keep your trotter in great shape.

Some difficulties and features of the breed

Horses in the Altai Territory have strong immunity, but this does not mean that they cannot get sick. Like most horses, Altaians are prone to diseases of the heart and circulatory system. They are also susceptible to diseases such as laminitis and pneumonia, which requires special attention.

To protect a horse from viral infections, first of all you need to provide him with decent and comfortable conditions for his stay. Animals must live in insulated stables. Make sure there is no high humidity in the pens. Change the bedding regularly.

Proper feeding

Another basis for healthy body Altai stallion is proper nutrition. The main diet includes hay, which supplies the body with a large amount of fiber, oats, muesli, and bran. Feed and other biological additives are already classified as non-staple food. Food for the animal should be served without dust and dirt, and make sure there is no mold. In general, it is better to use special rooms for storing food.

In addition to the basic diet, you also need to follow the correct regimen. The Altai breed, like many other animals, quickly develops habits, and failure to adhere to the routine can negatively affect their behavior and cause them stress.

A working horse cannot be fed immediately before work - an hour to an hour and a half must pass. Otherwise, you can disrupt the digestion process, which can lead to serious consequences.

It is imperative to ensure constant access to clean water. An adult requires 30 to 40 liters of fluid per day per day. Make sure that the stallion does not drink before eating - this is very important. During the cold season, only heated water should be given.