The Bashkir Pony is an ancient breed developed in the mountain/steppe zone near the Volga and the Urals in the former USSR. They are probably related to the Steppe

Steppe

In physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes...

 horses of Western Asia. They have developed to become a quite remarkable pony breed, highly adapted to their harsh environment and a central part of the local steppe people's lives.

Breed characteristics

The Bashkir has a heavy head with a straight profile, a full forelock and small alert ears. They have a short, strong neck, are deep chested with sloping shoulders, low withers, and a long, sometimes dipped back, with a low-set tail. Their legs are short and strong, cannon diameter averages about 8 inches, and they have very hard hooves. The Bashkir usually stands 13.1 to 14 hh

HH

- Medicine :* hh antigen system, a rare blood group* Hh, a signalling molecule in Drosophila named for the Hedgehog signaling pathway* Hodgkin–Huxley model- Science and Technology :* Hahnium, a disputed abbreviation for the chemical element name...

, and is usually bay, chestnut

Chestnut (coat)

Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...

, or palomino

Palomino

Palomino is a coat color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called the cream gene working on a "red" base coat...

, although they can also be roan

Roan (horse)

Roan is a horse coat color pattern characterized by an even mixture of colored and white hairs on the body, while the head and "points"—lower legs, mane and tail—are more solid-colored. The roan pattern is dominantly-inherited, and is found in many horse breeds...

 or gray

Gray (horse)

Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...

.

History

The Bashkir descends from the steppe horses in Western Asia, and was developed by the Bashkir people, who came to the area of Asia now known as Bashkortostan during the 7th century. Ancestors of the Bashkir are found in plentiful numbers in ancient burial mounds in the Western Asian steppes. The Bashkir is believed to have been developed by crossing this steppes horse with the Bashkirian forest horse, and the resulting breed was influenced in their evolution by the harsh climate, which resulted in their hardiness and stamina.

To improve the breed, Bashkirs are sometimes crossed with riding breeds like the Don

Russian Don

The Russian Don is a breed of horse developed in and named after the steppes region of Russia where the Don River flows. Utilized originally as cavalry horses for the Cossacks, they are currently used for under-saddle work and driving.-Characteristics:...

 and the Budyonny

Budyonny (horse)

The Budyonny is a breed of horse from Russia. They were developed for use as a military horse following the Russian Revolution and are currently used as an all-purpose competition horse and for driving.-Conformation:...

 or draft breeds like the Ardennes

Ardennes (horse)

The Ardennes or Ardennais is one of the oldest breeds of draft horse, and originates from the Ardennes area in Belgium, Luxembourg and France. They are heavy-boned with thick legs and are used for draft work. The Ardennes is found in many colors, although black horses are very rare and are not...

. They have also been crossed with other former USSR breeds such as the Russian Heavy Draft

Russian Heavy Draft

The Russian Heavy Draft is a draft horse developed in the Soviet Union, that was officially registered in 1952.- Characteristics :The Russian Heavy Draft is usually short and muscular, with thick manes and tails and legs that are lightly feathered. This breed is known for having excellent traction...

 and Kazakh and Yakut horses. Most official Bashkir breeding stock is located at the Ufa stud.

Uses

The Bashkir is an all-purpose breed, and can be used for riding, light draft and farm work, and milk, meat, and clothing production. The curly, thick winter coat of the breed can be used to produce clothing. The mares have also been long used for their milk, which averages around 3,300 lbs per lactation period, with top mares producing around 5,950 lbs in seven to eight months of lactation. Two distinct types of the Bashkir have been developed: one a smaller, lighter mountain type used mainly for riding, and the other a heavier steppes type mainly used for light draft work such as drawing troikas

Sled

A sled, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle with a smooth underside or possessing a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners that travels by sliding across a surface. Most sleds are used on surfaces with low friction, such as snow or ice. In some cases,...

. The Bashkir was used in war as mounts by Bashkir warriors and Orenburg and Ural Cossacks, and regiments mounted on the breed participated in the Napoleonic wars.

External links

• American Bashkir Curly Registry