Don horse breed: description and characteristics, content features

The hardy Don horse breed, suitable for any use, is called the "living gold" of the Russian steppe. A non-capricious stately horse with a golden tint of wool is suitable for both saddle and harness. Representatives of the Russian breed can often be seen at international shows. Today Donchaks are rare, which increases their value, they are bred by stud farms only in Russia.

History of the Don horse breed

The progenitors of the Don beauties are short and strong Nogai horses that lived in the steppes. From them, the Donchaks got red wool, beautifully shimmering in the sun.The breeding of Don horses began in the 17th century in the Rostov province of the Russian Empire. From the Don River flowing through this territory, noble animals got their name. Cossacks crossed trophy Turkmen, Karabakh, Persian horses with Nogai horses.

Since the 18th century, Russian landlords began to breed Donchaks for the army cavalry:

• Platov M.I.;
• General Ilovaisky V.D.;
• Yanov P.P.;
• Serikov I. M.

After the war of 1812, the Don breed, which proved to be excellent in cavalry battles, was recognized as Russian property. The first stud farm for breeding Don horses was opened in 1826. By the end of the 19th century, the Donchak became the most common horse in the territory of the Russian Empire; about 20 thousand individuals were kept at Rostov stud farms, not counting the 15 thousand that were in the personal possession of the Cossacks.

The swept wars - the First World War and the Civil War - significantly reduced the number of Don horses.In order to save the breed, Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny gave the order to collect all Donchaks around the country and send them to stud farms for breeding. The number of individuals managed to normalize in 10 years. The breed became the second largest after the Oryol trotters.

In the 1950s, stud farms were opened in the Rostov region, Bashkiria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. The collapse of the Union turned out to be a test that the breed could not stand. Only two stud farms remained - Zimovnikovsky, in the Rostov region, and named after Budyonny, in Salsk. In 2010, the Zimovnikovsky stud farm ceased to exist. Today there are almost no Don horses left. The number of breeding Don mares throughout Russia does not exceed 200 individuals. Every year they give birth to about 50 foals. The cost of a thoroughbred horse exceeds 500 thousand rubles.

Description and characteristics

Donchaks are one of the leaders among horse breeds in terms of endurance. These are strong horses with good immunity. They are sensitive to human kindness, quickly become attached to a person who cares for them, behave with dignity, and are not capricious.

Exterior

The Donchians have a beautiful, strong, muscular body, a harmonious figure.

Characteristics of the appearance of Don horses:

• high withers - 150-172 cm;
• medium-sized head, broad forehead, short nape;
• Standard size ears, movable, pointed end;
• eyes are large, beautiful almond-shaped, deep, piercing look;
• neck long, gracefully arched, lean;
• torso elongated, strong, stocky, chest broad, croup bending smoothly;
• legs are long, sinewy, with strong joints, hooves are wide, with good emphasis;
• hairs on the mane and tail are soft, medium length, but create a dense hair mass, their color is slightly darker than the main color;
• weight of an adult - up to 400 kg.

From the conformation shortcomings of the Don horses, breeders note a weak back and a saber arrangement of the joints of the hind legs, which makes it difficult to perform some gaits.

Breed types

Modern Donchuks are divided into four types:

1. Horsebacks. They have a lighter body structure, the legs are longer, the anterior shoulder bones are beveled, the croup is massive. Color red.
2. Persian. Tall, slender horses with a developed chest and the correct setting of strong legs. The head is narrow, more elongated. Light red color.
3. Eastern heavyweight Donchaks. Tall and massive horses are about 172 cm tall, chest girth is up to 200 cm. Dark shades of red color predominate in the color.
4. Karabakh. Medium-sized horses with a flat back and a developed loin. The color is dominated by chestnut shades, many individuals have white “socks” on their legs.

Productivity

Donchaks have a calm disposition. It's easy to train them. Donchaks do not like to mess around, for good he alth they need to be regularly busy, otherwise their character will deteriorate, become uncontrollable. A high load for Don horses is not a problem. Due to physical strength, endurance, strong muscles, harmonious physique, lightning-fast reaction and calm attitude towards people around, the Don horse breed is considered universal, suitable for any work and sports.

Features of temper

Calm, docile, friendly Don Chaks quickly find contact with a person. If the owner takes good care of them, properly cares for them, shows affection and love, then they become his faithful friends for life, obey him implicitly. Donchak recognizes one owner, always remembers him, no matter how life circumstances develop.Attitude towards strangers can be wary, suspicious, but the manifestation of open aggression is uncharacteristic for Don Chaks.

Pros and cons

Each breed of horse has advantages and disadvantages. Donchuck Pros:

• courage and endurance;
• high intelligence and learning ability;
• universality of application;
• Loy alty to the owner.

Breed defects of Don horses:

• moderate running speed not suitable for racing;
• need for constant physical activity;
• problems with maneuvering;
• small viewing angle due to shortened head;
• a devoted and trusting relationship with only one person - the owner, so the horse is not suitable for walking purposes or learning to ride.

How to keep the Don breed

When equipping a stable and a stall for a donchak, the following requirements are observed:

• ceiling height - at least 3 m;
• box - 4×4.5 m;
• doorway width - 1.2 m;
• thickness of partitions - from 4 cm;
• height of solid floors - 1.5 m;
• width of the space between the ribs of the lattice partitions - 5 cm;
• floor - wooden or concrete, in a stall at a slope so that waste liquid does not accumulate.

The floor is lined with sand, dry peat, straw or sawdust. Humidity in the room - 70%, temperature - from +10 to +15 °C. Drafts are not allowed.

Litter is changed daily. The stable is cleaned weekly, equipment, walls and partitions are disinfected monthly, the animal is taken out before that.

Horse care equipment:

• hoof hook;
• soft and hard brushes;
• electric clipper;
• towels and sponges.

The Don horse is combed daily. In the morning, clean the nostrils, wipe the tears of the eyes with a moistened sponge. Before walks, the horse is cleaned with brushes, after walks, the legs are washed. Elastic bandages are wrapped around the legs to prevent sprains.

Diet

The daily amount of food for Dong is 2-3% of body weight. Increase the daily portion for:

• pregnant (in the last months) and lactating mares;
• growing foals;
• diseased individuals;
• during the winter months for all horses.

An adult horse drinks about 60 liters of fluid per day, so there should always be access to water. Percentage distribution of feed:

• 50% plant fiber - fresh grass and hay;
• remaining 50% - grain and bran feed, vegetables, vitamin supplements and treats.

It is forbidden to give wilted grass to Don Chaks, it will cause colic.

In the stomach of a Donchak, food is digested slowly, so feeding can take up to 2 hours. Adult Don horses are fed 3 times a day. Newborn foals suckle their mother for 5-10 minutes every 30-40 minutes. The lactation period lasts 6-10 months. But already at the age of one month, the foal tastes solid food.

Specific breeding

The best breeders are individuals of the Budyonny stud farm in Salsk. Representatives of the breed, applying for breeding, put a score on a 10-point scale.Don stallions with a score of at least 8 points and mares with a score of at least 7 points are allowed to breed. Due to the small number of livestock, even frozen seminal fluid of already deceased purebred Don stallions with high scores is used for breeding.

Individuals who have reached 3 years of age participate in reproduction. So that the mating process does not end with injuries, manual mating is used: the Don mare is held by a h alter or tied to a pole. A born foal is considered a Donch if the number of breed genes in it is at least 5 out of 16.

Cure diseases

Poor-quality and stale food causes painful stomach cramps. Dirty food can cause constipation, flatulence, and even volvulus. All these pathologies can end in the death of the animal. Don horses have a tendency to catch colds. Therefore, they cannot be drunk with cold water, left in a draft or in a room where the temperature is below +10 °C.Bedding should always be dry.

If the stable does not comply with sanitary rules, then the horse may catch a bacterial or parasitic infection, it may develop dermatitis. A sick animal is isolated, quarantine is removed after recovery. Horses should only be treated by a veterinarian.

Sphere of use of horses

Calm disposition, affection for a person, strong and sinewy physique, endurance and trainability - these qualities of Donchaks allow them to be used in:

• sports equestrian competitions (show jumping, eventing, dressage) and exhibition performances;
• hunt;
• agricultural work;
• transportation of goods on difficult routes.

The Don breed was bred for military needs, and now horses are used in the mounted police. Don Chaks behave calmly in a noisy urban environment, do not feel discomfort, quickly move along the narrow streets while chasing a criminal. That's why the police love them.

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