Altai breed of horses: description, characteristics, exterior, breeding

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Altai breed of horses is valued by livestock breeders for their extraordinary endurance. These horses easily adapt to new conditions, rarely get sick and are friendly. Breeders love the Altai breed, it gave rise to more than one new species. These horses are not only very efficient, but also beautiful. For example, a horse in apples will decorate any herd. How to choose and maintain the Altai breed? Find out in this article.

Historical background

The alleged ancestors of the Altai horses were strong and large. This conclusion was made by archaeologists who found the bones of dead horses that lived in the 3rd century BC. Horses have been bred in Altai for a long time. But not every animal survived in a harsh climate, only the most hardy could adapt to it.

Evidence that in ancient times the Altaians kept horses was confirmed during excavations of the Pazyryk burial mounds. They were buried thereundersized horses, and larger, riding type. All of them were the ancestors of modern horses of the Altai breed. It is assumed that large horses were imported from Asia.

But, unfortunately, later the conditions for breeding horses in Altai were unfavorable. The best imported horses needed good care and proper nutrition, so they could not survive. However, they managed to save more hardy horses that could graze year-round.

In the 18-19 centuries, livestock breeders began to carry out breeding activities aimed at improving the local breed, which until 1948 was called Oirot. They were very strong, he althy and hardy horses. Thanks to the selection work, it was possible to make the nature of the horses more docile.

Exterior Features

The Altai breed of horses was short, so they are often crossed with race stallions. The offspring is larger, but remains hardy and unpretentious. Also, Altai horses are crossed with heavy trucks, as a result of which stallions are born with a live weight of up to 550 kg. Sometimes in breeding work, the blood of Arabian horses is added to obtain hardy mestizos.

Altai horses themselves weigh about 300-350 kg. At the withers, they reach 150-156 cm. Stallions are always larger than mares of the Altai breed. The legs of the animals are slender, somewhat short. The mane and tail are very beautiful, thick.

Main colors:

• chubary;
• tanned;
• bay;
• redhead;
• crow.

Also in the Altai breed there are horses in apples. Many breeders prefer this particular color. The colors of the Altai horse breed are very diverse, so the farmer can easily choose the right one for himself. The coat of horses is thick in winter and lighter in summer.

Characteristic

The Altai breed of horses has a meek disposition, so even novice farmers can keep such a pet. It will not be difficult to cope with a calm and docile horse. They can be used for riding, as well as for working in the fields or gardens. The extraordinary endurance of horses of the Altai breed makes them truly versatile animals. With proper training on horseback, heavy loads can be transported over long distances, including on bad roads or mountain passes.

They also keep Altai horses for meat. With age, stallions gain a good slaughter weight. It is even more profitable to keep mestizos of the Altai breed with heavy draft horses for breeding for meat. Some farmers keep mares for milk. This direction of using horses is not yet particularly developed, but the resulting products have their fans. Mare's milk has beneficial properties and is considered medicinal. It can be drunk whole or diluted with cow's, make koumiss, cottage cheese and cheeses from it. The most productive mares in the season give up to 10 liters of milk.

He alth

The endurance of horses of the Altai breed is very popular with farmers. These horses can work in the cold, are unpretentious in food and do notrequire intensive maintenance. But this does not mean that the Altai horse can grow like a weed. The animal has adapted well to both hot summers and harsh winters, but if you keep a horse starving in the cold, he can get pneumonia.

If poorly cared for, a horse can develop skin ailments. Altai women also have diseases of the heart, bones and joints. With a poor diet, a horse can faint. In order to eliminate such problems, you need to regularly show the animal to a veterinarian and follow all his recommendations.

To maintain he alth, the horse must be fully fed. If in summer the main diet may consist of what the horse will get on the pasture, then in winter it must be fed with grain and hay. Horses require vitamins and minerals all year round, so the owner should purchase suitable drugs from a veterinary pharmacy. Both in winter and in summer, the animal should always have access to fresh warm water.

Contents

From the description of the Altai breed of horses it follows that they are very hardy and tenacious. But like any other animal, they need care of the owner. Before buying an Altai horse, the owner must build a solid stable. The room should be warm, bright, without drafts. It would be good if the stable could be heated in winter. The optimum indoor temperature during the cold season is 8-13 degrees above zero.

You need to clean the stall every day, it is advisable to do this procedure several times. Can be used as a beddingwood shavings, straw, half-eaten hay. To improve the microclimate in the stable, you can install hoods.

The horse needs to be brushed and brushed regularly. Horse hooves also require regular trimming. Horseshoes are changed from time to time. Every 6-12 months you need to invite a veterinarian for a routine examination. The doctor must draw up a schedule for treating the horse from internal and external parasites, it must be strictly observed.

Feeding

Altai horses are taken to graze year-round, so even in winter they get some of the nutrients themselves. The horses tear the snow with their snouts and take out last year's grass, mosses, and fallen leaves. Some owners keep their horses without adding anything else to the diet. But if the horse fails to get enough food, then he can become emaciated and get sick. On a poor diet in winter, a horse can catch pneumonia.

In order for the Altai woman not to starve in the cold, many farmers enrich her diet with vitamin-mineral complexes, vegetables, hay, and grain. If the animal is not driven to pasture, then you need to feed it 3-4 times a day. An animal that is let out for a walk may eat less frequently. In this case, feeding can be brought to the horse in the morning, before grazing, and in the evening.

In summer, you need to drink at least 60 liters of water for an animal, in winter - from 30 liters. If the horse needs to work, then you need to feed it 1-2 hours before the start of the activity. Otherwise, the food will not have time to be digested, and the work of the gastrointestinal tract will beviolated.

Breeding

A farmer who keeps horses must find a good stallion for them. The horse must improve the desired qualities of the offspring. Breeding horses of the Altai breed is an art that requires knowledge of the basics of breeding and genetics.

Mares are allowed to mate at the age of 3-4 years, stallions at 3 years. The most favorable time for conception of offspring is from the beginning of spring to July. The farmer must wait until the day the mare comes into heat and cover her either with a stallion or artificially. After 3 days, a control mating is carried out. Veterinarians recommend the use of artificial insemination, this method reduces the likelihood of animals contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

A mare bears offspring for 11 months. During pregnancy, she needs a full-fledged feeding, the food should contain a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. A month before the birth of the cub, veterinarians recommend giving the horse a tetanus vaccine, in which case the foal will have a strong innate immunity. Mares usually give birth easily, the whole process takes about 45 minutes. But sometimes complications arise, in which case you need to call a veterinarian.

Use area

If you carefully study the exterior of the horse of the Altai breed, it becomes clear that it will be able to cope with almost any job. Many farmers call these horses universal. Horses of the Altai breed can be used not only for work, they are perfect as companions. Alsothe horse can be taught riding and various tricks.

Most often, horses of the Altai breed are bred by farmers to work in the fields and gardens. They do an excellent job of plowing the land and other agricultural work. Sometimes among the Altai horses there are individuals with humps or an uneven back. You should not be afraid of this, this drawback does not affect the working qualities.

Pros and cons of the breed

The main advantage of Altai horses is diligence. They learn quickly and can work in tandem with other animals. Farmers love this breed for its meek disposition and unpretentiousness. Despite the kindness, the Altai horses will never run away, leaving the foal to the wolves, but will fight it off. The disadvantages of this breed are short stature and a tendency to diseases of the joints and bones.