Home page   » Regional Peculiarities    » Garabagh horses   

Garabagh horses

  


 

Karabakh horses of Azerbaijan are regarded as the oldest horse breed in Asia and the Caucasus. Researchers believe that Karabakh horses hail from Manna, Media, Atropatena and Albanian horses. Karabakh horses are 148.5 cm in height and 165.8 cm in width, while the wrist is 18.3 cm in cicle. They are mainly golden-redheaded and bay horses. Since 1946, pedigree stock-breeding has been carried out at the Agdam horse-breeding farm.
Although Karabakh horses have undergone some changes due to their interbreeding with Roman, Sassanid, Arab, Seljuk, Mongol, Iranian and other horses, they have maintained their real roots. The breed of Karabakh horses greatly improved in the 18th-19th centuries. Karabakh horses had a great impact on horse-breeding in Turkey, Iran, Georgia, the North Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan and Western Europe.
"The Book on Horses" says that modern Don horses are indebted to Karabakh horses for their golden colour. Karabakh horses have won prizes and awards at several international exhibitions and contests. Karabakh horses have participated in and repeatedly won contests under the names of Meymun, Tokhmakh, Agalar, Bayram, Zaman, Qaragozlu, Qavqaz Gozali, etc.

Karabakh horses have a special position among Arab, Don and Budenny horse breeds. Karabakh horses walk at a speed of 8 km per hour
From typical natures of Karabakh horses these signs in particular, draw attention:
• First of all, entire parts of the body, which is typical of mountain horses are in harmonic and close relation, in addition the head is proportional to the neck and strong back of the head, strength of hoofs, straight form of back and feeling of saddle-place, the small neck, the ability to balance the gravity center at actions, and ability to stop by changing the position of body at any moment even during the speedy run;
• the shiny, eye-dazzling and fine color of hairs, the thin and dry skin, having sanguine(ous)–choleric temperament, inclination to catch cold etc, all these showing that the horse is of southern origin;
• the pure blood of horse and closeness to owner at obeying level, meaningful vision, appearance of kind senses in its behavior etc;
3 types of horses were kept at khan plants of Karabakh: Maymun and Qarniyirtiq, Eliyetmez . Meymun sort of horses besides being durable to long distance run, were calm, prone to jumping height. Qarniyirtiq sort of horses were very nice, with high stand, tall neck, and were weaker than Meymun sort for strength and durability. Eliyetməz (Gazelle) sort was successive at short-distance race, with gazelle like jumps and beautiful and playful body structure. In addition, horse breeders preferred Tokhmaq sort, too. These horses were relatively of large body, with yellow-gold color, with dark bay color of mane and feet.
After assaults of Armenia to Karabakh region of Azerbaijan the Aghdam stud was occupied by aggressors in August 1993. When Armenian troops entered the territory of region the object that interested them most was stud. However, the wishes of the Armenians could not be achieved, horse riders managed to take out Karabakh horses from battles areas.
Karabakh horses taken away from battle areas were temporarily accommodated at initial period at Yevlakh "Aran" sheep-breeding farms. But as natural conditions of these places are not suitable to the Karabakh horses were moved to Lanbaran winter quarters in Agjabedi region.
 Adapted to adverse conditions during the last years but reserved the characteristic features of breed a new generation of Karabakh horses were grown



Read: 9801