Don Horse

The DON horse is possibly the best-known of the Russian breeds, first achieving fame as the mount of the Cossacks, irregular bands of tribal freebooters who so harried the French armies in their long retreat from Moscow in 1812. The breed evolved in the 18th and 19th centuries and was reared in herds on the pastures of the Don steppes. Its ancestors were the horses of the nomadic tribes and the early influences were those of the prepossessing but very hardy Mongolian Nagai, the horses of northern Iran, the Persian Arabs, and the Turkmene, a desert horse closely associated with the Akhal-Teke. The Karabakh, a mountain horse from the Karabakh Mountains of Azerbaijan is a particular influence.

HISTORY
Large numbers of these predominantly golden-dun horses were let loose on the Don steppes in the 18th century. The Don was subsequently improved and acquired greater size as a result of outcrosses to the Orlov the Strelets Arab, which was really an Anglo-Arab and to Thoroughbreds. No outside blood has been introduced since the beginning of the 20th century, by which time the Don had emerged as a horse of relatively fixed type. It was employed as an economical, easily kept cavalry horse, which could also be used in harness

MODERN DONS
In terms of conformational excellence, which is a subject approached realisticallyby Russian breeders, the Don - like so many Russian horses - is far from being an exemplary specimen. However, it is incredibly tough, can work on the shortest of rations, and is well able to live outside all year and adapt easily to every sort of climatic hardship. For these reasons it is much valued as an improver of local stock in areas where horse herds are traditional and commonplace. It has also played a significant role in some of the breeds that have evolved at the state studs, in particular the Budenny originally a purpose-bred cavalry horse, but now produced increasingly as a specialized riding horse.

The Budenny, bred at the Budenny stud where some of the best Don specimens could be found, was based on the crossing of selected Don and Chernomor mares with Thoroughbred stallions. Russian breeders make considerable use of performance testing, and the Don, as well as being tested on the racecourse at two and three years old, is also subjected to long-distance endurance tests. As a racehorse the Don is not impressive, but it is a formidable performer over long distances. A standard test under saddle is a ride of 235 km (130 miles), which has to be covered in 24 hours.

CHARACTERISTICS
In the breed standard the Don is described as a "comparatively massive" horse, standing at between 1.53m and 1.63m (15.3-16.2 hh), but "massive" is probably a misnomer or a misinterpretation. A better description of the Don would be "substantial", at least in respect of the body, which, to meet the breed standard, should be around 1.93 m (2 ft 4 in) through the girth, with a barrel measurement of 1.25 in (5 ft 5 in). The predominant colors are chestnut and brown, often with a golden sheen, a reminder of the Turkmene and Karabakh forebears. The best Don horses are generally acceptable, although they do not always correspond to the breed standard.

They are inclined to be long in the leg, and the failings of the breed, meticulously catalogued and honestly appraised, would discourage the average breeder in the West. Faults include low withers accompanied by straight, short shoulders; "calf knees" (an inward curve below the knee, considered to impinge upon the passage of the tendons); a tendency towards sickle-hocks and upright pasterns; a tail that can be set too low; and a short, constricted poll that makes flexion difficult.

Not surprisingly, as a result of these shortcomings, the movement leaves something to be desired. Indeed, it has been described as "sometimes restricted and rough". The paces are regarded as regular, but "neither elegant, elastic nor over comfortable". For all that, the Don has been about for a long time and as a practical work-horse, enduring, frugal, and equable in temperament, it has proved its worth.