According to the official version, the formation of the Vladimir heavy truck breed began in the middle of the XNUMXth century, at the same time when the other two heavy breeds began to form. The main breeds of horses that influenced the formation of the Vladimir breed of heavy trucks were Shires and Clydesdales. But deeper “excavations” show that the epic horses of the heroes were not such a legend and they arose in the same area where the Vladimir heavy draft horses were later bred. By mixing the local heavy draft breeding stock of horses with Western breeds.
History
During the Great Migration of Peoples from the Urals to the north of the European mainland, the tribes of the Ugric and Finns came, bringing with them ordinary Asian horses of the Mongolian type. But the phenotype of animals is largely shaped by the environment. There is a pattern in the living world: the larger the animal, the easier it is for it to save heat. This is not a paradox. In a large animal, the percentage ratio of the surface and volume of the body is different than in a small one. Heat loss occurs through the surface of the body and in a large animal it is proportionally less than in a small one. For this reason, the same animal species becomes larger in cold regions.
A very good example of this adaptability is the wolf. The southernmost subspecies barely reach 15 kg, the northernmost weighs under 90 kg. This adaptive mechanism did not bypass the horses brought by the Finno-Ugric tribes. The horses began to get bigger.
The plentiful forage base also contributed to the increase in the size of horses. Before the appearance of vast forest glades – a consequence of slash-and-burn agriculture – Asian horses foraged in grass-rich wet floodplains, switching to forest twigs in winter.
Although there is no need to talk about the quality of such foals.
The vegetation in the floodplains is poor in minerals, therefore, although the horses grew much larger than their ancestors, the lack of minerals affected the strength of their joints. A quiet life without the need to walk from 40 km a day in search of food contributed to the selection of calm and massive horses.
With the development of agriculture, settled peoples were able to feed their horses with grain. Such energy feed also affected the size of the horses for the better. The nobility of the principalities that had been formed by that time preferred to select such horses of local breeding. Foals from large northern mares, well-fed at the boyar stables, grew about 10 cm taller.
The Battle of Kulikovo changed the balance of power between Our Country and the Horde and showed that the Tatar-Mongols can be beaten. But for the final liberation from the conquerors, a lighter and faster horse was required, capable of withstanding the steppe Mongols. And the army began to be transferred to nimble and light Spanish and Persian (in fact, Arab and Barbary) horses.
During the time of Peter the Great, horse draft power was required at the Ural developments of the Stroganov brothers, and the old Voronezh horses were driven there, choosing all the livestock without a trace. But the draft horses in the Urals lasted only 2 centuries. From there they were supplanted by scientific and technological progress. Horses were replaced by locomotives.
But the same scientific and technical progress helped heavy horses to survive. There were no tractors yet and horses were plowed, and the growth of cities required an increase in agricultural production. Cities needed products, it was necessary to plow up and sow new areas. The small, weak horses that remained in the Vladimir Opole were not able to cope with heavy loamy soils. And powerful horses pulled from the Urals back to their historical homeland. For the accelerated restoration of the livestock of heavy draft horses, the returned mares were crossed with imported heavy draft breeds.
But this time the breed failed to gain a foothold in their homeland. The First World War also required a powerful draft force to move the guns. During this war, the stock of the original Vladimir horses was practically knocked out.
But the young Land of the Soviets also had to plow on someone and feed the population. Therefore, the zootechnicians were tasked with restoring the former breed of the Vladimir horse. The pitiful remnants of powerful boyar horses and bityugs (the second heavy horse breed) were collected on the Vladimir Opole and divided into two groups. In one group, mares were crossed with Clydesdales and Shires, in the other – with Brabancons.
In 1946, the Shire and Clydesdale blood group was officially registered as the horse breed of the Vladimir Draft. From this moment begins the modern history of the Vladimir heavy truck.
Contemporaneity
Work with Shires and Clydesdales, which were mixed with local heavy horses, was carried out on collective farms and state farms in the Ivanovo and Vladimir regions. Under Gavrilovo Posad, a state stable and a state breeding nursery were created, the breeding material of which was used on other breeding farms. In 1959, on the basis of the Gavrilovo-Posad stud farm, an elite Gavrilovo-Posad stud farm was formed to breed the Vladimir horse breed. The second similar stud farm was founded in Yuryev-Polsky.
The Yuryev-Polsky stud farm was created almost from scratch. It is difficult to consider simple wooden stables, which previously belonged to the Ivanovo Agricultural Institute, as a developed infrastructure of an elite stud farm. The number of horses for the plant was also selected from various farms in the Vladimir region.
In 2013, the Gavrilovo-Posad stud farm was liquidated, transferring the breeding core of the Vladimir breed to another farm. The Yuryev-Polsky plant continues to function, but has changed its status and name. Today it is PKZ “Monastyrskoye Compound”. There are several more horse farms, where today they continue to breed the Vladimir heavy truck.
During the existence of the Soviet Union, Vladimir heavy trucks served as good improvers for the local state farm and collective farm livestock of working horses.
Description
The Clydesdales had the greatest influence on the modern Vladimir breed of heavy trucks. Shires were used initially and mainly on the maternal side. The influence of the Clydesdales is seen today in the longer legs of the Vladimir draft horse compared to other heavy draft breeds. It is enough to compare the photo of the modern Vladimir heavy truck with the photo of the modern Clydesdale.
Vladimir heavy truck.
Clydesdale horse.
But in the old photos of horses of the Vladimir heavy truck breed, sometimes the shorter-legged and massive Shire still “looks through”.
These breeds of heavy draft horses are so close to each other that earlier some English breeders considered them one breed and, without hesitation, crossed Shires with Clydesdales among themselves. Today, the differences between these breeds are more pronounced.
From the Clydesdales, the Vladimir heavy trucks inherited a bay color and some shortcomings:
- shallow chest;
- soft back;
- flat ribs.
Most likely, both English breeds of heavy trucks are “responsible” for the dense overgrown legs.
In addition to bay, in the Vladimir breed of heavy trucks there are black and red colors. The black suit with a high degree of probability is the legacy of the Shires. And the red recessive color is present in all horse breeds of the world.
These markings were inherited from the Clydesdale horses of the Vladimir heavy horse breed.
The Vladimirskaya breed received its advantages from the local population of heavy draft horses. Vladimir heavy trucks are distinguished by high performance and good adaptability to northern climatic conditions.
Exterior
The growth of Vladimir stallions is on average 165 at the withers, although there are also significantly higher horses. Oblique torso length 173 cm, chest circumference 207 cm. Metacarpal circumference 24,5 cm. Weight 758 kg.
Vladimir mares have a height of 163 cm, oblique length – 170 cm, chest girth – 198 cm, metacarpal girth – 23,5 cm. Weight 685 kg.
The head is long, with a slightly convex profile, large in size. The neck is well muscled, long, with a high exit. High withers. The chest is broad, but may not be deep enough. Blade with good slope. Long, slightly straight shoulder. The back is wide, sometimes it can be a little soft. The loin is short. The croup is long, slightly drooping. It can also be with a normal slope. In working condition, the croup should be bifurcated. This is achieved not by excessive feeding, but by pumping up muscles in the process of work. Legs are long and dry. Because of the thick brushes, there may be a tendency to midges (a fungal disease under the fetlock).
Horses are energetic, but with a stable nervous system. Movements are free, sweeping.
Application
Due to its versatility, the Vladimir heavy truck is suitable for almost all areas of activity for an amateur. A calm character allows you to use the same horse both under saddle and in harness. They are even able to portray real knightly horses at reenactment games. In the photo, a horse of the Vladimir heavy truck breed jumps a low obstacle.
Having previously drilled the soil.
And he also depicts a medieval war horse.
And in the video, the result of an independent ride by the owner of a three-year-old Vladimir heavy truck in a sleigh. The video clearly shows how complaisant these giants are.
Reviews
Conclusion
In Our Country, today, perhaps, this is the only breed of heavy draft horses that is not on the verge of extinction. Vladimirtsy are especially popular in the northern regions of the country, where people have long loved powerful draft horses. Vladimirtsev are also willingly bought by lovers of horseback riding through the fields. Due to the calm nature and strong nervous system, the Vladimir heavy truck is a reliable horse for trips to forests and fields.