The heavy truck is the first breed, which was originally created as a heavy draft horse, and not from the “it just happened” series. Before heavy trucks, there were draft horses, which at that time were called “draughts”. These were large and fairly massive animals, closer to the universal type. Such was the Kuznetsk horse bred in the XNUMXth century.
But the strong working horse, bred on the basis of the aboriginal livestock of Western Siberia, did not fully meet the requirements for heavy draft breeds. This was the reason for its disappearance due to mixing with Western heavy trucks imported in the XNUMXth century.
History
The formation of the heavy truck was carried out in the European part of the Empire. It began in the second half of the XNUMXth century, when Belgian universal horses began to arrive in Our Country. These horses got their name from the name of the area in which they were bred. The region is called the Ardennes and is located on the border of Belgium and France.
They began to systematically breed the Ardennes at the plant at the Petrovsky (Timiryazevskaya) Agricultural Academy. The Ardennes were very unpretentious and mobile, but had many exterior flaws. Around the same time, other breeds of heavy draft horses from Europe began to be actively imported to Our Country.
After the Petrovsky Agricultural Academy, Ardennes breeding plants were organized in Little Our Country and on the southeastern border of the empire. In Little Our Country, in order to improve the exterior characteristics of the Ardennes horses, they began to cross them with local mares, also adding the blood of Brabancons and Oryol trotters. In an 1898 painting, a horse of the heavy truck breed shows a significant proportion of Oryol blood.
Then these horses were not yet called heavy trucks. Moreover, today any specialist will confidently say that the picture shows a cross between an Orlovsky trotter and some heavy-duty breed. And not too successful: a short but thin neck; too thin for the massive body of the leg; croup, rather weak for a heavy truck, with insufficiently developed muscles. This is something that was inherited from the Orlovsky trotter – a light-draft, high-speed breed. But the large chest and straight shoulder blade indicate the stepping Ardennes breed of heavy trucks.
In 1900, the breed of heavy trucks bred in the Empire was first presented at the Paris Exhibition. The development of a new heavy-duty breed was hindered by the First World War and the Great October Revolution and the Civil War that followed it. These hardships practically destroyed the nascent draft horse. In 1924, only 92 stallions were found. Although the future heavy trucks were more fortunate. Only 6 heads remained from the Sagittarius breed, of which only 2 were stallions.
By 1937, the livestock was restored and work on the breed continued. Factories were founded in Ukraine and on the southern border of the RSFSR, where the selection of the future heavy truck was carried out. But officially, as a breed, the heavy truck was registered only in 1952.
But the resulting horse was not very tall. Its average size was about 152 cm. As the need for large draft horses began to decline in the south, a small height at the withers even turned out to be an advantage. In terms of cost / economic return, the characteristics of the breed of heavy trucks are above average.
Due to its qualities, this breed has spread almost throughout the USSR. Today, the heavy-duty breed is bred even in the Vologda region, which is much further north than the “native” Poltava, Chesma or Derkul.
Description
Photos of the heavy truck show a good efficient horse with a medium-sized head and a powerful, curved arch neck. Such a neck is a distinctive feature of the heavy truck. The other two breeds of Soviet-made heavy trucks have straighter necks.
The head is broad-browed, with expressive eyes. The neck for a heavy truck is long, well muscled. The body is powerful, with a wide, long and deep chest. Wide strong back. Relatively long loin. The legs are not long, with the correct setting. “Brushes” on the legs are moderate.
The height of the stallions is 152 cm, the chest girth is 206 cm, the oblique body length is 162 cm, the girth of the metacarpus is 22 cm. The weight of adult stallions is 550-600 kg. Horses are characterized by precocity, reaching almost full development at 3 years.
Suits The heavy truck inherited from his ancestors the Ardennes and Brabancons. The main colors inherited from the Belgian breeds are red-roan and red. Bay individuals may be encountered.
Content nuances
In the photo, the horse of the breed is a heavy truck, and not a beefy Soviet one, as one might think, looking at the dimensions. This is a stud stallion Sapsan born in 2006. This is the main problem of horses of this breed. With their unpretentiousness and economy in keeping these horses, it is very easy to overfeed. In factories, this is the main problem for producers of any breed. The groom is constantly trying to give the stallion more oats and hay. So as not to starve, standing without work.
If it was only in body fat, then there would be no particular cause for concern. But in an obese animal, the same diseases occur as in overweight people:
- disruption of the cardiovascular system;
- there is an increased load on the joints of the legs;
- and a specific problem in horses: rheumatic hoof inflammation.
The latter is the most dangerous for any horse. In especially severe cases, the hooves themselves are removed from all four legs, and at this stage it is more humane to euthanize the horse. Even mid-level inflammation leaves consequences for the rest of the horse’s life.
Even within the same breed, all horses hold the body differently. Some need more food, some less. The norm is set by the “poke method”.
Otherwise, the heavy truck is an unpretentious horse that does not require special conditions of detention.
Productive characteristics
Foals are characterized by rapid development, during the suckling period, adding 1,2-1,5 kg per day. Mares are distinguished by good fertility: the usual number of foals obtained is 50-85 heads from 100 queens. With proper maintenance, even 90-95 foals are obtained.
The advantages of this breed include productive longevity. The producing composition of the mares of the heavy truck is used up to 20-25 years. The milk productivity of mares is not much inferior to the milk yield of some breeds of cattle. The average milk yield of mares is 2,5-2,7 thousand liters per year.
Application
Due to its small size, today this breed has become truly versatile and is used both in the economy and in equestrian sports clubs and in productive horse breeding.
Due to their calm nature, they are suitable for beginner riders. Although violating safety precautions and getting into the saddle in light shoes or sneakers, as in this photo with a horse of the heavy truck breed, is impossible even with the phlegmatic temperament of the horse.
The high speed of movement, which is not characteristic of all breeds of heavy trucks, allows horses of this breed to be harnessed to pleasure carriages.
Considering the coachman’s costume and the buildings in the background, this breed is not entirely authentic for the area. But they are not so often harnessed to the pleasure carriage. Much more often, these horses are needed to bring hay, take out manure, go to the forest for firewood, or do other household work needed in the village.
Reviews
Conclusion
Horses of the heavy truck breed are well adapted to the climate and feel great not only in relatively warm areas, but also in the northern regions of the Federation. This is a great household helper.