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The Orlovsky trotter is the only breed that arose in the XNUMXth century, not because “it happened in the course of historical development,” but according to a pre-compiled list of necessary qualities.
In those days, nowhere in the world existed a horse capable of trotting for many hours. Bearing the proud names of “Roadster” and “Trotter” European horse breeds were heavy, loose and quickly tired. Lighter riding breeds were more adapted to galloping.
Europe did not care much about this situation. Distances, in comparison with the Empire, were small there. And what was the to do, if some European principality could easily fit between Moscow and St. Petersburg in those days? For distances, a horse was needed that could trot for a long time, since jerks at a gallop spoiled everything that could be spoiled.
At a gallop, a jerking force occurs that breaks the shoulders of the horses, loosens the fastenings of the carriages and severely swaying people. Knowing firsthand about these problems, Count Alexei Orlov-Chesmensky seriously thought about breeding his own breed of horses, capable of well enduring the climatic conditions of different regions of Our Country and moving in harness for a long time without tiring riders. None of the local breeds of horses used at that time for long-distance travel could give riders such comfort. The only advantage of Vyatok, Mezenok, Kazanka and other local horses was endurance.
The brother of the favorite of Catherine the Great had both the means and the place to found a stud farm. Count Orlov began by buying mares and stallions almost all over the then known world. But neither purebred horses nor their crossbreeds gave the desired result. According to Orlov’s plan, the desired offspring should have been obtained by crossing heavy raw Neapolitan and Dutch mares, capable of moving at a wide trot for a short time, with dry and light Arabian stallions.
But where could they get those stallions if the Arab tribes at that time were selling cullings to stupid Europeans. And even this rejection was highly valued. And Orlov needed really high-quality producers. Orlov sent scouts wherever he hoped to find the stallions he needed. Unexpectedly, the -Turkish war came to the aid of Orlov.
The Mediterranean squadron under the command of Alexei Orlov defeated the Turkish fleet at Chios and Chesma. During the battles, the Turks appreciated the courage and audacity of Orel Pasha. Several stallions were sent as a gift to Orlov. After the armistice, Orlov heard rumors about a very rare stallion that was being led from Arabia to the Ottoman Empire, but, fearing hostilities, hid in Morea, in Greece. Orlov sent scouts from knowledgeable people there. The returning scouts reported that “such a horse has not yet been seen.” Orlov immediately wanted to get a stallion in his stable.
Orlov’s proposal to sell the horse did not meet with understanding from the Sultan. The inflamed Orlov threatened to take the stallion “on the sword.” The Turks, taught by bitter experience, understood that Orel Pasha was able to fulfill his promise and preferred to “voluntarily” part with the horse. As a result, the stallion was sold to Orlov for an unheard-of sum of 60 silver rubles in those days. We can assume that from that moment the history of the Oryol breed of horses began.
History of Oryol trotters
The purchased stallion really turned out to be unique. He had a very long body, and after his death it turned out that instead of 18 vertebrae, this horse had 19. Moreover, the extra vertebra was in the thoracic region, and because of it, the stallion also had an additional pair of ribs.
The stallion ended up in the estate of Count Orlov only 1,5 years after the purchase. Fearing the hardships of sea travel, the horse was led around the seas by land. They led the stallion in small crossings, passing only 15 miles a day and gradually transferring from the barley familiar in Arabia to the oats accepted in Our Country.
After arriving at the estate, the stallion surprised everyone with his large stature, long body, very beautiful silver-white coat and very affectionate disposition. For the color of the coat, the horse received the nickname Smetanka.
And the silver sheen of wool adds intrigue, since Arabian horses do not have such a phenomenon.
Smetanka lived in Our Country for less than a year, leaving only 4 colts and a filly. Versions of his death vary.
According to one version, he could not stand the difficult transition. But 15 – 20 km per day for a healthy horse is not much.
According to another version, he could not eat unusual food. But the consequences of eating the wrong feed appear much faster in horses. A smooth transition to a new food does not have negative consequences.
According to the third version, the stallion, accustomed to the dry air of Arabia, could not stand the damp climate. And this version already looks plausible. Today, aboriginal horses from distant places confirm this version, becoming ill with chronic airway obstruction if they are brought to the city.
According to the fourth version, Smetanka foaled near a watering place, seeing the mares, slipped, fell and hit the back of his head on the corner of a wooden block. It could also be on slippery ground.
Only one thing is known for sure: after the death of Smetanka, his groom hanged himself on the reins.
Polkan I
The successor to the history of the Orlovsky trotter was the son of Smetanka, born from a dun Danish mare, Polkan I. This stallion was not yet the ideal of the conceived breed, but Bars I was born from him and a gray Dutch mare, which fully corresponded to Orlov’s dreams.
Bars I
Bars I had a large height (166 cm) even in modern times, combined with strength and a beautiful frisky trot. The required type of the future Oryol trotting breed of horses was found. Now it had to be fixed. At the age of 7, Bars was sent to a factory where he produced for 17 years. The pedigrees of all modern Oryol and trotters go back to Bars.
The ideal of Count Orlov was born in gray. Since Bars was used very actively, the gray color is very common today among the Oryol trotters.
There is also an inverse relationship: if gray, then the Orlov trotter.
Together, Count Orlov and his assistant V.I. Shishkin managed to secure the necessary type of light-draft horse. To improve the productive characteristics of the Oryol trotting breed of horses, a system of training and testing of young animals was thought out, which made it possible to correctly evaluate young animals when selecting for a tribe.
Then they firmly believed in telegony (superstition is still alive) and believed that if a mare is covered with an unsuitable stallion, she will never bring a thoroughbred foal.
Race development
Even before the introduction by Orlov of running as a test of working capacity, people’s “rides” were held on the ice of the Moskva River in winter, where the owners of high-class horses showed off their animals. Orlov turned these trips not into random games, but into systematic tests of young animals for playfulness. Running began to quickly gain popularity, besides, it turned out that no one else could compete in speed with the Orlovsky trotter. In Our Country, a new breed of rather massive, elegant, light-duty horses arose. Oryol trotters were in demand not only throughout Europe, but also in the USA.
Decline of the Oryol breed
According to the idea of Count Orlovsky trotter – a horse suitable for both carting and voevoda. But in order to carry carts, you need to have a massive backbone and significant muscle mass. Initially, the Oryol trotters had thick forms and large growth. A photo of the Orlovsky trotter Barchuk, taken in 1912, confirms this.
Such a horse will easily take away the cart, but because of the mass it is unlikely to be very fast. Meanwhile, in the United States, they bred their own breed of trotters, the only criterion for the success of which was the finish post. Therefore, when, at the very beginning of the XNUMXth century, small but very fast American trotters began to be imported from the USA to Our Country, Orlovsky began to lose ground. He could not compete with imported horses. Wanting to win, the owners of Oryol trotters began to cross them with American ones. Cross-breeding has reached such proportions that it seriously began to threaten the Oryol trotter as a breed of horses.
Until the appearance of Krepysh, who proved that the Oryol breed had not yet reached the limits of increasing agility. Soon closed races for the Oryol breed and open prizes for trotters of any breed were introduced.
Revival
The Oryol breed successfully survived the Revolution and the Civil War. Breeding work with her was centralized and became more productive. Mestizos with American trotters were separated into a separate breed, called the trotter. In the Soviet Union, the Orlovskaya breed was used as an improver for local native horses and outbred stock. Even the mountain Altai horses were improved by trotters. After the Second World War and until the collapse of the Union, the Oryol trotters were the most numerous factory breed in the country.
The second decline in the history of the Oryol breed of horses occurred in the 90s of the last century. The livestock has been reduced to a critical level. There are 800 purebred Oryol queens left, while at least 1000 are needed for the normal development of the breed.
The current state of the breed
Lovers and admirers of the Oryol breed “pulled” the Oryol out of the “pit” into which he was thrown by the collapse of the economy. Today, the Oryol breed is again one of the most numerous and is not threatened by anything, except for the possible loss of the old type and the acquisition of similarities with the and American trotters.
But these trotters of the Oryol trotter breed do not even make sense to test at the hippodrome. They significantly lose in speed to their more modern counterparts.
Fat
In the color palette of the Oryol trotters, there are almost all the colors common on the European continent. The most common is gray. The graying gene hides a colored base under it, and a gray horse as a foal could be a crow, bay, red, buckskin, nightingale, ash-crow. In the pedigree of trotters, there may be an entry about the suit as “red-gray”. In fact, the certificate was issued when the horse had not yet completely turned gray. The end result of graying is always a light gray color of the horse. What people call white.
Since the origin of the Oryol trotters begins with a Danish brown mare, the Cremello gene is present in the breed. Until recently, this suit was either not common in the Oryol breed, or was hidden under a gray suit. Before the appearance of the buckskin Orlovsky Levkoy in Ukraine. The stallion showed good results in trials and was sold to the Chesme stud farm. From him went buckskin trotters. In the photo of the race of the Oryol trotters, the horse in the foreground is buckskin Molybdenum from buckskin Glitter. Glitter received a suit from his father Levkoy.
Exterior
Like all prize breeds of trotters, the exterior of the Orlovets today is quite diverse. Common features:
- long body;
- strong neck of medium length;
- medium-sized head (may vary from Arabized to “suitcase”);
- limbs well set, well muscled;
- strong dry tendons;
- good hoof horn.
Races are held on fairly hard ground, and in winter on an icy track. Therefore, the strength of the legs is the key to saving life for the horse.
Character
For the most part, trotters of the Oryol breed are distinguished by a complaisant, good-natured character. Among them, “crocodiles” can also come across, but often this is due to poor treatment. The horse is on the defensive. In any case, experienced people should work with such a horse.
All trotters, including “crocodiles”, are honest in their work. They were selected in such a way: to give all of themselves and a little more from above. But this honesty plays against them, because with unbearable demands, the trotter is crippled. And sometimes cripples the rider.
Application
The main sphere of modern use of a trotter of any breed is running. In Our Country, the totalizator is poorly developed, otherwise it would be a very profitable industry.
The Orlovsky trotter is a horse of universal use. They are not very popular in dressage because of the specific four-stroke “trotter” canter. But not all trotters walk at such a gallop. Plus, he’s on the mend. Although as an exception, the Oryol trotter reached the Olympic Games. In the photo, the horse of the Oryol breed Balagur under the saddle of Alexandra Korelova.
In show jumping, the Oryol trotter is able to jump well at low and medium heights. But more is not required of him. He climbs, he’s honest. And get hurt. The best option if he will teach beginner riders to jump.
The trotter of his master carries well on horseback rides in the fields, as you can see in this photo of the Oryol horse.
But sometimes the Oryol trotter can be rude.
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Conclusion
Due to the fact that the Orlov trotter breed is very widespread in Our Country, the cost of non-breeding Orlov horses is low. And the versatility of use and complaisant nature makes the Orlovsky trotter an indispensable horse for beginners.