Bashkir Curly Horse

Breed: Bashkir Curly horse
Temperament: docile
Lifespan: 25 years
Recommended for: Families
Maintenance: Medium

Appearance: This is a distinctive horse covered in curls ranging in texture from crushed velvet to ringlets. In cold areas the coat grows longer. They stand 14-15 hands, are of medium build and in summer the curled coat, mane and tail is shed.

The breed's rarity means it is outcrossed to other breeds to produce a range of colours and patterns with a curled coat. However in these crosses the coat may only be curled in certain places such as the mane and tail. (See Breeding)

Temperament: Owners say the Bashkir is calm, alert, intelligent and easy to handle.

Popularity: In the world there are now probably about 3000 but only five purebred in Australia, including one purebred stallion. This stallion has fathered four foals (to mares of other breeds) and all foals show some degree of curling in the coat.

Uses: Bashkirs are said to be a good riding horse, quiet and comfortable. The breeder we interviewed, Patricia Skinner, uses her horse for jobs such as herding cows. She says her horse was excellent at rounding cattle despite never having worked with cattle before arriving in Australia.

Breeding: With only one stallion, Patricia Skinner outcrosses to Arabian, Thoroughbred and Paint horses. These foals have a curly mane but often have no curling on the body, or sometimes only a curly tail. She says every part of their body seems to have a different hereditary blueprint.

The curling gene is still to be defined as breeders worldwide vary in their claims of breeding outcomes; some say a curly-coated horse mated to a curly-coated horse produces offspring, of which 75 per cent have curls.

Health:

Appears relatively hardy Can be greedy; and survives well in harsh climates

History: Some Russian experts say these curly horses didn't originate from the areas inhabited by the Bashkiri people of Russia's Ural Mountains. It is more likely that they were brought from Asia to Spain, and onto America. There they are considered a rare horse breed.

Further information

Breeder: Patricia Skinner
Phone: (03) 5943 2232

Copyright CTC Productions 2006