Kabardinian Horse

one of the old saddle and packhorse breeds, first produced in the mountains of the northern Caucasus by the Kabardin people. The horses descended from native mountain horses of the Caucasus and steppe horses brought into the mountains, which were improved with Arabian and other Eastern breeds. In the 16th century Kabardinian horses were already extremely widespread. The modern-day Kabardinian is of average height, usually with a hook-nosed head, developed thorax, straight back, strong dry legs, and durable hooves. The coat is bay, dark bay, or black.

The average measurements of the stallions are: height at the withers, 155 cm; chest girth, 180 cm; and girth of metacarpus, 19.5 cm. Crossbreeds of the Kabardinian with the Thoroughbred —horses of the Anglo-Kabardinian group—surpass purebred Kabardinians in size and speed. The speed record for Kabardinian horses at 1, 600 m is 1:53:4 and at 2, 400 m is 2:44:2. Breeding of the Kabardinian is done by the Malka and Malokarachaev horse farms in the Stavropol’Krai and by kolkhozes in Kabarda-Balkar ASSR. Kabardinians and Anglo-Kabardinian crossbreeds are exported to many countries.