Byelorussian Draft Horse

a breed of horses developed at the end of the 19th century in the western regions of Russia by crossing the small northern forest-type horses with the larger harness and heavy-draft stallions. Its colors are bay, fallow, chestnut, black, and dun. The average measurements of purebred stallions are 156 cm in height at the withers, 158 cm in diagonal length of the body, 193 cm in chest circumference, and 22 cm in circumference of the metacarpus. The corresponding measurements in mares are 152 cm, 156 cm, 192 cm, and 21 cm. The liveweight of stallions is 600–700 kg and of mares, 500–600 kg. The horses are used in harness for transport and agricultural work. They are bred in kolkhozes and sovkhozes in Grodno, Molodechno, and other oblasts of the Byelorussian SSR. As of Jan. 1, 1969, there was a total of 132,700 Byelorussian draft horses.