karabakh horse

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Karabakh horse (Azerbaijani: Qarabağ atı), is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed: Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area which is part of the Republic of Azerbaijan.  The Karabakh has close links to the Akhal-Teke (which is bred in Turkmenistan) and the Turkoman horse, which is bred in Iran, and it also inspired the development of the Russian Don during the 19th century. Some historians believe that they were originally a single breed and significantly influenced the development of the Arabian horse.    

Characteristics

The Karabakh horse is well known for its endurance and loyalty.  This is a very calm horse. It is perfectly designed for beginners to the riding of horses. The horse is hardy, strong, tough, and sure-footed, standing 14.1–15.2 hands (57–62 inches, 145–157 cm) high. It has a small, well-defined head, a straight profile with a broad forehead, and large nostrils. The neck is set high, average in length, muscular, and elegant. It has a compact body, with well-defined and well-developed muscles. The skin is thin and soft, with a shiny coat. The main colors are chestnut and bay, with a characteristic golden tint; some are gray, and palominos and buckskins are rare. White markings are permitted. 

A Cavalry Horse

The breed acquired its present characteristics during the 18th and 19th centuries. These horses were bred in Karabakh and they were high in number and although its numbers were impacted in 1826 during the Russo-Iranian war, the breed remained intact.  They have been used as cavalry horses for the Russian army during the war. However, Karabakh numbers sharply decreased again during the early 20th century, primarily because of civil and ethnic wars in the Caucasus. The breeding enterprise established by the Karabakh khans and developed by their heirs was destroyed in 1905. Because of this, Karabakh horses were bred with other breeds, resulting in changes including a reduction in size.  In 1949, the breed was revived at the Agdam stud in Azerbaijan. The breed experienced another setback during the Daglig-Karabakh war ( Nagorno-Karabakh in Russian) when separatist Armenian forces with the support of the Russian army occupied this region. Before the 1993 capture of Agdam (the city in Karabakh region) by Armenian forces, most of the Karabakh horses were moved from the Agdam stud to other regions of Azerbaijan. They are currently bred in winter pastures on the lowland Karabakh plains between Barda and Agjabadi regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This breed has faced many conflicts and has survived thanks to the will of survival of the species.   

The stars of the Exhibitions and the gifts for the Royals In 1805 Karabakh Khanate became part of Russia. Mehdiqulu Khan, who ruled after Ibrahim Khan, was not interested in the development of stud farms. As a consequence, the number of khan horses was decreasing. In 1822, Mehdigulu Khan ran away to Persia, and his best horses were presented as gifts to his close people. Unlike Mehdigulu Khan, his daughter Khurshidbani Natavan was actively engaged in the development of stud farms. Natavan's Karabakh horses took part in the Exposition Universelle ( Paris, 1867), an agricultural exhibition in Moscow (1869), in Tbilisi (1882) and were awarded gold medals and certificates of honor. Karabakh horses were also awarded at the Second All-Russian Exhibition in 1869: Meymun - silver medal, Tokmak - bronze medal. At the Exposition Universelle (1867) in Paris, Khan got a silver medal.  On the picture is shown Karabakh horse that was given to the Great Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna on 1 May 1892. According to modern Azerbaijani sources, not only Khan's daughter but also many Karabakh beys owned stud farms. Among them were Ugurlu Bey, Jafargulu Khan, Rustam Bay Behbudov, Kerim-aga Javanshir, Shamil bay, and others. Overall in the middle of the XIXth century, there were 11 stud farms, with 250 stallions and 1450 fillies. Karabakh horses were used by Russian officers who served in the Caucasus.  On 21 May 1843, the coat of arms of Shusha was approved and the Karabakh horse was depicted on it.   In 1956 the Karabakh stallion named Zaman  ( see the picture in the photo gallery) was presented to Prince Charles by the government of the  Soviet Union. 

Endangerment of the Horse

In November of 2018, the Qarabag Equestrian Complex was built by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan especially for the breeding of Karabakh horses.  It was said that there were 245 (critical stage) Karabakh horses on the farm. However, per expert points of view, it is not the correct number. Since 2001 (almost 20 years) there is no registration of the horses and no studbook for Karabakh Horses has been issued.