The Oryol breed of horses is a pearl in the crown of Russian horse breeding. Even the farthest person from this at least once in his life heard the expression "Orlov trotter." Swift and unstoppable, proud and beautiful, these horses, whatever you say, match their homeland, for which, in turn, has become a national treasure.
What prompted Count Orlov to do horse breeding
The 18th century in Russia is a turbulent time, marked by a series of coups d'etat. It was on the eve of one of them that Count Alexei Orlov, the favorite of the future Empress Catherine the Great, rode with her from Peterhof to the royal palace to overthrow Peter III from the throne.
But before reaching the place just a few miles, the Neapolitan horses discharged from abroad simply stood up, so they were driven. The whole operation rolled downhill, the fate of the conspirators, and indeed of the whole of Russia, hung in the balance. I had to quickly look for a replacement for horses in the surrounding villages.
After this incident, Count Orlov set out to bring out the Russian breed, which will be hardy, beautiful, fast and never fail, getting up halfway from home. But more than one year will pass from the idea to the realization of this count's dream.
Horse named Smetanka
After the brilliant victory of the Russian fleet in the battle at Chesme, Alexei Orlov visited the Turkish Sultan, where he acquired for a completely fabulous money (50,000 rubles) a tall light gray Arabian horse. This purchase was to become the cornerstone in the creation of his new breed.
A horse named Smetanka was taken from Turkey to the Count's stud farm near Moscow in the village of Ostrov for about two years. But his tribal career was short-lived. He lived away from his homeland for only a year, leaving behind 4 stallions and a mare.
Either the long road in connection with the crippled health of the hot Arab handsome man, or the accident that the stable workers had been talking about for a long time, one way or another, the horse was gone.
Rumor had it that the groom had jerked his bridles too sharply when the horse drank, he stumbled and hit his head on the stones. It was not possible to save the animal. The groom was found hanged in the hayloft.
The history of the breed
In breeding, everything is decided by chance. You can cross different breeds for years and end up staying with a broken trough. But fate was smiled to Alexei Orlov this time too. All 4 sons of Smetanka from a Danish blood-cut mare were very interesting from the point of view of selection, especially the last one, named Polkan.
Polkan took a lot from his overseas father - beautiful to become, tall, and most importantly, fast tireless lynx, in a word, everything that a retired count wanted to get. They began to cross this horse with Dutch and Mecklenburg harness mares and as a result received another diamond - a stallion named Bars I. It harder expressed both the harness forms and grace of the Arabian horses, and, of course, the ability to frisk trot.
It was Bars I who became the main breeding animal in the new stud farm of Count Orlov - Khrenovsky, built in the Voronezh province, on the lands donated by Catherine II. Bars I also covered Norfolk trotter mares, both Dutch and Danish. At different times, the Oryol breed of horses was fed with fresh blood, but all the animals born in Khrenovsky were descendants of Bars I.
Characteristics of the Oryol breed of horses
People said about the Oryol trotters: "And under the water, and under the governor." Indeed, tall, hardy, stately and fast, they could be used almost everywhere, such she is, this Oryol breed of horses. In Russia, animals were used as riding and horse-drawn, plowed on them, and went to war with them.
Oryol trotter breed of horses belongs to the category of large. The height at her withers is 162-170 cm with a weight of 500-550 kg. These horses are both massive and lean at the same time. The Oryol breed of horses is distinguished by a powerful strong skeleton, agility and ease of movement, thin, but surprisingly strong legs.
The head of the Oryol residents is large enough, slightly elongated, with a beautiful chiseled profile. The lower part of the forehead is slightly convex, below the nose, on the contrary, there is some concavity.
The neck of the Oryol trotters is often compared with the swan, its curves are so graceful. The body is rounded, wide enough and somewhat elongated.
The image is completed by lively, inquiring, very expressive eyes and large mobile ears.
Manners and behavior
The character of the Oryol horse is quiet and flexible. These animals are tireless workers who unquestioningly carry out everything that the owner requires of them. Many owners note their good nature and friendliness to all living things.
However, do not think that these horses are quiet, quiet and weak-willed, this is not so. Still, the blood of their hot southern ancestor of Arab blood flows in them. And that means a lot. They are by nature very mobile, playful and curious.
Oryol trotters suits
When you look at the photo of the horses of the Oryol trotting breed, it becomes clear that they do not have a certain color. Although one suit still prevails - gray in apples. About half of all Oryol horses have just such a color.
This breed of horses is so diverse, the Oryol trotter can be either bay or black. But the rarest specimens are saline and mulled. The gene responsible for the inheritance of cream color, the Oryol breed of horses received from the bulan mare, the mother of that same Polkan.
The famous Oryol trotters
One of the most famous Oryol trotters was a stallion named Krepysh. At the dawn of the twentieth century, his name thundered at hippodromes throughout the country. People from all over Russia and foreign countries came to see the unrivaled champion. Big, stubborn in a good way, he was eager to win, breaking all the records known to him before. He ran 80 times, 55 of which came first.
An interesting fact is that when Krepysh was still in his tender age, his name was nothing more than a “long-legged mosquito” - he was so awkward and awkward foal. Who could then know that this “mosquito” would turn into a stallion stately gray in apples, which glorified the Oryol breed throughout the world.
Another representative of the Oryol breed of horses became known in the postwar years. A stallion named Square, according to experts, was one of the most beautiful trotters in the world. He was inferior to other horses in agility, but won the competition for the competition due to his unprecedented stamina and tenacity.
There is a known case when the rider released the reins of the Square, because he thought that this time they could not win, and did not begin to strain the animal in vain. The square decided in its own way, it not only did not slow down, but also caught up with rivals and, in the last meters, stretched its head forward. The photo finish showed that he was the first to cross the square's straight nose! How popular then was the Oryol breed of horses! Photo Square adorned the editorials of many famous publications.
At the end of his sports career, Kvadrat became a good producer, its blood flows in most modern Oryol trotters.
Features of care and maintenance
Over the years, Count Alexei Orlov has honed the features of his new breed. One of the criteria was great endurance and unpretentiousness. Mares were specially kept in fairly cold stalls and fed on rough whole oats.
But this does not mean at all that in our days the Oryol horses should be kept in similar Spartan conditions. For the horse’s health and well-being, she needs a clean and spacious stall, which is regularly ventilated.
The floor of the stall should not have gaps or pits, as this can cause injury to the animal. Nowadays, special rubber coatings are often used, they reduce the load on the horse's legs. As litter, straw or sawdust is used.
Every day, any horse needs to brush wool with a special brush made of natural hair; Also, after intense loads of sweating horse, you must immediately wipe it off, because the heated animal can easily catch a cold.
The horses' hooves are carefully inspected and cleaned after each run. To prevent cracking and preserve a beautiful and well-groomed appearance, the hooves are lubricated with a special composition based on lamb fat, honey, wax and turpentine.
A balanced and regular diet is another important aspect in horse care. The basis of the diet is usually good hay and selected oats. Vegetables should be present in the food and fresh grass in the warm season.
The horse should always have clean and cold water.
Prices for horses Oryol breed
The cost of such beauty primarily depends on why it is purchased. If you go to a private stable from time to time to train, a trained horse of 5–9 years old will cost 150–200 thousand rubles.
Another thing is if for the Oryol trotter a rich sports career is predicted. In this case, his parents and their titles, the external parameters of the horse and its agility are considered. The order of prices in this case will be different. For breeding, stately animals that meet all breed parameters are also selected. Their price is sometimes sky-high.
The Oryol trotter is the same symbol of Russia as a nesting doll or a Tula samovar. Our task is to preserve this treasure, no matter how difficult times may be, it is part of our history, part of our Russian heart.