"Russian" breeds (Akhal Teke, Orlov Trotter, Don etc.)

[stormchaser]

Who knows a lot about Russian breeds? We have plenty of them. There's an Akhal-Teke (this breed mainly originated from Turkmanestan) in our RS and he's really cute. What struck me about him was how slender and agile he was. We also have an Arab-Orlov Trotter, Buidonny and a Don (Donskaya). There are a few Russian Trotters (? it was the direct translation), and I have never heard of this breed in English horsey literature. I think these few breeds are quite beautiful and unique.

Can anyone put together a breed profile for some of these horses if there is already info at hand?:p Or I can try to do my own research :o. What info should I put in a breed profile? I've got lots of links to piccys, and maybe can get some info with people breeding Akhal Tekes at least.

[Lgd]

I'm in the midst of one for Russian Orlovs ( I have one)

[ambatt]

I would love an Akhal Teke or a Viatka pony or any of the Turanian horse breeds.

[Karen Kahn]

Hi - I am a new member. I have been looking all over the internet for four years for people who own Orlov Trotters. I live in the USA and have two older Orlov Trotters crossed with other breeds--quarter horse and pinto. They have been the greatest horses. I have wanted to find one or two more to import. Does anyone have any information?

To see the beautiful stallion "Nature's Ballet" full bred Orlov Trotter in California -- please go to google.com, type in "Nature's Ballet, Lari Shea". You will find him. he is the sire of my two horses - both in their mid-twenties now and retired.

Does anyone know where I can buy one or two and import them? Karen Kahn

[ambatt]

If you wanted to import from the former Soviet Union:

http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/orlov.html

This is a Russian site, there is a black Orlov mare for sale:

http://horsesport.info/articles.php?lng=en&pg=220


I did think there was a breeder in Sweden, but I cannot seem to find them.

[stormchaser]

http://www.equestrian.ru has a section for sales... I'm sure there are plenty of Orlov Trotters, Buidonnys, Akhal Tekes etc... again sorry it's all in Russian.

There is a breeder for Akhal Tekes in Canada www.lonelarch.com

More info can be found with the International Association of Akhal-Teke breeders http://www.maakcenter.org

[stormchaser]

This is a Russian site, there is a black Orlov mare for sale:
http://horsesport.info/articles.php?lng=en&pg=220


Hmmm seems that this site is based in Kazakstan, not Russia... :o

[ambatt]

It is indeed - thank you

[Karen Kahn]

Ambatt/Stormchaser - Thank you for your links. The equestrian.ru has a lot of horses and several Orlovs. But I couldn't find a particular person to email about them. How do I find this out and also the price.

do you know how much it costs to ship a horse from Russian to the USA?

Alot of the site is in English now. So I could actually use it. But still did not know how to find out about the horses.

Thanks. Karen

[ambatt]

Maybe Stormchaser can help on this one as she is based in Moscow (it is on her signature.)
She might be able to translate or find the relevant info for you.

I guess it will not be cheap!

Failing that there is an Akhal Teke stallion that stands here in the UK who was imported frrom Kazakstan recently ish. If you are serious then PM me and I will send you the contact details and then you can chat to them directly.

[stormchaser]

Equestrian.ru also has a froum, and a few of the moderators speak English... maybe you can ask the question there?

Actually the sale site on equestrian.ru is http://www.horsetrade.ru/, and when you click on full text you can see contact details... but remember the folks selling probably only speak Russian. :p

I don't know how exporting horses goes... it might even be hard to find anyone who want to deal with international sales.

I really doubt it will be cheap unless you contact a local breeder (I am sure there are some in the US or Canada) who has done it before and knows connections.

I do think it is possible, but I don't know much about it.

Ta, gotta run.

Edit: BTW, if you are really keen on finding out more about importing a horse from Mosow or Moscow region, PM me and I might be able to ask my friends about it. I don't speak a lot of Russian but better than nothing :)

[Lgd]

Think it is pretty complicated to import privately from Russia. I know Tavia's sire had to be imported via Poland, as did the two trakehners my trainer bought from Russia.

[Wally]

Orlov trotters as driving horses are awsome. Not dressage divas, but as driving horses they are all round wonders. Give you their dying breath, take the job seriously and are so clever. Best fun I ever had driving, speed, style intelligence and courage, p'zazz and correctness of paces as percived, who cares?? wow!

[Wally]

The two I drove for my exam..with a severe warning about too much on the acceleration pedal!

If you don't want it....don't ask for it....'cos you'll get it!

I drove them for two hours, at what I thought was a sedate pace......then was told by the centre owner that I would be expected to drive "park pace" in the exam.........I thought that's what I'd been doing. So I was allowed to have a real go and put them through their paces.........park pace after than seemed a waste of time. What I thought was park pace would have won any trials marathon.

[Karen Kahn]

I have endurance ridden my two Orlov Trotters in California. They have been on 100 mile rides in the High Sierras. They can out trot an Arab at a dead gallop! They are also extremely smart. One time when I was trail riding my mare on a switch back, a horse ahead and above us fell about 50 feet onto a beach. He came so close to us that he braised her nose, then fell unconscious onto the beach. Had I been on a TB or maybe even any other horse, I would have gone too. But my mare stood steadfast and calm. She instinctively knew that her survival (and mine) were at stake. Karen

[Wally]

You can say that again about the trot, There is a good reason they call them "trotters"

[Lgd]

Not dressage divas, but as driving horses they are all round wonders.

Shhh! Don't tell Octavia that!

Actually, they are becoming more popular for dressage - one of the Russian riders was placed on an Orlov at either the Europeans or Aachen (can't remember which).

The canter does take more training but they have a natural ability to collect and sit - Tavia has piaffed and passaged untrained since being very young and is now showing great talent for the ridden work.

My trainer's OH did make the mistake of long-reining Khan not long after he arrived. He had been trained for Troika driving and when he was set off in trot John kind of sand-skied up the arena :D

[Wally]

Don't know about ridden dressage, I was on about driven dressage! so no canter!

They ones I drove were trials horses, the guy who owns them said that they would lay down thier life for him on the obstacles and roads and tracks, they just didn't have the interest in showing off in the dressage arena like some of the other breeds he would be up against. Pair of Lipizzaners against Trotters?? The Lippis are going to catch the eye and float along. His HackneyX Welsh D beat them all though.

[notpoodle]

does the czech republic count? where im from, theres a lot of trotters and warmbloods from the czech republic (i guess the czech republic is to bavaria what ireland is to the UK, hehe), most of the ones i've met were lovely lovely horses :)

julia
x

[Lgd]

This is Tavia's sire, he goes as Khan at home but his registered name is Barin

Barin (http://www.newmoorsdressage.co.uk/stallion2.htm)

[Wally]

Ohhh, he's a bit gorgeious innee?

[stormchaser]

The Arab-Orlov Trotter at our RS is used mainly for driving... I think I've posted the pic in the cafe before... gotta dig it up again later. :)

[stormchaser]

here are the pics of the orlov-arab.

[ERIWINN]

The following website many be of interest:

www.akhal-teke.co.uk

[mad mare1]

I would like to correct some of the remarks on that website Eriwinn...Akhal-Teke's are not the oldest pure breed in the world...that title belong to the arabian...and the claim that they are better than arabians at endurance..well, I will believe that when I see it...when an Akhal-Teke comes and takes us on, and wins the AHS marathon...then I will concede. Don't get me wrong, they are gorgeous horses...but I am a proud sufferer of arabitis!

[svenja]

I would like to correct some of the remarks on that website Eriwinn...Akhal-Teke's are not the oldest pure breed in the world...that title belong to the arabian...and the claim that they are better than arabians at endurance..well, I will believe that when I see it...when an Akhal-Teke comes and takes us on, and wins the AHS marathon...then I will concede. Don't get me wrong, they are gorgeous horses...but I am a proud sufferer of arabitis!

the akhal teke studbook claims there were around before arabians... Of course this is hotly contested by their arabian counterparts... they even excavated bones of what they claim was an akhal teke in turkmenistan dating back to 2400 BC (I own an akhal teke:D ) They also claim Akhal Tekes were the mounts of the Scythian female warriors... But in Turkmenistan they will tell you the Russian Akhal Teke has evolved to look more like Western breeds and is no longer true to type... as for endurance I have no idea! I suppose they are much fewer of them in the West.
At the end of the day, who cares? they are both gorgeous breeds and similar in quite a few ways. Mad mare, do you own an arab? any pics?

[stormchaser]

svenja, how about pics of your mare?? :D

[svenja]

well since you ask...:D seconc pic is her colour in summer. (sorry if anyone has already seen those- must take new ones...)

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k88/svenjatinker/th_DSC00823.jpg (http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k88/svenjatinker/DSC00823.jpg)
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k88/svenjatinker/th_pielena-july.jpg (http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k88/svenjatinker/pielena-july.jpg)
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k88/svenjatinker/th_DSC00831.jpg (http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k88/svenjatinker/DSC00831.jpg)

[stormchaser]

She is so lovely! I like the second pic best!

I think modern Akhal Tekes still look rather un-"western", as in the conformation are all "wrong" if judged by western standards. How might one 'true-type' teke look otherwise?

[mad mare1]

here's my mare Svenja..and she is a pure bred arab, and 20 years old!

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b208/madmare1/Picture005.jpg

hope you like her!

[svenja]

mad mare- she is beautiful. She's got the loveliest head!

stormchaser- more old-fashioned tekes have even more of a ewe neck but the main difference is that they're smaller (although most of the best akhal tekes these days are of the ''modern'' type)

[mad mare1]

thanks Svenja...I get told she is not a "typey" arab..but she is as honest as the day is long..and my baby! She is quite chunky...but I prefer them like that...not keen on these modern skinny things!