Content
The Oryol trotter is the only breed that arose in the 18th century, not because “it happened in the course of historical development,” but according to a previously compiled list of necessary qualities.
In those days, nowhere in the world existed a horse capable of trotting for many hours. Bearing the proud names "roadster" and "trotter" European horse breeds were heavy, loose and quickly tired. The lighter riding breeds were more adapted to the gallop movement.
Europe was not worried about this situation. The distances there were small in comparison with the Russian Empire. And what could the Russians do if some European principality could well fit between Moscow and St. Petersburg at that time? For Russian distances, a horse was needed that could trot for a long time, since jerking at a gallop spoiled everything that could be spoiled.
At a gallop, a jerk force occurs, which breaks the shoulders of the horses, looses the mounts of the carriages and severely rocks people. Knowing firsthand about these problems, Count Alexei Orlov-Chesmensky seriously thought about breeding his own Russian horse breed, capable of tolerating the climatic conditions of different regions of Russia well and moving in harness for a long time without tiring riders. None of the local Russian horse breeds used at that time for long-distance journeys could provide such comfort to riders. The only advantage of Vyatok, Mezenok, Kazanok and other local horses was endurance.
The brother of the favorite of Catherine the Great had both the means and the place to establish a stud farm. Count Orlov began with the purchase of mares and stallions almost all over the world then known. But neither purebred horses, nor their crossbreeds gave the desired result. According to Orlov's idea, the necessary offspring should have been obtained by crossing heavy raw Neapolitan and Dutch mares, capable of moving at a broad trot for a short time, with dry and light Arabian stallions.
But where could we get those stallions if the Arab tribes at that time were selling culling to stupid Europeans. And even this culling was highly valued. And Orlov needed really high-quality manufacturers. Orlov sent scouts wherever he hoped to find the stallions he needed. Suddenly, the Russo-Turkish War came to Orlov's aid.
The Mediterranean Russian squadron under the command of Alexei Orlov defeated the Turkish fleet at Chios and Chesme. During the battles, the Turks appreciated the bravery and audacity of Eagle Pasha. Several stallions were sent to Orlov as a gift. After the conclusion of the armistice, rumors reached Orlov about a very rare stallion, which was led from Arabia to the Ottoman Empire, but, fearing hostilities, was hid in Morea, in Greece. Orlov sent scouts from knowledgeable people there. Returning scouts reported that "such a horse has not yet been seen." Orlov immediately wanted to get a stallion in his stable.
Orlov's proposal to sell the horse did not meet with understanding from the Sultan. Inflamed Orlov threatened to take the stallion "on the sword." Taught by bitter experience, the Turks understood that the Eagle Pasha was capable of fulfilling his promise and chose to "voluntarily" part with the horse. As a result, the stallion was sold to Orlov for an unheard-of in those days amount of 60 thousand rubles in silver.It can be considered that from this moment the history of the Oryol horse breed began.
The history of the Oryol trotters
The purchased stallion really turned out to be unique. He had a very long body, and after his death it turned out that instead of 18 vertebrae this horse had 19. Moreover, the extra vertebra was in the thoracic region and because of it, the stallion also had an additional pair of ribs.
The stallion got into the estate of Count Orlov only 1.5 years after the purchase. Fearing the hardships of sea voyages, the horse was led around the seas by land. They led the stallion on small marches, walking only 15 versts a day and gradually transferring from the usual barley in Arabia to the oats accepted in Russia.
After arriving at the estate, the stallion surprised everyone with its large stature, body length, very beautiful silver-white hair and a very affectionate disposition. For the color of the coat, the horse received the nickname Smetanka.
And the silvery sheen of the wool adds intrigue, since Arabian horses there is no such phenomenon.
Smetanka lived in Russia for less than a year, leaving only 4 stallions and a filly. Versions about his death vary.
According to one version, he could not stand the difficult transition. But 15 - 20 km a day is not enough for a healthy horse.
According to another version, he could not eat unusual food. But the consequences of eating the wrong feed are manifested in horses much faster. A smooth transition to a new feed does not have negative consequences.
According to the third version, the stallion, accustomed to the dry air of Arabia, could not stand the damp Russian climate. And this version already looks plausible. Today, aboriginal horses from places far from civilization confirm this version, developing chronic airway obstruction if they are brought to the city.
According to the fourth version, Smetanka staggered near the watering hole, when he saw the mares, he slipped, fell and hit the back of his head on the corner of a wooden block. It could also be on slippery ground.
For sure, only one thing is known: after the death of Smetanka, his groom hanged himself on the reins.
Polkan I
The successor of the history of the Orlov trotter was the son of Smetanka, born of a Danish bullock mare, Polkan I. This stallion was not yet the ideal of the conceived breed, but Bars I was born from him and the gray Dutch mare, which fully corresponded to Orlov's dreams.
Bars I
In Bars I, a large height (166 cm), even in modern times, was combined with strength and a beautiful frisky trot. The required type of the future Oryol trotting horse breed was found. Now it had to be fixed. At the age of 7, Bars was sent to a factory, where he produced for 17 years. The genealogies of all modern Oryol and Russian trotters go back to the Bars.
The ideal of Count Orlov was born in a gray suit. Since the leopard was used very actively, the gray color is very common today among the Oryol trotters.
There is also an inverse relationship: if gray, then the Orlov trotter.
Together, Count Orlov and his assistant V.I. Shishkin managed to secure the necessary type of easy-harness horse. To improve the productive characteristics of the Oryol trotting breed of horses, a system of training and testing of young animals was thought out, which made it possible to correctly evaluate young animals when selecting for a breed.
Then they sacredly believed in telegonia (superstition is still alive) and believed that if a mare is covered with an unsuitable stallion, she will never bring a thoroughbred foal.
Running development
Even before Orlov introduced racing as a test of performance in winter on the ice of the Moskva River, national “trips” were held, where the owners of high-class horses showed off their animals. Orlov turned these trips not into random games, but into systematic tests of young animals for agility. The races began to quickly gain popularity, moreover, it turned out that no one else could compete in speed with the Orlov trotter. In Russia, a new breed of rather massive, elegant, light-harness horses has emerged. Oryol trotters were in demand not only throughout Europe, but also in the United States.
The decline of the Oryol breed
According to the Count's idea, the Oryol trotter is a horse, suitable for both a cart and a voivode. But in order to carry carts, you need to have a massive bone and significant muscle mass. Initially, the Oryol trotters had thick forms and large stature. A photo of the Orlov trotter Barchuk, taken in 1912, confirms this.
Such a horse can easily carry a cart, but due to the mass it is unlikely to be very fast. Meanwhile, in the United States, they bred their own breed of trotters, the only criterion for the success of which was the finishing post. Therefore, when, at the very beginning of the twentieth century, small, but very fast American trotters began to be imported from the USA to Russia, Orlovsky began to lose ground. He could not compete with imported horses. Wanting to receive winnings, the owners of the Orlov trotters began to cross them with the American ones. The cross-breeding reached such proportions that it seriously threatened the Oryol trotter as a breed of horses.
Until the appearance of the Krepysh, who proved that the Oryol breed had not yet reached the limits of increasing agility. Closed races for the Oryol breed and open prizes for trotters of any breed were soon introduced.
Revival
The Oryol breed has survived the Revolution and the Civil War quite successfully. Tribal work with her was centralized and became more productive. Metis with American trotters were separated into a separate breed, called the Russian trotter. In the Soviet Union, the Oryol breed was used as an improver for local aboriginal horses and outbred livestock. Even Altai mountain horses were improved by trotters. After the Second World War and until the collapse of the Union, the Orlov trotters were the most numerous factory breed in the country.
The second decline in the history of the Oryol horse breed occurred in the 90s of the last century. The livestock has dropped to a critical level. There are 800 heads of purebred Oryol queens, while for the normal development of the breed, at least 1000 are needed.
The current state of the breed
Lovers and admirers of the Oryol breed "pulled" the Oryol out of the "hole" into which the collapse of the economy threw him. Today the Oryol breed is again one of the most numerous and is not threatened by anything, except for the possible loss of the old type and the acquisition of similarities with the Russian and American trotters.
But these trotters of the Oryol trotting breed does not even make sense to test at the hippodrome. They are significantly inferior in speed to their more modern counterparts.
Suits
In the color palette of the Oryol trotters, there are almost all the colors common on the European continent. The most common is gray. The gene for graying hides a colored base under it, and a gray horse with a foal could be a black, bay, red, dun, salty, ash-black. In the pedigree of trotters, there may be an entry about the suit as "red-gray". In fact, the certificate was issued when the horse had not yet completely turned gray. The end result of graying is always a light gray color of the horse. What is popularly called white.
Since the origin of the Orlov trotters begins with the Danish Bulan mare, the Cremello gene is present in the breed.Until recently, this suit was either not widespread in the Oryol breed, or was hidden under the gray suit. Before the appearance of the dunny Orlovsky Levkoy in Ukraine. The stallion showed good results in trials and was sold to the Chesme stud farm. Bucky trotters went from him. In the photo of the race of the Orlov trotters, the horse in the foreground is the dunky Molybdenum from the dun Shine. Shine received the suit from his father Levkoy.
Exterior
Like all prize breeds of trotters, the exterior of the Orlov is quite diverse today. Common features:
- long body;
- strong neck of medium length;
- medium-sized head (can range from arabized to "suitcase");
- well-muscled limbs;
- strong, dry tendons;
- good hoof horn.
Races are held on fairly hard ground, and in winter along an ice path. Therefore, the strength of the legs is the key to preserving life for the horse.
Character
For the most part, the trotters of the Oryol breed are distinguished by their docile good-natured nature. Among them may also come across "crocodiles", but often this is due to poor treatment. The horse is defending itself. In any case, experienced people should work with such a horse.
All trotters, including crocodiles, are distinguished by their honesty in their work. They were so selected: to give all of themselves and a little more from above. But this honesty plays against them, since with unbearable demands the trotter is crippled. And sometimes it also cripples the rider.
Application
The main sphere of modern use of a trotter of any breed is running. Tote is poorly developed in Russia, otherwise it would be a very profitable industry.
The Oryol trotter is a horse of universal use. They are not very popular in dressage because of the specific four-stroke trotting canter. But not all trotters go at such a gallop. Moreover, he is being corrected. Although as an exception, the Oryol trotter reached the Olympic Games. In the photo there is a horse of the Oryol breed Balagur under the saddle of Alexandra Korelova.
In show jumping, the Oryol trotter is able to jump well at low and medium heights. But there is no need to demand more from him. He will climb, he is honest. And he will be crippled. The best option if he teaches to jump beginner riders.
The trotter carries its master well on horseback riding in the fields, as you can see in this photo of the Orlov horse.
But sometimes the Oryol trotter can be misbehaving.
Testimonials
Conclusion
Due to the fact that the Oryol trotting breed is very widespread in Russia, the cost of non-pedigree Oryol horses is low. And the versatility of use and docile nature makes the Orlov trotter an irreplaceable horse for beginners.
