→ Russian Horse Breeds → Don Horse

Don Horse

Purpose:

The Russian Don is a breed of horse developed and named after the region of Russia where the Don River flows. Originally it was cavalry horses for the Cossacks, who used it for saddle and carriage. Known for their endurance and stamina, these horses could cover long distances in short amounts of time, with reserves of energy for battle. Today, the Don is widely used as a saddle horse in sport. Moreover, the Don played an important role in the development of many other Russian breeds, including the Budyonny.

Characteristics:

The Don usually stands from 155 to 160 cm, and may be bay, black, gray or chestnut. They have a clean head with a straight or dished profile, well set onto a well-formed neck, high withers, and a wide, deep chest. Their shoulders can be straight, limiting the length of their stride, but are often well-formed. The back is long and straight, flowing into a croup that is long and sloping. The legs are long, well-muscled, and clean with broad joints, strong tendons, and tough hooves.
The most valuable and widespread are lines by Bolivar and Zabavnik. Lines by Peony, Cheln, Rezviy, Bordo and Patron are less widespread today.

Breeding area:

The main studs are concentrated in the central regions of Russia, mainly in the Rostov region according to its favorableclimate.