Post by Jesse on Mar 3, 2015 5:53:27 GMT 2
Hi! I hope it's okay that I post this here. We've recently imported an Orlov Trotter stallion from Russia, and we want to show him to the world!! Orlov Trotters are rare these days, with around 800 pure mares in existence. We hope to import a few mares to begin our own lines.
Firstly, lets introduce the breed.
The Orlav Trotter is a large, graceful breed with a hereditary fast trot, noted for its outstanding speed and stamina. The breed was developed in Russia in the late 18th century by Count Alexei Orlov at his Khrenovskoy Stud farm near the town of Bobrov (Voronezh guberniya). The Orlovs emerged as the result of crossing various European mares (primarily of English, Dutch, Mecklenburg, and Danish breeding) with Arabian stallions. The Orlov evolved under the natural conditions of Voroezh region, characteristic of central Russia, and used natural pastures in the flood plain of the Bityug river. The combination of stable and pastures produced a breed with good action and adaptability to various management conditions. It thus became possible to spread the breed beyond the limits of Voronezh region to different climatic zones of the country, from Poltava to Perm regions, from Pskov to Kurgan regions and from Kirgizia to Altai territory. The Orlov is also taken to the mountain regions east of Lake Baikal as the principal improver of the native breeds.
Breed standards
The Orlov is widely used as a draught horse, as a utility horse for light and medium-heavy agricultural jobs, as a pleasure and competition horse and as the principal improver of small native horses throughout the former Soviet Union.
The modern Orlov Trotter is distinctive in its type and conformation. Its head is well proportioned and clean cut, poll long and jaws broad, neck long and muscular and often high-set, withers medium in height and length, back long and flat and sometimes slightly dipped, loin of medium length and flat, croup straight and nicely rounded, chest wide, medium-deep, ribs well sprung, legs properly set and the joints well developed, often somewhat coarse. The forearm, cannon and metatarsus are medium in size, the pasterns often short and straight. The limbs are sometimes hairy. The colours are grey, bay, black and chestnut with a few accepted variants.
The measurements of stallions (in cm) are withers height 162, oblique body length 164, chest girth 187, and cannon bone girth 20.5; mares: 160, 164, 186 and 20.2, respectively. (ON AVERAGE Stallions - 16hh, mares - 15.3).
It has a small, well-proportioned, Arab-like head that is well set-on. The profile is straight, and it has a broad forehead and lively eyes. The long and swanlike, muscular neck is slightly arched and well set-on (set high on the shoulders). The fairly high withers are fairly pronounced, running into a straight and rather long back. It has straight, long, muscular shoulders and a broad, deep chest.
The Orlov is very fertile. At the studs there are 80-85 live births per 100 mares and the survival rate to one year of age is 78-83%. Its robust constitution and high adaptability result in a long life san. The outstanding stallion Kvadrat was used as a sire up to the age of 32, while the mare Gondola (b. 1933), having won the most prestigious prize at the Bars hippodrome, equivalent to the Derby, lived to the age of 27 years and produced 17 foals. Pure breeding is the main method of producing the Orlov Trotter. No depression of the main economic characters occurs with up to 5% of inbreeding.The breed consists of 12 sire lines and 16 mare families. The best studs are Khrenov, Novotomnikov, Perm and Altai.
The tall, handsome Orlov has also been used increasingly to upgrade other breeds. It passes on its useful qualities of height and strong light conformation. In this role the Orlov has exerted a powerful influence on Russian breeding, and has contributed to the evolution of the Don and the Tersk, the Russian Trotter, and some heavy Russian breeds.
The Orlov Trotter even contributed to the formation of other trotting breeds, and, in fact, at the end of the 19th century a number of mares were imported into France, while many horses were introduced into Italian and German studs. The Orlov Trotter was also used as the basis for the German Trotter, a breed that has since been improved by crossing with the American Standardbred and the French Trotter to produce a small horse a very long-striding action.
Have some pictures!!
Экстерн (Ekstern) (My stallion's sire)
Orlov Stallion 'Colorit'
Famous Orlav Trotters:
Alexandra Korelova and Balagur at the 2006 World Equestrian Games
Photo © Astrid Appels
Icar (almost 17.1hh!!)
I hope this beautiful breed can become popular here, and I think they'll do very well in dressage!
Firstly, lets introduce the breed.
The Orlav Trotter is a large, graceful breed with a hereditary fast trot, noted for its outstanding speed and stamina. The breed was developed in Russia in the late 18th century by Count Alexei Orlov at his Khrenovskoy Stud farm near the town of Bobrov (Voronezh guberniya). The Orlovs emerged as the result of crossing various European mares (primarily of English, Dutch, Mecklenburg, and Danish breeding) with Arabian stallions. The Orlov evolved under the natural conditions of Voroezh region, characteristic of central Russia, and used natural pastures in the flood plain of the Bityug river. The combination of stable and pastures produced a breed with good action and adaptability to various management conditions. It thus became possible to spread the breed beyond the limits of Voronezh region to different climatic zones of the country, from Poltava to Perm regions, from Pskov to Kurgan regions and from Kirgizia to Altai territory. The Orlov is also taken to the mountain regions east of Lake Baikal as the principal improver of the native breeds.
Breed standards
The Orlov is widely used as a draught horse, as a utility horse for light and medium-heavy agricultural jobs, as a pleasure and competition horse and as the principal improver of small native horses throughout the former Soviet Union.
The modern Orlov Trotter is distinctive in its type and conformation. Its head is well proportioned and clean cut, poll long and jaws broad, neck long and muscular and often high-set, withers medium in height and length, back long and flat and sometimes slightly dipped, loin of medium length and flat, croup straight and nicely rounded, chest wide, medium-deep, ribs well sprung, legs properly set and the joints well developed, often somewhat coarse. The forearm, cannon and metatarsus are medium in size, the pasterns often short and straight. The limbs are sometimes hairy. The colours are grey, bay, black and chestnut with a few accepted variants.
The measurements of stallions (in cm) are withers height 162, oblique body length 164, chest girth 187, and cannon bone girth 20.5; mares: 160, 164, 186 and 20.2, respectively. (ON AVERAGE Stallions - 16hh, mares - 15.3).
It has a small, well-proportioned, Arab-like head that is well set-on. The profile is straight, and it has a broad forehead and lively eyes. The long and swanlike, muscular neck is slightly arched and well set-on (set high on the shoulders). The fairly high withers are fairly pronounced, running into a straight and rather long back. It has straight, long, muscular shoulders and a broad, deep chest.
The Orlov is very fertile. At the studs there are 80-85 live births per 100 mares and the survival rate to one year of age is 78-83%. Its robust constitution and high adaptability result in a long life san. The outstanding stallion Kvadrat was used as a sire up to the age of 32, while the mare Gondola (b. 1933), having won the most prestigious prize at the Bars hippodrome, equivalent to the Derby, lived to the age of 27 years and produced 17 foals. Pure breeding is the main method of producing the Orlov Trotter. No depression of the main economic characters occurs with up to 5% of inbreeding.The breed consists of 12 sire lines and 16 mare families. The best studs are Khrenov, Novotomnikov, Perm and Altai.
The tall, handsome Orlov has also been used increasingly to upgrade other breeds. It passes on its useful qualities of height and strong light conformation. In this role the Orlov has exerted a powerful influence on Russian breeding, and has contributed to the evolution of the Don and the Tersk, the Russian Trotter, and some heavy Russian breeds.
The Orlov Trotter even contributed to the formation of other trotting breeds, and, in fact, at the end of the 19th century a number of mares were imported into France, while many horses were introduced into Italian and German studs. The Orlov Trotter was also used as the basis for the German Trotter, a breed that has since been improved by crossing with the American Standardbred and the French Trotter to produce a small horse a very long-striding action.
Have some pictures!!
Экстерн (Ekstern) (My stallion's sire)
Orlov Stallion 'Colorit'
Famous Orlav Trotters:
Alexandra Korelova and Balagur at the 2006 World Equestrian Games
Photo © Astrid Appels
Icar (almost 17.1hh!!)
I hope this beautiful breed can become popular here, and I think they'll do very well in dressage!