Kabarda Horse

The Kabarda horse is a breed from the Northern Caucasus region, which is agile and sure-footed. It has the ability to easily navigate even in darkness and fog, and has therefore become essential to the nomadic peoples of the regions.

The breed arose in the 1500s by crossing the wild steppe horses and horses from Persia, Turkmenistan and Karabaghhastar. The Kabarda is also a different breed from almost the same area.

The Kabarda was developed through the process of selective breeding and the animals that did not meet the selection requirements were sold as a wagon horse or work horse.

The best breed examples that conformed were transferred to the state stud. The breed became immensely popular and was counted as the absolute best mountain horse in the world.

During the Russian Revolution of 1917 many were killed, however but in 1920 started the two stud farms started breeding again, with the Kabardin – Beams and the Karachay – Tjerkess. The stud developed an improved heavier breed which proved ideal for farm work.

During long rides from 1935 to 1936 through parts of the Caucasus, the horses travelled over 300 miles in bad weather in 37 days. No other breed has been able to respond to this achievement.

In 1935 the first stud book was started and published in 3 volumes until 1953 recording 446 stallions, and registered mares 3272. It was believed there may have been twice this number of horses as many of the poorer nomadic tribes either could not afford or did not understand the concept of registering their horses.

During the late 1900s the Kabarda horse breed was used again and returned even more stunning endurance ride results, during training for the for the 5 642-meter high Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus.

Attributes

The Kabardinen counts as the best mountain horse in the world, with its legendary nimble and sure footedness safety records. There is now a new breed and confirmation called the Anglo-Kabarda which is the Kabardin breed crossed with an Englsih Thoroughbred.

Like many other mountain horses like the Kabardinen they are born with natural ability and are strongly built with good conformation.
The horses are muscular with short, powerful legs, the head is slightly long with an outwardly curving nose profile, and the movements are quite high, also a very typical feature of this mountain horse.

The Kabarda gallop pace is somewhat slow but the pace is steady and rhythmic and the gait cadence is light and springy. In some of the Kabarda are used as riding horses as well as they are surprising comfortable for a rider.

The Kabarda is performance tested at the age of two on the race tracks, but this is more to test the staying power as they are not especially fast horses.