Budyonny
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Names: Budjonny, Budyonny, Budonny, Budenny. I am most acquainted with the last spelling. The first is probably the more proper spelling but I don't feel like taking the time to change it just yet, so they'll probably all be on here for now!
Origin: The Budyonny originated in the former Soviet Union. The breed was developed from a cross of the Russian Don with the English Thoroughbred. It was formed by Marshal Budyonny (or Budjonny), who was a hero of the Russian Revolution, with the intention of creating a military riding horse. Evolved about 30 years ago (written about 1970). The primary development of the breed took place at the military stud farm in Rostov in the years following the fall of the Tsar. Of the 657 mares used to produce the Budyonny, 359 were Anglo-Don. 261 Anglo-Don X Chernomor and 37 Anglo-Chernomor. The Anglo-Don may rightly be called the founders of the Budyonny Breed. (Again, "Anglo" in horse-talk refers to a cross with the Thoroughbred; Anglo-Don is simply Thoroughbred "crossed with" Don.)
Breeding:
Description: The modern Budyonny is a horse of good height with a clean, solid build and heavily muscled body.
Color: The coat is generally chestnut, but may be bay, gray, or more rarely, brown or black. Because the Marshal required his troops to be distinctive, the bays and blacks were bred out, until practically all Budjonnys were chestnut.
Size: It stands approximately 15.1 - 16 hands. Averaging 16 hands and comparatively heavy.
Temperament: The Budyonny is good-tempered and energetic, an animal easily broken.
Features:
Uses: The breed is well suited as a riding horse or for light carriage and is a good jumper. The Budyonny has free and easy movement at all gaits making it very well suited as a sporting horse for modern equestrian events. Liked as hunters for their safe, clean jumping.
Accomplishments: The Budyonny is capable of adapting to extremely severe conditions. In the 1950's there was an experiment, a number of Budyonny horses were turned loose on a large island in Manych Lake in the Rostov district, creating "Budyonny mustangs." After some years there, the population rose appreciably. The Budyonny have retained the chestnut and sorrel color and live in three groups governed by stallions, three other stallions live alone. The Budyonny horses live on the island without human assistance and have typical traits of wild horses. The number of horses that were originally freed on the island is unknown to the author, but the experiment has proven authorities that a breed such as the Budyonny is able to adapt and survive for an extended period without shelter provided by humans or supplemental feeding.
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