Kazakh horses are the oldest of domestic breeds that continues to inhabit the territories of its original formation said a Russian scientist Leonid Gaiduchenko, Tengrinews reports.
Kazakh horses are the oldest of domestic breeds that continues to inhabit the territories of its original formation said a Russian scientist Leonid Gaiduchenko, Tengrinews reports.
Gaiduchenko believes domestic horses were originally brought to Kazakh steppes by the tribes that migrated from South-Eastern Europe.
"During my research I came to еру conclusion that during the Neolithic age, tribes that came to Kazakhstan from South-Eastern Europe through the corridor between the Caspian Sea and the Ural Mountains brought domesticated cows and horses. We saw the traces of those tribes in Turgay and Botay areas of Pavlodar Oblasts when studying the unique monument of the Neolithic period near Lake Borly and in Kulundy area. Echoes of this way of life can also be found in the Southern Ural," the scientist said.
According to Gaiduchenko, the ancient domestic horse in Kazakh steppes was medium or small sized and had thick legs. The animal was notable for its stamina and adaptiveness to harsh conditions.
In addition, Gaiduchenko thinks that Kazakh horse is the direct ancestor of a number of Eastern breeds. “The Kazakh horse that developed in the Kazakh steppes in the fifth century BC is the living artifact of horse-breeding activities of Ugrian, Indo-European and Turkic groups living in the steppes in the past seven thousand years. I think, the horse can be and should be made a Kazakhstani brand. It is the oldest domestic horse breed that still exists. It does not only live today, but also flourishes - the Kazakh horse is being bred again,” Gaiduchenko said.
Writing by Gyuzel Kamalova, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina