Russian Heavy Draft

In Russia, the people had a need for both heavy draft horses and small draft horses that were strong and fast as well as economical in terms of feeding and managing.  The genetics of the small draft horse were from the native Ukrainian breeds, the mountain Ardennes, and from the Orlov Trotter and Brabancon breeds.

In the 1860's, systematic breeding began.  Most of the breeding was done at Peter's Academy, Chesma stud, Kochubei and Chaplits and the Derkulski stud.  Because the Russian Heavy Draft horse was easy to feed (economically) and the horse itself was highly adaptable to the environment, they became very popular.  THe horses are still bred in various areas of the world.

While the horse has many strong muscles, they are not very large.  Their trunk is long and they have well developed joints.  They are about 152 cm tall at the withers and weigh between 550 and 700 kg.  Russian Heavy Draft horses have short necks, wide foreheads, long back and a drooping croup.  Their front legs seem to be set too far apart, and they are quite short.  Most of the breed are chestnut, brown and a few are bay.

They are known for their willing dispositions, fair speed and strength.  Some farms use the mares for milk production, and they can yield 5540 kg of milk for periods of up to 25 years.  They have good fertility and live long lives.