Russian Trotter

When the Orlov Trotter breed was crossedw ith the American Standardbred (American trotter), the Russian Trotter breed was born.  This crossbreeding occurred in the 1890's, but the formation of the breed was not complete until about 1950.  When people wanted to improve the speed of the Russian trotter, breeders crossed them with Russian trotters- and this continues to be part of the breeding process.

Modern Russian Trotters are harness horses.  They are proportionately built with well developed muscles.  They have light heads and a straight profile, long necks and a flat croup.  Their appearance is not as stunning as the Orlov however, as the Russian Trotter often has defects like bowed legs or dropping croups. 

Most Russian Trotters are bay, black and chestnut, and a few are grey in color.  They stand an average of 161 cm tall, and have record trot speeds.  There are currently 12 lines that are associated with the Russian Trotter breed.