Hortaya Borzaya

Hortaya borzaya

Adult male grey and white piebald hortaya borzaya
Other names	Chort, Hort, Hrt, Chortaja borzaja, Xорт, Kурч, Kurtas
Common nicknames	Chortaj Hortaya Horty
Origin	Ukraine, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Belarus, CIS, Russia
Breed status	Not recognized as a standardized breed by any major kennel club.
Notes	Nationally recognized by the FCI member clubs of all the individual CIS member countries, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The hortaya borzaya (Russian: Хо́ртая Борза́я; IPA: [ˈxortəjə bɐrˈzajə], Ruthenian and Ukrainian: Xopт, Lithuanian: Kurtas, shorthaired sighthound) is an old Asian sighthound breed originating in the former Kievan Rus, later Grand Duchy of Lithuania (later Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) and Russian Empire. It is a dog of large size, of lean but at the same time robust build, of considerably elongated proportions. In its everyday life the hortaya is quiet and balanced. It has a piercing sight, capable of seeing a moving object at a very far distance. In spite of its calm temperament the dog has a very active reaction to running game. Hortaya are excellent, enduring hunting dogs endowed with a good, basic obedience and completely lacking aggression towards humans.

The hortaya is a sight hound of a large to very large size depending on breed type. The breed has five distinct types, with at least as many subtypes to each main type. The result of this is a broad variability, adapting the breed to the large variety of geography, climate and prey found across the huge expanse of its habitat.

All breed standards for hortaya are performance based, rather than appearance based, but because certain characteristics make for skilled hunting dogs, most hortaya are very similar in shape and build. The legs are long, the spine flexible, and the chest disproportionately deep in comparison to the waist, in order to accommodate large, powerful lungs. Small ears and a long, narrow skull are typical.

Hortaya males range from 26 to 30 inches (65 to 75 cm), females from 24 to 28 inches (61 to 71 cm). The weight depends largely on type and can range from 18 kilograms (Stavropol-type female) up to 35 kilograms (northern-type male). In general, the hortaya is heavier than it looks.

When not hunting, the typical gait of the breed is a fluid, limber and effortless trot. When chasing the prey, hortaya gallop in fast leaps of great length.

The short, dense fur can come in any color, as the only breed standards for the hortaya are health and skill. Dark coloured dogs typically have a black nose, while light coloured dogs typically have a brown nose. Eyes may be any color, and typically have a black or very dark rim.

Starting in the 2000s, some hortaya were exported to parts of Europe and North America (see below), where a breed standard for a new, as-yet unnamed subtype was established. Among these dogs, coat colour and colour combinations are restricted to a few types: white, black, cream of all shades, red, sable and brindle, solid or piebald (with white markings, or white with coloured markings). A black overlay and black mask, grey or red tan markings are normal. Atypical colours and markings, like brown or chocolate, a saddle or dapple pattern, and diluted colors (isabella) with blue or light eyes are not allowed. This subtype is still being defined, and further restrictions may be implemented, but it should be noted that the standard of the original hortaya remains unchanged.