Karabakh horse
A Karabakh horse named Alyetmez, from the stud of Khurshidbanu Natavan-Utsmiyeva, accredited in the Second All-Russian exhibition. Photo from 1867.
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| Country of origin | developed in the Karabakh region during the Karabakh Khanate |
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| Distinguishing features | stands between 14 and 15 hands high. |
The Karabakh horse (Armenian: Ղարաբաղի ձի, Azerbaijani: Qarabağ atı), also known as Karabakh or Karabakhskaya in Russian, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently under the control of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. The breed is noted for its good temper and speed. For example, in 2004 a Karabakh horse named Kishmish from the Agdam stud in Azerbaijan set a speed record by running 1000 metres in 1 minute 9 seconds, and 1600 metres in 1 minute, 52 seconds.
The breed is thought to be a cross-breeding of Akhal-Teke, Persian, Kabarda, Turkoman, and Arabian horse. It also influenced the development of the Russian Don horse in the 19th century. At present, the Karabakh is bred mainly in Azerbaijan's Shaki region. Currently the breed numbers are below 1,000 and it is threatened with extinction.
The breed is hardy, strong, tough, and sure-footed.
The horse is not large: 14–15 hands (56–60 inches, 142–152 cm) They have small, clean-cut heads, a straight profile with broad foreheads, and nostrils very capable of dilation. The neck is set high, average in length, muscular and elegant. They have compact bodies with well defined and developed muscles. The shoulders are often quite upright. The horses have a deep chest, a sloping croup, and long, fine, but very strong legs, although the joints are small. The horses are narrow, not very deep through the girth, due to the Akhal-Teke influence.
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