Bashkir Curlies Are Amongst Handsomest Horse Breeds Worldwide

Jun 14, 2020 by apost team

Curlies, also called Bashkir Curlies, American Bashkir Curlies, and North American Curly Horses, come in all sizes, colors, and body types but they all carry a gene for a unique curly coat of hair. They are said to be one of the most beautiful horses in the world.

When you imagine a horse, you will most probably envision one with a silky coat and a sleek flowing mane. But did you know that horses can have curly locks, too? Curlies, also called Bashkir Curlies, American Bashkir Curlies, and North American Curly Horses, come in all sizes, colors, and body types but they all carry a gene for a unique curly coat of hair. They are said to be one of the most beautiful horses in the world.

This ancient horse is born with a coat that resembles a Labradoodle’s lush locks. Like the pup, these horses’ coats can vary drastically—and they’re hypoallergenic, too. “The coat is curly only in winter,” Betsy Lirakis, who runs a therapeutic riding program that exclusively uses curly horses, told The Dodo, “shedding out beautiful and sleek for summer. Some have long thick soft curls, others of the breed grow tight, woolly curls.”

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The Bashkir Curly passes down the curly characteristic to its offspring about fifty percent of the time, even when mated to horses without the curly coat. They also seem to be a hardy breed and able to survive severe winter conditions.

The curliness trait can appear in all common horse colors including Appaloosa and Pinto. Physically they are of medium size, somewhat resembling the early day Morgan in conformation, and a number of traits have been found in this unique breed that links them to primitive horses. Their eyes are wide-set like those of Oriental breeds. This is said to give them a wider range of vision.

They are also described as having tough, black hooves that are almost perfectly round in shape. But exactly how these horses got their unique look is still a mystery. In China, horses with curls have been depicted in art as far back as 161 A.D. A photo of a curly-coated Bashkir horse from Russia circulated in the 1800s, after it was printed in the 1938 March issue of a nature magazine titled "The Evolution of the Horse."

However, whether these were the ancestors of the American curly horse remains unclear. There is evidence that these horses had roamed wild in the Northern Plains over 200 years ago, and were held in high regard by the Crow and Sioux nations.

But it’s not all about looks for these horses—they boast winning personalities as well. The curlies tend to have an amiable nature and are highly trainable.

Performance-wise, curlies are a no-nonsense horse and have an uncanny ability to do all that is asked of them, since they are usually intelligent, learn quickly, and
have a remarkable memory. They have won trophies in arena events, competitive and endurance trail riding, are excellent mounts in the mountains, do ranch
work, and are an all-around pleasure horse.

These horses have got to be part-Labradoodle. Have you ever seen one in real life? Let's talk about it in the comments and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family, especially those who are horse lovers.