The Ukrainian Riding Horse (Ukrainian: Український верховий кінь) or Ukrainian Saddle Horse a breed developed in Ukraine after World War II to meet the ever-increasing demand for sport horses, was first bred at the Dnipropetrovsk stud. Today, it is bred at the studs of Derkulsk, Yagonitsk, and Aleksandriisk. The breed is well-established in characteristics despite the fact that it is relatively young, due to the highly selective breeding process.
The breed was developed from Trakehner, Hanoverian, and English Thoroughbred blood added to local mare stock, or with Furioso and Gidran mares from Hungary. The progeny were interbred and established the Ukrainian Riding Horse type. Those horses too fine in type were crossed with Hanoverians, those too heavy were crossed with Thoroughbreds. These two breeds—Hanoverian and Thoroughbred—are the only two that have been used to upgrade or improve the Riding Horse stock since the original type was formed.
Breeders who laid the foundation for the Ukrainian Riding Horse concentrated on using stock of Russian Saddle Horses (now extinct). Today, the Bespechney line still contains the Russian Saddle Horse blood.
The horses are kept in a regulated environment. They begin training just before age two, and are required to participate in a performance testing as two- and three-year-olds, which includes racing on the track, jumping, and dressage. Only the best are allowed to stand at stud.
The horses are quality, very suited to competitive riding, and excel in show jumping, dressage and eventing.
The horses have an attractive head set on a long, muscular neck. The shoulders are sloping and the chest is deep, but the back can be long and hollow. The croup is long and sloping. The horses are usually bay, chestnut, and black in color, and stand 15.1-16.1 hh.
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