The Russian trotter horse is a relatively new breed, officially recognised in 1949.
Orlov trotters had become outclassed by the American Standard bred in trotting races (a popular equestrian sport).
In the second half of the 19th century the Russians decided to produce a new, faster breed of horse.
Russian horses by Lea77_2013
The Orlov trotter, an obvious solution was the base breed crossed with the American Standardbreds who were imported to stud.
Crossing the two breeds produced the Russian trotter, with speed of the Standard bred and endurance of the Orlov.
Standards are set to help improve the overall breed, including a height no less than 15.3 for mares and 16 hh for stallions, a girth of approximately 6 feet and 1 inch, and a bone measurement below the knee of 7.75 inches.
The animals are easy to train, quiet, yet energetic when needed.
The average height ranges from 15.3 – 16hh (1.60 – 1.63m) with coat colours of black, bay, chestnut and grey.
The breed matures quickly, fully grown at 4yrs old.
The Russian Trotter has a plain head, long and muscular neck, and long, sloping shoulders.
The chest is wide and deep.
The legs are strong with clearly defined tendons, but frequently have a knock-kneed and sickle-hocked conformation, causing the feet to move outward as they move.
Although it is technically a defect, it does allow them to more easily lengthen their stride and thus can be an advantage for the racing animals.
The pasterns are fairly upright, and the bone is generally too light.
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