Latvian

Origin: Latvia, Russia

Color: Bay, dark bay or black, sometimes chestnut.

Avg Height: 15.1 to 15.3 hh

Avg Weight: 1100 to 1320 lbs

Build: The modern Latvian is a successful combination of the features of the utility and saddle horses. Tall, heavy muscled and bony, in format they are intermediate between saddle and harness horses. Latvians have a well-proportioned and solid build; the joints are sometimes coarse. Muscles are well developed, bone structure solid, chest broad, withers moderately pronounced or high and long and with a normal slope, legs properly set and with well-developed knee-joints and hocks. Defects include short and ringboned pasterns and cow hocks.

Temperament: Very benevolent - an old man or a child can handle it easily.

Main use: Work, sport.

Special abilities: Energetic and powerful.

History: The first attempts to generate this breed started in 1856 by crossing of local Latvian northern horses with western European horses. Planned pedigree work was started in 1890 using 10 breeds. In the first half of this century Trakenes, Oldenburg, Hannover and Holstein stallions were used to create the Latvian horses in two principal types: traction and sport animals. The Latvian horse breed was formally formed in 1952 and the best pure bred animals are registered in the herdbook. The Latvian breed was developed in Latvia from the beginning of the 20th century up to 1952 by crossing the native horses with west European harness and harness-saddle breeds. Oldenburg, Hanoverian and to a less extent Holstein stallions had most influence. Between 1921 and 1940, 65 Oldenburg stallions and 42 Oldenburg mares were imported from the Netherlands and Germany; they became the core of the breed. Besides the purebred Oldenburgs, Oldenburg crosses and Hanoverian, Norfolk Roadster, Ardennes and East Friesians were widely used. A special role in breed formation was played by the Okte stud in the Talsa region. Two types, the harness horses and the equestrian sports horses, have been evolved. Prior to 1960, the harness type was emphasized. Subsequently, as mass scale equestrian sports developed in Latvia on a large scale, the number of horses of the sport type was increased through infusion of the Hanoverian and, to a less extent, Thoroughbred blood.