Marshal Budionny

Russian bred Budionny chestnut stallion Iskarniet (1952)

Russian bred Budionny chestnut mare Irva
born 1949 Sire 84 Irvet, dame 060 Vladina 67
(1952)

       The Budionny horse was bred on the S.M Budionny’s and the 1^st Army’s stud farms in the Rostov region. Horses of this breed have a wide range of uses; they are suitable for the saddle as well as for work in agriculture and transportation.

        The work on the breeding of this horse begun in 1921 under the supervision of marshal Budionny in the region south of the river Don where the old Don horses were bred . The breeding environment, represented by wide range pastures of the steppes and favorable climate, has greatly influenced the development of high quality riding horses. For the creation of the breed, the don mares were crossed with English thoroughbreds. The progeny was raised in large herds (tabunns-“taboonns”) and combined the good inbred qualities of both breeds. From the mares they inherited the toughness, durability, massiveness and hardiness toward unpleasant climate conditions. After the sires they inherited hard “constitution”, speed and the exterior in likeness of a thoroughbred.

        The thoroughbred stallions were chosen according their exterior, massiveness and speed. Altogether there were used 100 stallions out of which are only four considered to be the founders of the Budionny horse: Simpatiag, Svetetz, Inferno and Kokas. The Budionny horses are mostly chestnuts or “gold” chestnuts, also bays and dark bays, very seldom blacks and never gray. The average height by the stallions is 161,4 cm (15' 3 H) and by mares 157’1 cm (15' 1 H). The Budionny horses are definitely of the riding type. They have a “dry”, medium size head with mostly straight, sometimes slightly bulged profile. The neck is long and high set. The withers is either high or medium with sufficient length. The back is short, strong and solid. The loins/hindquarters are wide of medium length and muscular. The shoulder is slant set and medium long or longer. The legs are bony and “dry” with expressive joints. The most common deficiencies are diverged stand in front with “strangled” shins and open (straight) hocks.  

    The working ability of Budionny horses is tested in racing and other sport disciplines. In all directions they are showing high qualities. In the year 1946 a race was organized on a track from Salsk to Rostov. In the temperature of 40’ C (104’ F) the participants covered a distance of 200 km (124.27 miles) in 18 hours and 25 min. In the year 1950 a test of a maximum output in 24 hours was preformed. A six year old stallion Zanos covered under a rider 309 km (192 miles), a five year old stallion Ben-Boj 304 km (188.90 miles).

      The most abundant and valued lines were: Seding, Sahib, Saksagan, Sahar, Svetetz, Solist, Kagul and Islam.