A horse has been domesticated by man since ancient times. For a long time, these animals were the main means of transportation and carried out various works in agriculture. It is simply impossible to overestimate their contribution to the development of human civilization.
In the modern world, the role of these animals in the economy has dropped significantly. Tractors and other machinery are used for plowing, and vehicles carry out transportation of goods and people on the ground. However, even nowadays mankind pays tribute to its faithful friends. Horses and horses take an active part in sports competitions, are used for equestrian tourism and in equestrian police. Some Asian countries raise these animals for meat and milk.
The main directions of modern horse breeding
Currently, experts identify four main directions of this livestock industry:
- breeding horse breeding;
- sports;
- Workers' and users' activities;
- productive (meat and milk).
Breeding direction of horse breeding
The main objective of this area is to provide the state horse herd with purebred producers and to preserve purebred animals. Also, breeding stud farms and private farms of this direction are in charge of breeding work, designed not only to improve the existing breeds but also to create new ones with better characteristics.
Tribal stock is the gold fund of the horse herd of any country, so the most modern achievements of science in the field of genetics, as well as centuries-old experience accumulated by horse breeders from different countries during the breeding of these beautiful animals, are used for breeding. This work is carried out both in-state stud farms and private stud farms. Many countries around the world have scientific centers to coordinate and monitor such work. In our country, this function is performed by the All-Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding and Horse Breeding of the Russian Federation.
Sports horse breeding
This sub-sector is closely connected with the tribal sector because it is at sports competitions that the results of selection are actually checked, and the tribal work itself is corrected on the basis of the obtained data. However, the sports direction is in charge not only of organization and participation in equestrian sports competitions but also preparation of horses and riders for these tests.
Equestrian sport is very popular all over the world, and in our country interest in it is gradually growing.
Currently, all equestrian sports are divided into classical and national ones.
Classic equestrian sports have common rules for the whole world, and national ones are peculiar to separate countries and are closely connected with the traditions of the peoples inhabiting them.
Among the classical sports disciplines, the following are distinguished:
- Smooth races;
- Barrier racing;
- Staple-chez (also horses' barrier heats, but obstacles there are fixed in the ground and higher than in the previous form of competitions; besides, not only barriers but also ditches or ditches, often filled with water, are used as obstacles to the stipple-chez;)
- Jump competition (a competition for jumping where a horse with a rider on his back in a limited space in a certain sequence overcomes high or wide obstacles);
- Dressage (in another way - "horse ballet"; here horses demonstrate their ability to move unusually, make pirouettes, beautiful turns, walk, cross or raise their legs high, move sideways and backward, and so on);
- triathlon (the most difficult equestrian sport; it consists of three disciplines at once - dressage, showjumping, and obstacle racing (steeple-chez); it is performed for three days by one rider on one horse);
- Running (races of trotting horses in wheelchairs with jockeys sitting on them; for switching to galloping the horse is disqualified);
- Lynx under the saddle (also trotting competitions, but jockeys sit on horseback);
- Equestrian polo (hockey with a ball in the saddle).
Among the most famous national sports are big (racing for long, sometimes up to a hundred kilometers, cross-country courses), Russian troika competitions (for speed and controllability), dzhigitovka (horse rider performs acrobatic tricks) and many others.
Work in this sub-sector is concentrated in equestrian and sports clubs and schools, often located near tribal farms and attributed to them
Work-user
This direction has now lost its importance, as its goal is to provide the national economy with animals with good working qualities.
The breed of horses is of secondary importance here, with stamina, payload and learning ability in the foreground. However, it is too early to write off this trend. Horses are more economically profitable than machinery in small farms, they can also be used for horseback riding, for the needs of equestrian police and border guards in hard-to-reach areas of the country's borders.