Rare Horse Enthusiasts Seek Solution

A rare breed of horse is in peril in Azerbaijan. The Karabakh horses are sure-footed, have great endurance and a mild temperament.

A rare breed of horse is in peril in Azerbaijan. The Karabakh horses are sure-footed, have great endurance and a mild temperament. A combination of war, negligence and cross-breeding with Arabian horses diluted the country’s breeding stock, but now the focus is on how to preserve what horses remain, according to EurasiaNet.com

“In my opinion, there may be 10 mares that are one-half true Karabakh horses,” German horse breeder Verena Scholian, who has spent 20 years researching the Karabakh breed’s blood-lines, commented in a phone interview from Ginsheim-Gustavsburg, Germany.

A 2007 preservation plan that focused on publicizing and marketing the breed has been difficult to enact, according to experts. Private owners have taken preservation into their own hands. Said German breeder Scholian: “The best horse I ever got was my Karabakh horse and that’s why I try to save them.”

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