- Kushum -

The Kushum Horse breed developed at the Pytimarsk and Furman studs in the Ural mountains, in Kazakhstan, from 1931 to 1976. The breed originated mostly from the trotter, Thoroughbred, Don, Budyonny, and Kazakh horses. Originally the goal was to develop a good army mount suitable for keeping in taboons all year round, basing the breed on the native Kazakh horses. Kazakh mares were crossed with Thoroughbreds and half breeds, as well as the trotters, to obtain a larger size and also improve gaits.

To retain the Kazakh's high adaptability to taboon management while maintaining and improving both size and action, the crossbred horses were mated with Don stallions. The three-way crosses were then interbred again. As a result,  a new breed was developed. It was characterized by high adaptability, large size, and good, versatile working qualities. The Kushum's high adaptablitity to local conditions, reflected in increased weight gain in spring and autumn, renders the Kushum suitable for meat and milk production. Its large size and weight guarantee a high yeild of horse meat.

The characteristic features of the Kushum are a solid build of a saddle-harness horse type. The head is large but not coarse, the neck of average length and fleshy, and the withers pronounced. The back is long and flat, the croup is well muscled but not long enough. The chest is broad and deep and the legs are properly set. They can be bay and chestnut as well.

The Kushum is highly versatile and endurable. They can run really fast and produce a lot of milk. They are very fertile and have sound health. 80-84 foals per 100 mares survive to one year of age. The breed includes three intra-breed types, which are the basic, the heavily muscled, and the saddler. Six lines are being formed, although the breed is mainly Pyatimarsk and Krasnodon studs. The outlook is for development through pure breeding.

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