Kyrgyz Horse

In the late nineteenth century there were some two million Kyrgyz horses in the area that is now Kyrgyzstan.^[7] During the Soviet era, the traditional Kyrgyz horse was cross-bred with larger but weaker imported foreign breeds, including Don and Thoroughbred strains, to create a new breed, the Novokirgiz or New Kirgiz.^{[3]: 489 [7]} Numbers of the traditional native breed were greatly reduced,^[7] but have since shown some recovery.^[8] The population of the Kyrgyz breed was last reported to DAD-IS in 2002, when the total population was 78 300 head.^[2] In 2007 its conservation status was recorded by the FAO as "not at risk".^[1]: 74

An association for the protection of the Kyrgyz Horse, the Fondation Kyrgyz Ate, was set up in Bishkek in the early twenty-first century. A breed standard was drawn up, based partly on a description found in archives in Saint Petersburg, and was approved by the national ministry of agriculture.^[4]: 14

The Kyrgyz Horse is a small mountain horse. It is sure-footed and agile, with the necessary stamina and endurance for the mountain environment.^{[4]: 14 [9]} The coat may be dark or grey.^[3]: 480

The Kyrgyz Horse is used as a riding horse, for horse-racing, and as a light harness horse. It is important for production of meat and milk.^[3]: 480 Horsemeat production in Kyrgyzstan in 2002 was 24 800 tonnes, about one eighth of the total meat produced in that year.^[10]: 14 The mare's milk is often fermented to make kumis.^[4]: 14

With traditional mounted games such as kok-boru (also known in Kyrgyzstan as ulak-tartysh), oodarysh (mounted wrestling) and kyz-kuumai (meaning roughly "chase the girl"), the Kyrgyz Horse may be perceived as a symbol of the pre-Soviet nomadic past of Kyrgyz people, and thus as an element of post-Soviet Kyrgyz culture and national identity.^{[4]: 14 [7][8]}