Toric Horse

Origin: USSR — Estonia.

Height: 15-15.2hh.

Color: Mainly chestnut; also bay.

Character: Good-natured, calm, hardworking and enduring.

Physique: Strong harness horse with good conformation. Attractive head of medium size, with bold eye and mobile ears; strong neck, set high on muscular shoulder; deep girth, strong back, body dense with well-sprung ribs, powerful hindquarters; legs short and hard, with abundant bone, short cannon bones, short pasterns, light feather on heels. It is well-shaped feet, action free, straight and even.

Description: This is a strong harness and general working horse, popular on the farms of northern Russia. The breed was developed during the late 19th and early20th centuries. The basis for the Toric was the local Klepper, an indigenous native horse of unspecified type. To this was added a wide variety of native and foreign blood which included that of the Arab, Ardennais, East Friesian, Hackney, Hanoverian, Orlov Trotter, Thoroughbred and Trakhener. The result is a handsome, light draught sort with abundant capacity for work. It is one of the many different breeds of horses that existed and evolved for generations. A peculiar thing about it is that its growth has been largely affected by climatic & ecological conditions and the ways in which it were used.

Toric was a hardworking and enduring horse that was developed on the Tori Stud Farm of Pдrnu Raion, Estonia. It was well-known for its friendliness and balanced behavior that gained popularity on the farms of USSR. In general, toric horse was a good-looking, light draught variety that had plenty of capacity to work. Once it featured many superior qualities, but these days it has become rare.

Origin:

Toric horse variety originated in nineteenth and twentieth century in Estonia, USSR. It is a successor of a cross between the horse varieties: Klepper and a Hackney, Thoroughbred, East Friesian, Arabian, Trakehner and Orlov trotter. Overall, there are barely three purebred studs and it's expected that less than a hundred purebred Torics live at present.

Toric was developed especially to resist the harsh conditions of the Estonian landscape. It was extensively bred with most of the true breed horse varieties to get the more vulnerable type. Consequently, as per the geographical conditions of the region and the settlement during that period, the breed was developed.

Characteristics of a toric horse breed:

Toric horse breed had a sturdy build with high-quality conformation. The stallions weighed from 580 to 700 kg and mares from 500 to 650 kg approximately. It exhibited characteristics like bold eyes and mobile ears, strong neck and high set muscular shoulder. Besides this, it also displayed dominant hindquarters, short cannon bones, light feather on heels and well-shaped feet. The other prominent features of toric are as under:

• A long body with well-sprung ribs, stout & hard legs and a large head
• Deep chest and a touch of feathering
• Commonly appeared in common colors like: chestnut, reddish-bay, and bay
• Height ranges from 15-15.2hh
• Commonly ate grass

Uses of toric horse:

Toric horse had demand because of its many useful traits. Especially its behavior and receptiveness made it a favorite among the farmers of Estonia. It was also acknowledged for its other benefits that made it a multipurpose horse during the past two hundred years. Toric horse assisted in the following ways:

• Commonly used as light draft horse
• Used as a saddle and harness horse, or with a plow
• Used on the farms of northern Russia and agriculture purpose
• To handle and adept jumpers
• Sometimes used for riding as well
• Used for its good nature and a healthy spirit
• Traits like durability and high fertility rates made them evident to economical farmers

Irrespective of the many good qualities that it possessed, the toric horse breed faced extinction. Reason for this could be the cross-breed varieties that resulted in more endearing and achievable horse breeds. At present, very few toric horses have remained and soon they too will vanish.