"40 years down the drain." A stud farm near Ryazan has declared the Russian riding horse breed at risk of extinction.

For Starozhilovsky stud farm сообщили The reduction of the breeding stock of Russian riding horses threatens the complete extinction of the breed within two years.

— Last year we had 63 sows, and now we have been forced to reduce the herd to 40, this is primarily due to the lack of funding and our own pastures, — the deputy director of the stud farm said Elena Shishkina. 

In total, there are left at the stud farm 149 horses — from foals born in 2022 to the oldest stallion born in 1995.

The Starozhilovsky stud farm is the only one in the world that breeds Russian riding horses. The breed is considered a national treasure. It was nearly wiped out during the Civil War. Enthusiasts later revived the breed, but under General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev, it disappeared again. The third attempt to restore it was made at Starozhilovo. in 1978 year, appointed head of the department Vladimir FrolovHe traveled the country, acquiring breeding stock with suitable bloodlines. In 1997, the All-Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding confirmed the breed's restoration.

The von Derviz EstateThe property, which houses the stud farm, began to decline about 25 years ago, and problems with feed and livestock began in 2010. The controlling shareholder of the joint-stock company sold off the pasture land, depriving the horses of feed. Now the only option is to purchase new horses, but the stud farm lacks the funds to do so.

"Everything must be integrated. Land, horses, and stables cannot exist separately; they must belong to the state. Russian riding horses are our treasure; they must be treated with care and taken with pride. What is a private owner? When the money runs out, he'll load the horses into a truck and take them to the meat processing plant. And 40 years will go down the drain, and the breed will disappear."- говорил A couple of years ago, former director Frolov.

Since then, no one has rushed to save the “national treasure.”

Photo: Anna Ivantsova, “7×7”