Estonian Draft
Encyclopedia
The Estonian Draft or Eston-Arden is a breed
of draft horse
developed in Estonia
. They were developed from a cross of Estonian Native horses
and Swedish Ardennes
and officially recognized by the Estonian government in 1953. Population numbers have decreased since the early 1990s and today inbreeding is of significant concern and the breed is considered to be endangered by the Estonian government. Although originally used for heavy draft work, they are now used mainly for small-scale gardening.
in color. Through selective breeding, they have become well adapted to the soil in northern Estonia.
were crossed with Swedish Ardennes
stallion
s to create a draft horse that was an easy keeper
that was powerful yet fast. A stud book was established in 1921, and the breed was officially recognized by the Estonian government in 1953. At the same time the Estonian Draft was developed, the Lithuanian Heavy Draft and the Soviet Heavy Draft
also came into being in order to serve a demand for heavy draft horses in the Soviet Union
. As of 1994, there were approximately 400 Estonian Drafts in existence, including about 15 breeding stallions and 120 breeding mares. At that time, population numbers were reported to be decreasing. Another type developed in the 1990s for use as a harness horse. Although there were originally eight main blood lines, by 2004 the breed had been reduced to four stallion lines, and only 14 purebred foals were born.
As of January 1, 2009, there were 233 registered horses, including 84 brood mares and 6 breeding stallions. At that point, concerns were raised about increasing amounts of inbreeding leading to decreased health and reproductive efficiency and increasing amounts of undesirable traits. All six of the breeding stallions were considered inbred, and three were closely related to each other. Because of these low population numbers and limited breeding stock, further inbreeding is almost inevitable. As of 2011, the breed is considered to be endangered and is found mainly in the Lääne-Viru and Ida-Viru
counties. The Estonian Draft is one of three recognized horse breeds in Estonia; the others being the Tori
and the Estonian Native horse. The Estonian Horse Breeders' Society is responsible for the monitoring and conservation of the breed.
Although originally bred for agricultural uses, in the 21st century they are mainly used for small-scale gardening. A few are employed in forestry, while others appear in horse show
s and pulling beer wagons. The breed is the least populous of the three Estonian breeds.
Horse breed
Horse breed is a broad term with no clear consensus as to definition, but most commonly refers to selectively bred populations of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a very broad sense to define landrace animals, or...
of draft horse
Draft horse
A draft horse , draught horse or dray horse , less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour...
developed in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. They were developed from a cross of Estonian Native horses
Estonian horse
Estonian horse , also known as the Estonian native, the Estonian Klepper, or natively the Eesti hobune, is a relatively small horse breed originating in Estonia. It originated over than 2800 years ago. The Estonian horse has influenced several Baltic horse breeds, including the Tori horse. The...
and Swedish Ardennes
Swedish Ardennes
The Swedish Ardennes is a medium-size, heavyweight draft horse. It was bred in Sweden during the late 19th century to satisfy farmers' demand for horses suitable for agriculture.- Characteristics :...
and officially recognized by the Estonian government in 1953. Population numbers have decreased since the early 1990s and today inbreeding is of significant concern and the breed is considered to be endangered by the Estonian government. Although originally used for heavy draft work, they are now used mainly for small-scale gardening.
Breed characteristics
Estonian Drafts are generally bay or chestnutChestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
in color. Through selective breeding, they have become well adapted to the soil in northern Estonia.
History
Estonian Native horsesEstonian horse
Estonian horse , also known as the Estonian native, the Estonian Klepper, or natively the Eesti hobune, is a relatively small horse breed originating in Estonia. It originated over than 2800 years ago. The Estonian horse has influenced several Baltic horse breeds, including the Tori horse. The...
were crossed with Swedish Ardennes
Swedish Ardennes
The Swedish Ardennes is a medium-size, heavyweight draft horse. It was bred in Sweden during the late 19th century to satisfy farmers' demand for horses suitable for agriculture.- Characteristics :...
stallion
Stallion
A Stallion is a male horse.Stallion may also refer to:* Stallion , an American pop rock group* Stallion , a figure in the Gobot toyline* Stallion , a character in the console role-playing game series...
s to create a draft horse that was an easy keeper
Easy keeper
An easy keeper, easy doer or good doer is a livestock animal that can live on relatively little food. The opposite of an easy keeper is a hard keeper , an animal that is prone to be too thin and has difficulty maintaining adequate weight.Easy keepers tend to be found most often in breeds...
that was powerful yet fast. A stud book was established in 1921, and the breed was officially recognized by the Estonian government in 1953. At the same time the Estonian Draft was developed, the Lithuanian Heavy Draft and the Soviet Heavy Draft
Soviet Heavy Draft
The Soviet Heavy Draft is a breed of draft horse, originating in Russia at the end of the 19th century. The modern breed became established by the 1940s.-History:...
also came into being in order to serve a demand for heavy draft horses in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. As of 1994, there were approximately 400 Estonian Drafts in existence, including about 15 breeding stallions and 120 breeding mares. At that time, population numbers were reported to be decreasing. Another type developed in the 1990s for use as a harness horse. Although there were originally eight main blood lines, by 2004 the breed had been reduced to four stallion lines, and only 14 purebred foals were born.
As of January 1, 2009, there were 233 registered horses, including 84 brood mares and 6 breeding stallions. At that point, concerns were raised about increasing amounts of inbreeding leading to decreased health and reproductive efficiency and increasing amounts of undesirable traits. All six of the breeding stallions were considered inbred, and three were closely related to each other. Because of these low population numbers and limited breeding stock, further inbreeding is almost inevitable. As of 2011, the breed is considered to be endangered and is found mainly in the Lääne-Viru and Ida-Viru
Ida-Viru County
Ida-Viru County , or Ida-Virumaa, is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is the most north-eastern part of the country. The county contains large deposits of oil shale - the main mineral mined in Estonia. As oil shale is used in thermal power plants, the earth in Ida-Viru literally holds the largest...
counties. The Estonian Draft is one of three recognized horse breeds in Estonia; the others being the Tori
Tori (horse)
-Characteristics:The Tori comes mainly in the colors black, bay, palomino, chestnut and liver chestnut. Today's Tori is a harness horse that has a clean and solid build...
and the Estonian Native horse. The Estonian Horse Breeders' Society is responsible for the monitoring and conservation of the breed.
Although originally bred for agricultural uses, in the 21st century they are mainly used for small-scale gardening. A few are employed in forestry, while others appear in horse show
Horse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
s and pulling beer wagons. The breed is the least populous of the three Estonian breeds.