Heihe (horse)
Encyclopedia
The Heihe is a breed of horse
that originates from the Heilongjiang River basin in China
.
there is a long river basin called Heilongjiang. Heihe
city is the center of the Heihe horse breeding region. Beyond the forest
/tundra
to the north, the terrain
is hilly with an altitude of 1,640 to 3,300 feet and a gradual slope. The area is rich in water resources. Average temperature is near 32F, with the minimum about -58F and the maximum in summer about 89F. Horses are absolutely necessary for both agriculture
and transport
in this area.
stock
. In the Longsha summary it was recorded that prior to the seventeenth century the Heihe area was occupied by the Soulun nation, which was connected to the Manchu
. To enforce defense, the Qing government sent a large regiment of cavalry
there that contained many Mongolian horses.
After 1820, lumber
and mining
for gold
again brought Mongolian stock to the area. In 1908, Russian immigrants brought horses of unknown origin, and after 1930 some Orlov Trotter
and draft
stock was added to the growing mixture. During the years from 1937 to 1939, a Russian strain of Mongolian was brought in and at the same time the Keshan
stud farm was organised. Anglo-Norman
stallions were mainly used and four insemination centers were established. By 1940, there were sixteen stallions at this stud farm, among them two Anglo-Arabian
s and four Anglo-Norman, and others were crosses from Anglo-Norman and Percheron
. Systematic selective breeding was not done until 1955, when the North Horse Farm was founded. Finally, in 1963, the new breed was officially recognised. Thus the Heihe is a developed breed.
are high; the croup tends to be short; the limbs are strong with long forearms and short cannons. The hock is usually not straight enough in this breed. The Heihe is found in two types, riding-draft and draft-riding. The main coat colour is bay or chestnut
. A few are gray
or black
, and other colours are rare.
These are powerful horses with good endurance qualities, easily able to pull heavy loads. They are also used for plowing and other farm work. Well adapted to the cold, the Heihe stays out overnight in temperatures ranging to -40F with no ill effects.
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
that originates from the Heilongjiang River basin in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Origin
Along the boundary between China and the former Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
there is a long river basin called Heilongjiang. Heihe
Heihe
Heihe is a city in Heilongjiang, China.It is located at , on the Russian border, on the south bank of the Amur River, across the river from the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk...
city is the center of the Heihe horse breeding region. Beyond the forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
/tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
to the north, the terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
is hilly with an altitude of 1,640 to 3,300 feet and a gradual slope. The area is rich in water resources. Average temperature is near 32F, with the minimum about -58F and the maximum in summer about 89F. Horses are absolutely necessary for both agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
in this area.
History
The Heihe developed on the basis of Soulun and MongolianMongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
stock
Foundation bloodstock
Foundation bloodstock or foundation stock are horses that are the progenitor, or foundation, of a new horse breed or a given bloodline within a breed. The term is also used in a similar manner when discussing purebred dogs...
. In the Longsha summary it was recorded that prior to the seventeenth century the Heihe area was occupied by the Soulun nation, which was connected to the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
. To enforce defense, the Qing government sent a large regiment of cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
there that contained many Mongolian horses.
After 1820, lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
and mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
for gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
again brought Mongolian stock to the area. In 1908, Russian immigrants brought horses of unknown origin, and after 1930 some Orlov Trotter
Orlov Trotter
The Orlov Trotter is a horse breed with a hereditary fast trot, noted for its outstanding speed and stamina. It is the most famous Russian horse. The breed was developed in Russia in the late 18th century by Count Alexei Orlov at his Khrenovskoy Stud farm near the town of Bobrov...
and draft
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...
stock was added to the growing mixture. During the years from 1937 to 1939, a Russian strain of Mongolian was brought in and at the same time the Keshan
Keshan
Keshan County is a county in Heilongjiang, China, about 100 km northeast of Qiqihar. It is named from a city-shaped extinct volcano, which has a name of Erkeshan in its territory. Its total area is , with a population of 460,000. Post Code: 161610. The government of Keshan county is located in...
stud farm was organised. Anglo-Norman
Anglo-Norman horse
The Anglo-Norman horse was a warmblood horse breed from the old province of Normandy in northern France. From early in the 19th century, local Norman mares were crossed with imported English thoroughbreds, Norfolk Roadsters and half-breds, which themselves had Norfolk Roadster and Mecklenburg blood...
stallions were mainly used and four insemination centers were established. By 1940, there were sixteen stallions at this stud farm, among them two Anglo-Arabian
Anglo-Arabian
The Anglo-Arabian or Anglo-Arab is a crossbred horse that now also has its own status as a horse breed. It is a Thoroughbred crossed with an Arabian. The cross can be made between a Thoroughbred stallion and an Arabian mare, or vice-versa...
s and four Anglo-Norman, and others were crosses from Anglo-Norman and Percheron
Percheron
The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche valley in northern France. Percherons are usually gray or black in color. They are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were...
. Systematic selective breeding was not done until 1955, when the North Horse Farm was founded. Finally, in 1963, the new breed was officially recognised. Thus the Heihe is a developed breed.
Characteristics
The Heihe breed has good, uniform conformation and a willing, obedient nature. The head is medium in size with a straight profile, the eye is large and open, and the ears are long. The neck is medium in length and wide at the base; the withersWithers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
are high; the croup tends to be short; the limbs are strong with long forearms and short cannons. The hock is usually not straight enough in this breed. The Heihe is found in two types, riding-draft and draft-riding. The main coat colour is bay or chestnut
Chestnut (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...
. A few are gray
Gray (horse)
Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...
or black
Black (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
, and other colours are rare.
These are powerful horses with good endurance qualities, easily able to pull heavy loads. They are also used for plowing and other farm work. Well adapted to the cold, the Heihe stays out overnight in temperatures ranging to -40F with no ill effects.