Have you ever seen a horse with a curly hair coat?
If so, it was likely a Bashkir Curly horse. This 
breed was once suspected to have originated in Russia, but now researchers aren’t exactly sure of the origins the Bashkir Curly. Due to depictions of curly-haired horses in China as far back as 161 A.D, however, they do believe the Bashkir Curly is an ancient breed.
THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN BASHKIR CURLY BREED REGISTRY
The breed gained their name when a curly horse from Russia was printed in a 1938 issue of Nature magazine. Curlies, as they’re often called, have been traced to Native American reservations in North and South Dakota, and many roamed as wild horses across the United States.In 1898, a young boy named Peter Damele and his father were riding in the mountains of central Nevada when they saw three horses with tight, curly ringlets covering their entire bodies. The father and son would bring some of these horses to live on their ranch and breed them. To this day, many Curlies in America can be traced back to the Damele herd. The American Bashkir Curly Horse Registry was established in 1971 in order to save these rare
horses from extinction as many were being slaughtered.
BASHKIR CURLY TRAITS
Bashkir Curlies can be found among all horse colors. They resemble early-day Morgans in their conformation and are medium-sized. They have several other identifying characteristics such as unusually tough, black hooves, slanted eyes with a “sleepy” look, and a short back, with a rounded rump and shoulders. They also have a double mane which splits down the middle. The body coat of the Bashkir Curly sheds out in the summer, becoming wavy or even straight, but each fall, the curly winter coat returns. Several winter coat patterns exist in Curllies, from a crushed velvet appearance to marble waves to extremely tight ringlets. Interestingly enough
many people who are allergic to horses are not allergic to Curlies. The breed is known for their strength and endurance. They are a hardy horse that is able to survive severe winter conditions. Curlies are also known to be calm, gentle, and curious. The Bashkir Curly passes on its curly hair coat on to offspring 50% of the time, even when
mated with non-Curly horses. More can be learned about this unique breed on the ABCR website .
