Horse
Pronunciation:
Preh-vawl'-skees
Breed Description:
The Przewalski breed of horse (also called Przewalski's horse) is the only truly wild breed of horse. All other wild horses are believed to be descendants of once domesticated horses, whereas the Przewalski has been breeding in the wild without any period of exclusive domestication.
Przewalski's horse is similar to the native pony type, and comes in varying shades of dun. They have a dorsal stripe, a shoulder stripe, striping on their legs, and light gray or tan muzzles and bellies. They are believed to descend from the ancient ancestors of all breeds of horses, and to closely resemble the original horses of over 3000 years ago.
Temperament:
The Przewalski breed of horse is a truly wild horse on only rarely have any individuals been successfully tamed.
Height:
The Przewalski breed of horse stands 12 to 13.2 hands.
Weight:
The Przewalski breed of horse weighs 450 to 650 pounds.
Health Problems:
The Przewalski breed of horse does not have any significant health problems, although herds are now managed to prevent inbreeding.
Living Conditions:
The Przewalski breed of horse is a wild horse native to harsh countryside and can thrive in very challenging conditions.
Exercise:
The Przewalski breed of horse runs wild and enjoys freedom to roam.
Life Expectancy:
The Przewalski breed of horse lives into its twenties.
Grooming:
The Przewalski breed of horse is a wild breed and does not require any care.
Origin:
The Przewalski breed of horse was extinct in the wild until the mid 1990s, many examples survived in zoos. Through efforts of the Przewalski Foundation in the Netherlands and breeding preserves in the Ukraine, in 1992 two breeding herds of Przewalski horses were reintroduced to Mongolia with the ultimate plan to reintroduce the animals to the open steppe.
It was originally believed that the Przewalski horse was discovered by the Russian explorer Colonel Przewalski, for whom it is named, in 1881. More recent information from the Przewalski Horse Foundation indicates two Europeans saw these animals much earlier. A Scottish doctor who was sent on an embassy to China by Peter the Great wrote of his experiences in Journey from St. Petersburg to Pekin, 1719 - 1723 and included an accurate description of this Asiatic Wild Horse. Even earlier, Hans Schiltberger, a Bavarian nobleman, was taken prisoner by the Turks and sold to the famous Tamerlane of the Golden Horde, who in turn gave Schiltberger to a Mongol prince named Egedi. Schiltberger spent several years in the Tien Shan mountains. He wrote of the wild horses he observed in his memoirs "Journey into Heathen Parts". The unpublished manuscript was written in 1427 and is housed in the Munich library.
Concern about the future of the Przewalski horse led its breeders to form an international studbook in 1979 to help manage the herds to increase the population and reduce inbreeding. many animals are kept in zoos around the world, and offspring from zoos are added to the wild herds to protect against inbreeding. Today there are several hundred animals, including around 150 horses in North American zoos alone. 