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The Przewalski Wild Horse
The Przewalski Wild Horse - Equus przewalskii przewalskii Poliakoff -
Asiatic Wild Horse, commonly known as Przewalski's Horse
Found in the Altai Mountains in Mongolia it has remained virtually unchanged
since the Ice Age, some people believe it to be the original Equus Caballus
the progenitor of all modern horses. Equus Caballus originated in the
Pleistocene period in North America. Przewalski's Horse could be described
as either a desert or forest horse as it has covered a vast area and made
its home in both desert and forest areas.
The Przewalski's wild horse is also known as the Mongolian or Asiatic Wild
Horse or Poliakoff, named after the Russian explorer Colonel Nikolay M.
Przewalski who discovered a small herd of these primitive horses in 1881 in
the Tachin Schara Naru Mountains on the edge of the Gobi desert in Western
Mongolia. Up until that time it was believed to have been extinct, as the
Mongolian tribesmen had driven it into the desert by over-hunting it for
meat. Few if any exist in the wild state today, as the ruthless hunting has
continued, but there is believed to be a wild herd still living in the Altai
Mountains, known as the Mountains of the Yellow Horse, situated on the
border of western Soviet Mongolia and northern Sinkiang in China. The
Przewalski is also found in captivity, it is the only truly wild horse still
surviving. It has a different chromosome count than that of the domestic
horse, having 66 chromosomes instead of 64, however, it does produce fertile
offspring when crossed with the domestic horse. Unlike relatives in the
equid family, such as an ass crossed with a horse, they can interbreed, but
the resulting offspring are nearly always infertile.
The Przewalski stands at about 12-13 h.h. and is always a sandy dun colour
with a mealy nose (light coloured) and dark mane and tail. The mane stands
upright, is shed in the spring and it has no forelock. There is a black eel
stripe down the centre of the back and zebra markings on the legs. The head
is large with a flat forehead, straight profile, long ears, high set, small
eyes, and a large muzzle; the neck is short and thick; the shoulder is
straight and upright; the back is short with low withers; the hindquarters
are weak and undeveloped; the limbs are short and strong with large,
shallow, strong hooves. The Przewalski is a hardy enduring horse able to
withstand the most severe climatic conditions on meagre rations. It is
not trainable to ride as it has a difficult disposition.
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