Novokirghiz Horse

People usually look up the Novokirghiz (also called the New Kirghiz) when they’ve seen the name in a pedigree, a sale listing, or a breed list and want to check one thing: what it actually is, where it comes from, and whether the claims about rarity and “endangered” status stack up.

The short answer is that the Novokirghiz is a modern horse breed developed in Soviet-era Kyrgyzstan, bred for practical work and riding in demanding country. Many online summaries mix it up with Kazakhstan, Russia, or unrelated crosses, so the details below stick to what reliable breed references consistently report.^{1, 2}

Quick facts (Novokirghiz / New Kirghiz)

• Also known as: New Kirghiz; Novokirgizskaya (Russian)²
• Place developed: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (now Kyrgyzstan)^{1, 2}
• Developed from: local Kyrgyz horses crossed with larger introduced stock (notably Don and Thoroughbred; some sources also mention related Don strains such as Anglo-Don)^{1, 2}
• Typical height: stallions around 155–156 cm; mares around 151 cm (about 15.0–15.1 hands)^{1, 2}
• Typical weight: roughly mid-400 kg range (varies by type and management)¹
• Common coat colours: bay and chestnut are most often reported^{1, 2}
• Main uses: riding and harness/traction work; also meat and mare’s milk production in its home region^{1, 2}

History and origin

The Novokirghiz is not an old “regional” horse in the way the traditional Kyrgyz Horse is. It is a deliberately developed, mid‑20th‑century breed, created on state and collective farms during the Soviet period to produce a larger, faster, more powerful horse than the original local type.^{1, 2}

Most reputable breed summaries describe the foundation as local Kyrgyz horses crossed with imported riding and cavalry-type stock, especially Don and Thoroughbred. The resulting horses were often noted as resembling the Don in type and outline.^{1, 2, 3}

Physical characteristics and appearance

Seen at rest, the Novokirghiz reads as a compact, workmanlike riding horse: a stronger frame than the traditional Kyrgyz Horse, with more substance through the body and limb, but still built to cope with distance and uneven ground.^{1, 2}

Breed references describe a medium-sized, clean-cut head; a neck set relatively low; a level topline; and strong legs with defined tendons. Some conformational faults (such as sickle hocks) are also reported as occurring in the population.²

Online claims that the breed is “typically black with white markings” are overstated. Bay and chestnut are the most consistently reported common colours in mainstream breed references.^{1, 2}

Size (what the numbers mean in practice)

Many listings quote height in “hands”, but the more consistent published figures are in centimetres. Typical averages sit around 155–156 cm for stallions and about 151 cm for mares (roughly 15 hands). Individuals can be smaller or larger depending on type and breeding line.^{1, 2}

Temperament (what’s reasonable to expect)

It’s tempting to label any breed “loyal” or “brave”, but temperament is shaped as much by handling, training, and selection within a line as by the breed name on a paper.

What the Novokirghiz was bred for is more grounded: a practical horse for riding and work. In that role, steady-mindedness, tractability, and stamina tend to be valued and selected for, especially in farm breeding programs where horses must be useful before they are pretty.^{1, 2}

Uses and roles

The Novokirghiz was bred to cover the same broad needs as the traditional Kyrgyz Horse, but with more size and power: riding, harness and farm work, plus production roles (horsemeat and mare’s milk) that remain culturally and economically important in parts of Central Asia.^{1, 4}

It has also been used in organised sport settings such as hippodrome racing, with published performance records reported in breed references.²

Training and care (practical basics)

Care doesn’t need to be exotic because the breed is from a distant landscape. Good horse care looks familiar everywhere: steady feed, routine health work, and consistent handling.

• Feed: base the diet on forage (pasture and/or hay), then adjust with additional feed only as workload, condition score, and veterinary advice require.
• Feet and legs: keep trimming/shoeing regular and matched to terrain; these horses are often described as workmanlike and hardy, but they still need maintenance.
• Fitness: build endurance gradually. A horse bred for stamina still needs time to adapt tendons, ligaments, and cardiovascular fitness.
• Health: routine dentistry, vaccination, and parasite control as recommended by your local veterinarian.

Breeding notes (and common misconceptions)

One repeated mistake is describing the Novokirghiz as a 19th‑century Russian breed, or claiming it was created from an Orlov Trotter × “Kazakh pony” cross. Reliable breed references instead place its development in mid‑20th‑century Kyrgyzstan, based mainly on local Kyrgyz horses crossed with Don and Thoroughbred stock (and related Don strains).^{1, 2}

Another common mix-up is geography. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan share steppe and mountain country, but the Novokirghiz is consistently described as a Kyrgyz breed developed in the former Kirghiz SSR.^{1, 2}

Population and conservation status

Claims like “fewer than 2,000 worldwide” and “only a few hundred left in the wild” do not match the way this breed is described in major livestock-breed references. The Novokirghiz is a domestic breed, not a wild species, and some breed summaries report much larger population figures in its home region (tens of thousands).²

Conservation status reporting can also be confusing. One widely repeated summary notes an FAO status (2007) of “not at risk”, while later entries in FAO’s DAD‑IS database list the risk status as “unknown” (reflecting reporting gaps rather than a confirmed collapse). For the most defensible wording, it’s safest to say that the breed’s risk status is not consistently reported in recent international databases, rather than claiming it is endangered.^{1, 5}

References

1. Novokirghiz (New Kirghiz) — breed summary
2. Oklahoma State University – Breeds of Livestock: New Kirgiz Horses
3. Don horse — background on the Don type referenced in New Kirghiz descriptions
4. Kyrgyz Horse — traditional local breed and its relationship to the Novokirghiz
5. FAO Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS)
6. Merck Veterinary Manual — Overview of nutrition in horses
7. Merck Veterinary Manual — Routine health care in horses
8. Australian Veterinary Association — Horse welfare
9. RSPCA Australia — Horse care information

Sophie Kininmonth

Veterinary Advisor, Veterinarian London Area, United Kingdom