Yakutian Horses “Just Fine” At 90° Below Zero

Yakutian Horses “Just Fine” At 90° Below Zero AG WORLD Here’s a rare horse breed that hasn’t yet made it to North America - at least as far as we can find If you want to see a Yakutian horse you need to plan a trip to spend time with Yakutian villagers in Siberia Averaging 13 3 hands the horse shares characteristics of other northern breeds such as Shetlands Fjords and Icelandics But their extremely dense long hair and metabolic and other adaptations over 800 years allow the horse breed to live in temperatures ranging down to 94 degrees below zero They can survive without shelter and dig through deep snow to forage for vegetation Yakutian horses evolved from horses owned by the Yakuts who were forced in the 13th Century by Genghis Khan’s army to flee from Mongolia to Siberia The horses were important for survival and used for many purposes Besides riding them and herding with them the Yakutian horse was milked its hair was used to make rope and at the end of their lives they were eaten and their coats used for clothing The Yakuts no longer rely on them for survival but Yakutian horses are revered as spiritual creatures and are part of festivals and ceremonies Scientifically they are considered to be among the fastest examples of a mammal adapting to adverse conditions

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