The Yakut horse from Siberia
Just in case you are in any doubt about whether horses can handle a cold Queensland winter,
we thought we’d share some insight into this most amazing breed. As you might expect, the Yakut hails from Yakutia which is in Northern Siberia – and that’s pretty darn cold. The MAXIMUM recorded temperature in January for this place is -6C. Of course, it’s typically not that warm, usually the horses will need to endure something closer to -42C degrees.
Ten fun facts about the Yakut
- In the wild they survive temperatures as low as -70C (no blankets either)
- Their thick winter coat creates an insulating layer of warm air around their body
- Fat stored just under the skin creates another heat insulator
- In winter their breathing rate reduces to only 10 breathes per minute (it’s usually 20)
- The Yakut is the most northern based equine
- Its range extends from the Arctic Circle to the Mongolian tundra
- They live outdoors of course
- Many explorers took this breed on treks across both the North Pole and Antarctica
- Serko is a Russian language film about a Cossack’s 8,000km trek to St Petersburg in 1890
- To date, no Yakut horse has ever won the Melbourne Cup
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