The color of horses has always been one of the key criteria when choosing them, so it is not surprising that at all times rare colors were valued more than purely dark or completely white. One of the most beautiful and sought-after suits of horses is the so-called solovaya, and what exactly is it and how to properly maintain such animals - this will be discussed later.

Suit history

Today it is not known exactly where and when the salt-colored horse first appeared, but there is evidence that such animals were bred in ancient times on the territory of the Parthian state (modern Iran, Turkmenistan, Iraq), which arose about 250 BC. In particular, the description of the suit was found in the writings of Homer and ancient Scandinavian legends.

According to another opinion, unusual horses were obtained by crossing several species varieties of Indian horses, and the main colors of the parents of new animals were black, white and even orange. In the future, genetics itself ordered so that salt horses appeared.

Important! In the United States, salt horses are called "Palomino", which served as a derivative for the name of the new breed. However, do not confuse these terms, because not all pedigree data of individual horses are characteristic of representatives of other breeds with a similar color.

Be that as it may, animals of this color have always been extremely rare, which is why only wealthy people, such as the King of Yemen or the Spanish Queen, could afford them. By the way, it was Queen Isabella who contributed to the mass distribution of animals in the 15th century.

general characteristics

Like other species, the solovy variety has a whole set of individual characteristics, by which it is possible to determine the suit. Consider the main ones.

Exterior

The main characteristic feature of a salted horse is its body color: its head, torso and limbs are uniformly sandy (in different shades), and the mane and tail are either the same color or several tones lighter with a possible admixture of dark hair (no more than 15%).

In young individuals, a slightly pinkish skin hides under the hair, which darkens over time. The eyes are often brown, but in some cases can be light brown, up to an amber color. Almost all representatives have well-developed musculature of the body, thanks to which they seem graceful and graceful.

The tin suit is characteristic for several breeds at once, each of which has its own exterior features:

1. Palomino - animals up to 160 cm high, with a golden color and often Spanish features in the exterior. The head is small, has an even profile. The neck is long, the chest is deep. The slanting shoulders and muscular croup stand out in the body. The back is flat.

2. The Akhal-Teke horse is a riding breed, represented by large animals up to 160 cm tall (at the withers). The head is medium in size with a straight or hunch-bearing profile. Eyes - expressive, slightly slanting, brown. The neck is thin and long, can be either straight or S-shaped. These horses have deep and oval chests, muscular backs and long loins. The legs are thin and long, with small but strong hooves. The body is covered with thin skin, through which the emerging vascular network is clearly visible.

3. Kinsky horse - animals reaching a height of 170 cm at the withers. The body is elegant and graceful, the head is small, with a straight profile and wide, clearly visible nostrils. Eyes - brown, almond-shaped, neck - straight and long. The chest is more oval, and the back is straight, with a slight elevation in the back.

The “cream” gene in a heterozygous state almost always brightens the tail and mane (sometimes to almost white tones), and also gives a soft tint to the coat on the body of the animal. In fact, this is the main difference between the salt suit and the game suit.

Important! The solo color of a horse of any breed is determined by only one gene, based on the red color, so it turns out that each representative has the eeCrcr genotype.

There are several basic types of salted horses:

1. Dark salt - richly sandy color of the body, head and limbs with a characteristic reddish-yellow hue in these areas. The mane and tail are usually the same color, but may be slightly lighter. Only the hooves of the animal, which stand out against the general light background, are characterized by dark color.
2. Light salt . The body has a light yellow or milky-sand color, and the mane and tail are almost always characterized by a white tint. The hooves are not black, but rather dark, therefore they stand out perfectly against the background of a light body. A characteristic feature of horses of this color are unusual blue eyes that blend perfectly with it. Light salt differs from the cream version with a darker shade and gray skin color.
3. Golden-salt - the color of the body, characterized by a rich sandy tint with a golden tint. The tail and mane often have the same color, and light hooves complement the image of the "golden horse".
4. Salting in apples is a very rare color, which differs from the previous ones by the presence of small reddish spots (2–4 cm in diameter) that are scattered throughout the body. With good care, they often become even more expressive, well standing out from the main background.

Did you know? The largest and most famous horse in history is considered to be the Samson stallion of the Shire breed. He lived in England back in the 1840s, but so far no one has officially beaten his growth record of 2 m 20 cm.

Manners and habits

Horses of all the above breeds are characterized by a balanced character and gentle temper, which ensures their good learning and obedience. It cannot be argued that such features are associated specifically with coat color, but in any case, the general characteristics of all salt colors are evident.

Advantages and disadvantages

• The advantages of horses of salt color include the following:
• well-defined muscles of the body;
• "Elegance" of color;
• endurance and comparative unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention;
• excellent performance in racing.

• As for the disadvantages of breeding salt horses, then, first of all, these are:
• the need for careful care of the animal's hair (the only way the horse will remain bright and attractive);
• mandatory presence of a clean and bright stable with the possibility of daily many hours of walking in the surrounding area;
• the comparative high cost of horses (rare colors are valued more than the standard color variations of a breed);
• the rarity of the suit and the need for transportation associated with this (often a suitable individual has to be delivered from another country).

If the possible difficulties do not scare you, then it remains only to familiarize yourself with the basic requirements for the conditions of detention and for the care of horses of a salt suit.

Maintenance and care

When breeding horses, it is important to take into account several key factors: the presence of a warm, fully equipped stable, the ability to regularly clean the premises and care for the hair of animals, the availability of funds for organizing proper nutrition of horses.

Each of these requirements has its own implementation features, which are directly related to the unusual color of the described horses.

Stable

First thing what you should pay attention to when building a stable is choosing a suitable place, without drafts and high humidity. In the cold season, + 4 ° C is considered acceptable temperature values ​​in the room, with humidity not exceeding 85%.

The height of the stable can be 3-4 m, but when organizing a stall, you will have to pay more attention to the pen parameters. For large horses, such as salt horses, the ideal stall depth is 3.10 m and the width 1.8 m, but if possible, these values ​​can be increased by 10–20 cm.

The partitions between adjacent stalls can be solid planks or poles with slots, so that animals can see each other.

It is good if the floor in the stable is clay, with a flooring of dry and clean straw bedding, 10-15 cm thick, depending on the characteristics of the floor material and the evenness of its surface. This will ensure a comfortable stay of animals indoors not only in summer but also in winter.

Learn how to build a horse stable with your own hands.

In severe frosts, you can increase the thickness of the litter layer, but in any case you will have to monitor its dryness.

The feeders should be individual, installed directly in the stall and corresponding in length to the width of the corral (they are attached along the outer wall of the building, and a removable grate is placed on top to limit the spread of hay). The entire free space of the tank is divided into several separate zones: for concentrated and green feed.

The ideal installation height for large horses would be 1.2 m above the floor.

Individual drinkers are also located in stalls, one per horse. In the walking area or when several animals are kept together, watering troughs with a length of 0.6 m and a depth of 0.4 m can be used. The installation height of individual drinkers is 0.9–1 m from the floor, and group - 0.5–0.7 m

The main material for the manufacture of ready-made "dishes" is plastic, although when they are independently created, wood and even metal are often used (mainly for attaching containers).

Did you know? The average age of the horse is 25-30 years, but some individuals are able to live much longer. The most famous example is a stallion nicknamed Old Billy, who lived to be 62 years old. Translated to human age, this value will be approximately 173 years, which would be an absolute record.

Cleaning and hygiene

To ensure that the nightingale horse always remains attractive and delights the eye with its unusual color, the owner will have to pay a lot of attention to cleaning the stable and caring for the coat of the animal itself.

In small rooms, the removal of manure and food debris will have to be done at least 3-4 times a week, especially in cases when the horses spend most of the day in the stable. General cleaning with disinfection of feeders, drinking bowls and all available equipment is carried out on average once every 2 weeks, but if such a need arises earlier, it is better not to delay.

Special attention should be paid to replacing the bedding. Perform the procedure as the litter is contaminated, but when using straw at least once a week. In some cases, only contaminated areas can be replaced, leaving clean and dry material.

As for cleaning the animal itself, in the case of horses with a salt coat, this is a prerequisite for maintaining the natural golden tint of its coat. No special tools are needed for this, just a regular brush is enough.

In the summer, you can pamper the horses with water procedures, not forgetting to monitor the temperature of the water (it should not fall below + 18 ° C).

Important! The animals that are heated after running should be given time to recover, and only then swim. Otherwise, even relatively warm water can lead to hypothermia and illness.

Salt horseshoe horseshoes are changed approximately once every 1.5 months, but hooves should be cleaned of accumulated dirt daily. If most of the time they move on hard surfaces, then four legs should be forged at once, while with walking-pasture keeping there is no need for horseshoes.

No less important is the diagnosis of animal teeth. Usually it is carried out once every six months, but if the horse refuses to feed and behaves uneasily, it is worth checking if sharp patches have appeared in the oral cavity. Abrasion of tooth enamel often leads to similar consequences, which cause considerable discomfort in any horse.

Sharp areas can be smoothed out using a file, but it is best to consult a veterinarian.

Feeding and drinking

The nutrition of the salt horse should be as balanced as possible, with the presence of a variety of feeds in the diet.

On average, one individual per day accounts for the following amount of food:

• oats - 5 kg;
• hay - 12 kg;
• bran - 1.2 kg;
• carrots - 2 kg.

In addition, it is useful to add beets, apples and watermelons to the menu, but not more than 1 kg per day. In addition to the main feeds, it is worthwhile to include ready-made mineral and vitamin complexes in the horse's diet, focusing on the dosage indicated by the manufacturer on the package.

If possible, animals should have free access to table salt in the form of lizun briquettes fixed in the stall.

The regularity of oats delivery is 3 times a day, hay - 4-5 times. Coarse feed, hay and straw should make up about 40% of the daily menu of an adult, but in this regard, it is worth giving preference to high-quality meadow and bean-cereal hay (frozen and rotten feeds are better not to use).

In the summer, as soon as it becomes possible to freely graze horses, freshly cut grass will be added to their diet, only its input should be carried out in stages, so as not to overload the food system. This means that you should not immediately leave the horses in the pasture for the whole day.

A few hours are enough to start, but even in this case, avoid areas where alfalfa and raw clover grow.

Before issuing animal feed, be sure to drink water. The total amount of fluid consumed by them should not exceed 60–80 liters per day (per adult), and at once the horse drinks to the bucket.

With proper care for the animals and the organization of suitable conditions, the salt horses will always delight you with their attractive appearance and a shining sparkle of wool.