Gotland Russ
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The Gotland Russ or Gotland Pony is an old Swedish breed of pony or small horse. Until the twentieth century it was found only on the small island of Gotland on the south-eastern coast of Sweden. It is now distributed through much of Sweden and is also present in some other European countries and in the United States.[1]Template:R/superscript[2]Template:R/superscript The Öland horse from the neighbouring island of Öland was a close relative of the Gotland, but became extinct in the early twentieth century.
History
The name russ comes from a now obsolete word ross, which means a riding horse or a charger[3] and it is linked etymologically to the English word horse (in Old High German this word appeared as hros, and in English a metathesis has switched the places of the /r/ and the /o/, whereas in Swedish /hr/ became /r/, producing ross or russ.[4]
The presence of feral horses on the Baltic island of Gotland is documented from the thirteenth century.[2]Template:R/superscript From the mid-nineteenth century settlers moved to the island, much land was cleared for farming, and numbers of the Russ fell sharply.[5]Template:R/superscript[6]Template:R/superscript In 1880 a breeding centre was established, where two stallions of Oriental type were used; other stud farms were opened in the early twentieth century. Nevertheless, by 1922 there were no more than fourteen of the horses remaining – a two-year-old stallion, seven mares and six young horses.[6]Template:R/superscript
The first volume of the Stambok för russ, the stud-book for the Russ, was published in Sweden in 1943.[6]Template:R/superscript In the 1950s fresh blood was introduced by the use of two imported Welsh stallions, Reber General 106 and Criban Daniel 142; their influence is widespread in the population, but at a low percentage.[7]Template:R/superscript[6]Template:R/superscript The stud-book was definitively closed to outside blood in 1971.[7]Template:R/superscript A breed society, the Svenska Russavelsföreningen, was established in Visby in 1967.[8]Template:R/superscript
The Russ is distributed through much of Sweden and is also present in the other Scandinavian countries and in the United States.[2]Template:R/superscript[9]Template:R/superscript
Characteristics
The Gotland Russ is rustic, hardy, frugal and energetic.[10]Template:R/superscript It is somewhat similar in appearance to the Hucul, the Konik and the Exmoor Pony.[9]Template:R/superscript It weighs approximately Script error: No such module "val"., and usually stands between Script error: No such module "val". and Script error: No such module "val". at the withers.[11]Template:R/superscript[2]Template:R/superscript
The coat is most commonly dun, bay, chestnut or black.[7]Template:R/superscript Blue-eyed cream, piebald and grey animals may not be registered.[12]Template:R/superscript The spotted coat was formerly seen in the breed, but is now extinct.[2]Template:R/superscript
Uses
The Gotland Russ is a good all-round pony and is often used as a riding pony for children or as a harness racing pony.[5]Template:R/superscript[9]Template:R/superscript
References
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- ↑ Transboundary breed: Gotland Pony. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2022.
- ↑ a b c d e Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. Template:Isbn.
- ↑ Salmenpohja, M: "Russ-yhdistys 20 vuotta" (’The 20th Anniversary of the Russ Association [in Finland], Satulassa, 1995/15.
- ↑ Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, 1973.
- ↑ a b Janet Vorwald Dohner (2001). The Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds. New Haven, Connecticut; London: Yale University Press. Template:Isbn.
- ↑ a b c d Russhistoria (in Swedish). Visby: Svenska Russavelsföreningen. Accessed August 2022.
- ↑ a b c Elwyn Hartley Edwards (2016). The Horse Encyclopedia. New York, New York: DK Publishing. Template:Isbn.
- ↑ Välkommen till Svenska Russavelsföreningen (in Swedish). Visby: Svenska Russavelsföreningen. Accessed August 2022.
- ↑ a b c Élise Rousseau, Yann Le Bris, Teresa Lavender Fagan (2017). Horses of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Template:Isbn.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Breed data sheet: Gotlandruss / Sweden (Horse). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2022.
- ↑ Rasstandard (in Swedish). Visby: Svenska Russavelsföreningen. Accessed August 2022.
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Further reading
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