Conservation and rational use of the gene pool of mountain horses of Dagestan

The research was carried out to study the population of mountain horses in Dagestan. The researchers analyzed measurements, body indices, and exterior structure by points of the horse as well as its adaptive qualities, conditions of keeping, feeding, and types of use. The research results have shown that the Indigenous mountain horses of the Dagestan population have sufficiently balanced indices of physique and structure of the exterior. These parameters differ from the known ones of Caucasus mountain breeds (the Kabarda and the Karachay) and others in Russia and abroad. They are kept in herds throughout the year and are used as working and utility animals. Productive horse breeding is very poorly represented, but its development is a very important task. Mountain horses are the most suitable for equestrian tourism in Dagestan due to their characteristics and price-quality ratio. The analysis of the research results has shown the expediency of proving the homogeneity, distinctiveness, and stability of the Dagestani horse population for further work on its inclusion in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation as an independent breed or type.