The Russian Don is a breed of horse developed in and named after the steppes region of Russia where the Don River flows. Utilized originally as cavalry horses for the Cossacks, they are currently used for under-saddle work and driving.
Characteristics
right|thumb|Head of a Don
The Don usually stands , and may be bay, black, gray or chestnut. They have a clean head with a straight or dished profile, well set onto a well-formed neck, high withers, and a wide, deep chest. Their shoulders can be straight, limiting the length of their stride, but are often well-formed. The back is long and straight, flowing into a croup that is long and sloping. The legs are long, well-muscled, and clean with broad joints, strong tendons, and tough hooves.
During the early 19th century, the breed was improved into the newer type through the addition of Orlov Trotter, Arabian, Thoroughbred, and Karabakh blood. During the second half of the 19th century, the Don breed was in high demand as cavalry horses. Private breeders began to focus on the Dons, and bred for conformation, endurance, height, and the characteristic color of chestnut with a gold sheen. Dons were also gaining popularity outside of Russia, and many were exported. During the 1920s, after much of the Don stock had been wiped out in World War I and the Russian Revolution, the remaining horses were reassembled at several military studs, as well as within the Cossack population, and with concentrated breeding the stock was fairly quickly restored.