Curly horses are horses which have a certain gene, inherited from their parents, which makes their hair curly. Not only their coat, but also other hair (mane, tail, fetlocks, even eyelashes) can be curled. They are becoming increasingly popular for their special qualities:
1) Hypoallergenic. Curly horses appear to be unique in that people who suffer from horse allergies generally have a reduced reaction to curly horses or no reaction at all.
2) Appearance. The curls or waves in the coat of these horses gives them a unique appearance, which many people find attractive.
3) Feel. It is a special pleasure to groom and pet these horses, due to the soft and yielding feel of their coats.
4) Behavior. These horses are known for being unusually calm and sensible, characteristics apparently bred into their bloodlines.
The curly hair genes are found in all sizes of horses, from draft horses and standard horses, down to miniatures. They occur with all colors of horses and all builds.
The type of curl varies from horse to horse. It can be large and heavy, or small, or even fine pin curls, or waves instead of curls. Sometimes the coat is straight as in a common horse, in which case the horse is identified as a curly horse only by the fact that its parents were curlies and that it displays the other characteristics (e.g. hypoallergenic).
Consequently, there is tremendous variety in this group of horses. Curly breeders and associations are still working on defining the breed standard and implementing a breeding program based on this standard, in order that curly horses can be bred towards a standard type (one of the requirements for being recognized as an official breed). Therefore, if you thinking of buying a curly horse, the first thing to keep in mind is that there is no standard appearance for curly horses, so you need to look around to determine the type (size, color and amount of curl) which most appeals to you.
When choosing a curly, also keep in mind that the extent of the curl changes with age and also with season (it is most pronounced in winter). In summer, the hair is not only less curled, but is also shorter and thinner; in some cases the manes and tail hair are extremely short. If appearance is very important, before making your final decision you should see what the horse looks like (even if just from photos) in both winter and summer. You should also check the bloodline which the horse is from as an indication of how the coat will change as it ages (the nature of the changes vary from bloodline to bloodline).
The hypoallergenic quality of curlies varies from horse to horse, and the benefits vary from person to person. Consequently, while one can say that most people have reduced or no allergic reactions to curly horses, this is not true of all people or all curlies. Therefore, before buying one in the hope that one will not have an allergic reaction, one should in fact test the specific person to the specific horse to confirm this. Take appropriate medical advice on how to test safely, if you have extreme allergies.
Other names for the curly horse include: North American Curly Horses, American Bashkir Curlies, and Bashkir Curlies. There are also a number of named bloodlines, each with their individual characteristics. - 32378
1) Hypoallergenic. Curly horses appear to be unique in that people who suffer from horse allergies generally have a reduced reaction to curly horses or no reaction at all.
2) Appearance. The curls or waves in the coat of these horses gives them a unique appearance, which many people find attractive.
3) Feel. It is a special pleasure to groom and pet these horses, due to the soft and yielding feel of their coats.
4) Behavior. These horses are known for being unusually calm and sensible, characteristics apparently bred into their bloodlines.
The curly hair genes are found in all sizes of horses, from draft horses and standard horses, down to miniatures. They occur with all colors of horses and all builds.
The type of curl varies from horse to horse. It can be large and heavy, or small, or even fine pin curls, or waves instead of curls. Sometimes the coat is straight as in a common horse, in which case the horse is identified as a curly horse only by the fact that its parents were curlies and that it displays the other characteristics (e.g. hypoallergenic).
Consequently, there is tremendous variety in this group of horses. Curly breeders and associations are still working on defining the breed standard and implementing a breeding program based on this standard, in order that curly horses can be bred towards a standard type (one of the requirements for being recognized as an official breed). Therefore, if you thinking of buying a curly horse, the first thing to keep in mind is that there is no standard appearance for curly horses, so you need to look around to determine the type (size, color and amount of curl) which most appeals to you.
When choosing a curly, also keep in mind that the extent of the curl changes with age and also with season (it is most pronounced in winter). In summer, the hair is not only less curled, but is also shorter and thinner; in some cases the manes and tail hair are extremely short. If appearance is very important, before making your final decision you should see what the horse looks like (even if just from photos) in both winter and summer. You should also check the bloodline which the horse is from as an indication of how the coat will change as it ages (the nature of the changes vary from bloodline to bloodline).
The hypoallergenic quality of curlies varies from horse to horse, and the benefits vary from person to person. Consequently, while one can say that most people have reduced or no allergic reactions to curly horses, this is not true of all people or all curlies. Therefore, before buying one in the hope that one will not have an allergic reaction, one should in fact test the specific person to the specific horse to confirm this. Take appropriate medical advice on how to test safely, if you have extreme allergies.
Other names for the curly horse include: North American Curly Horses, American Bashkir Curlies, and Bashkir Curlies. There are also a number of named bloodlines, each with their individual characteristics. - 32378
