Meet The Curly Horse,

also known as Bashkir Curlies,

American Bashkir Curlies, and North American Curly Horses, are a special breed that comes in all sizes, colors and body types, and carries a gene for a unique curly coat of hair that becomes especially impressive in winter,

 

the origin of the Bashkir Curly is one of the greatest mysteries of the horse world. They are named after the Russian Bashkir breed, Russian scientists have unanimously agreed that there is no historical evidence of any curly haired horse from the Bashkir, while the history of the original Bashkir Curly is shrouded in mystery, the origins of the American Bashkir Curly are much clearer. Many of the Curlies in the United States can be traced back to the Damele range, in the remote high country of Central Nevada, near Austin, where they were first bred by Peter Damele and his father in 1898,a ccording to the Oklahoma State University website. Peter and his father were out riding in the mountains one day when they saw three horses with tight curly ringlets over their entire bodies. They found the animals intriguing, so they took them back to their ranch. Since 1898, there have always been curly-coated horses on the Damele range,

Bashkir Curlies come in all common horse colours, from Palomino, to Appaloosa and Pinto. They are of medium size and are known for having a tough constitution and great stamina, but for myself here is the most fascinating thing about these horses, the Bashkir Curly is believed to be the only hypoallergenic horse breed in the world, with most people allergic to horses being able to remain in the presence of Curlies without suffering any allergic reactions. Preliminary research shows that the same protein that is missing from the Curlies’ hair may be the same one triggering allergic reactions in people, what a interesting line of research that would be, to alleviate peoples allergic reactions not only to horses, but potentially to cats and dogs as well.