Tersk Horse Breed – Profile, Facts, Photos

The Tersk horse is the embodiment of the ‘I am speed’ meme. It is an athletic breed, showing horses with long and thin legs and slim bodies, perfect for speed, jumping, and agility-related tasks.

The Tersk is also highly proficient at endurance-based tasks and comes with a steady and balanced gait. These features make the breed perfect for casual riding and beginners looking to learn riding alongside a trustworthy companion.

History and Origin

The Tersk horse’s origins can be found in the early and mid-1990s in the Caucasus mountains, several years before World War II. The breed’s genetic makeup comes with a mix between Anglo-Arabians, purebred Arabians, Thoroughbred, and Strelets. This gene mix-up provided the Tersk with multiple physical characteristics with speed being its core ability.

Several noticeable speed records for the Tersk breed include:

• 03 miles in 1 minute and 48 seconds
• 49 miles in 2 minutes and 46 seconds
• 98 miles in 3 minutes and 47 seconds

This shows that the Tersk is capable of attaining impressive speeds and maintain them over long distances. Which makes endurance another noticeable feature of the Tersk breed.

Characteristics

The horse’s outline is easily distinguishable thanks to its aerodynamic frame. The Tersk horse comes with big, expressive eyes, a well-defined head with medium ears, and a long and athletic body. It has long and elegant legs with equally long shoulders and powerful loins.

The strong tendons and light-framed body speak volumes about the horse’s propensity towards running and jumping.

– Size and Height

The Tersk male stands at around 15 hands which is about 62 inches tall. Mares will fare lower, at about 59 inches, on a case-by-case scenario. This makes the horse medium-sized, although it may appear larger due to its slim body and long legs.

– Color

The Tersk is a lighter-skin horse, coming in colors like white, gray, or chestnut. The latter is rarer. Most horses will also display silver sheen.

– Speed

Despite all the hype in this article, the Tersk isn’t necessarily among the fastest horses out there. It will reach, on average, speeds of up to 30 mph, which is pretty much standard in the equine world.

The difference with the Tersk is that it can sustain that speed for longer distances compared to other breeds. This is one of the key factors making the Tersk a wanted breed in the world of competitive events.

– Temperament

The Tersk breed offers intelligent, calm, docile, and trainable horses. The Tersk horse is alert, responsive, and eager to learn, and enjoys the presence of its human companions.

– Lifespan

The Tersk will live up to 30 years, on average. Its lifespan will vary depending on the quality of life, health issues, and care it will receive along the way.

Diet and Nutrition

The Tersk enjoys its daily hay and grain, much like any other horse. How much the horse will eat will generally depend on its lifestyle. A competitive horse may need more quality food and adequate supplementation to sustain the high levels of energy required.

You should adapt the horse’s diet to its uses and make sure it has plenty of water throughout the day. Other than that, the Tersk doesn’t need any preferential treatment.

Grooming

The Tersk is easy to care for and groom thanks to its short coat and small mane. The typical equine grooming kit should do with a coat brush. You might need to bathe the horse more often than you would other breeds due to its light-colored coat.

Checking the hoofs regularly is also a must, especially if you have a competitive horse. This way, you will prevent any hoof infections, cuts, or wounds that are typical for horses running on rugged terrain.

Uses

The most common uses for the Tersk horse include casual riding, speed competitions, endurance events, jumping, polo, etc. Some breeders use the Tersk to improve other breeds like the Deliboz or Lokai.

Price

You can find a Tersk for several thousand dollars, but the price will generally vary quite a lot. It all depends on the reason you’re buying it for. Breeding horses have different prices than those meant for dressage, showjumping, speed competitions, or endurance tasks.

The Tersk’s parents will also influence the price since purebreds have different price tags compared to mixed races.

Health Problems

The good news, the Tersk is a generally healthy horse with few-to-no health issues to worry about. Its health will remain stable over the years with proper nutrition, care, and regular veterinary check-ups. Like any other breed, it will only experience a health decline with age, which is natural.

Population

If you’re looking to buy a Tersk, I have bad news for you. Currently, the Tersk population sits at around 1,200 horses, with only half of them being purebred. Currently, efforts are being constantly made to preserve and even increase the Tersk population, which means things are set to shift over the coming years.

Conclusion

The Tersk offers the perfect balance between looks, speed, stamina, and a friendly temperament. The horse is great for training and performing in equine competitions, especially in jumping and endurance feats.

For more details on the Tersk or any other horse breed, I will be at your disposal in the comment section below.