Horses : CASPIAN

 

Origin: Iran

Australian Status:

International Status: considered Critical globally by the EST.

Arrived in Australia: 1976

Australian Population: 110 (55 mares) - 2017

2022: Difficult to obtain numbers. Presume less than 2017 as no organisations in Australia now. Estimate: 90 total being 45 mares and 21 stallions as breeders. Three registerable foals due Dec 2022 to Jasenna stud, thank you Zoe for the update.

History: The breed was re-discovered in 1965 in Iran by Louise Firouz - believed extinct for over a thousand years. Louise dedicated the rest of her life (died 2008) saving the breed.

They're thought to go back some 3,000 years - said to be the ponies pulling the chariot of  King Darius including for lion hunts some 2,500 years ago. They feature in bas-relief carving and artifacts of Iran and are now a National Living Treasure. They were taken to England under the  benevolence of Prince Philip, and studs set up, which saved the breed.

Said to be the original wild pony that the Arabian pony and horse was bred from. Given the head structure and very light build, highly probable.

"Chris Howe of Mooroopna, now sadly no longer with us, imported exotic horses from absolutely everywhere, including the Hanoverian Ferdi stock, including Skyhigh, Howe High, Skies Above, Fechtor, etc. He also brought the first Knabstrup horses, and Palouse ponies. When I last visited him, he showed me a Caspian Pony Stallion, that he said had been Supreme Champion in Paris, which show I do not know, and that this pony had been owned by the Shah of Persia. I had this information personally from Chris Howe, whom I have always greatly respected. I judged some Caspian ponies about l6 years ago at the Autumn Show in Perth, but have not heard of them since. Hoping someone else can build on this for you.
BEV" - from a Virtual Forum entry on Caspian and Timor Ponies, posted 03.03.02.
 

"The Caspian in Australia

In 1975, Margot Schabort convinced the Shah of Iran to allow her to export to Australia the stallion Ruba II, but sadly and despite paying a pricely sum, she never bred from him. In 1981, the Caspian Preservation Society of Western Australia was established by Betty Giles and her husband Tony of Heroden Stud, Western Australia.

The first Caspian breed classes were held in Perth at the Royal Showgound in 1982. The first two Heroden part-bred Caspians collected 44 rosettes at their first four shows as three-year-olds. The purebred stallions, Hopstone Kaftar and Hopstone Tochal, later became part of a celebrated Caspian demonstration team. Hopstone Kaftar won many driving classes and remained a much loved edition to the Gyles family for his entire life, only dying in 2005. Sadly, the Heroden Stud only ever bred one purebred foal. "

" Tandara Stud was the second stud to be formed in Western Australia when Sue and Ray Eiffler saw the photograph of Hopstone Tochal that would begin their love affair with the breed. From 1981 until 1985, they acquired eight Caspians from the Marida (SA) and Cheleken (NZ) studs. Sadly, one of their first died from a snakebite within the first six weeks."

" Ida Graham of South Australia formed The Australasian Caspian Society (Inc), with the first meeting taking place in 1976. That same year she, together with Marshall Steer, created the Marida Stud when they purchased from England the stallion Amu Daria and three mares: Susiana, Gulpar and Aloucheh. In 1983, they purchased Cheleken Avval Pesar from New Zealand. They also bred two fillies from Ruba II. After Ida’s death, the trust fund she set up for the ongoing promotion of the Caspians imported Cheleken Grischa. Other studs soon formed in South Australia using the Marida progeny."

From The Caspian Horse in Australia, by Jenne Timbs. Link to this PDF at foot of page. The Australasian Caspian Horse Society appears to be defunct now.

Breed traits: Height: 10 hands to 12.2 hands high. Note - they're a small pony, Shetland sized, but the breed people, like Falabella Horse breeders (Falabellas are the smallest equine breed, from which the slighter larger Miniature Ponies were created), insist they be called a horse. This also happens with miniature cattle - oddly, people get angry about the term "miniature" which is the correct term for small cattle. Anything under 14.2hh is correctly a pony not a horse. Type varies in the breed. They are known as the Caspian Horse, perhaps, as they are very finely built so look somewhat like a miniature finely built horse? - most pony breeds being more robust with better bone.

The breed has several distinctive features such a standing over a lot of ground as the first 6 lumbar vertebra are said to be longer than in other breeds. The forehead suposedly has a different parietal structure to most breeds which gives it a bulging appearance as a foal. Several other breeds however have this bulging forehead as a foal, notably Arabian horses, and all pony breeds. The shoulders are also supposedly structured differently (to what is not made clear), giving them a  distinct wither. This is also a feature of the Thoroughbred, the Arabian and several other breeds developed for riding. A dumped wither is considered a fault in all breeds. There's a long distance from stifle to hock, horses thus well let down have good sprinting and jumping power. Long, thin, cannons, normally undesirable, is a breed trait with Caspians and apparently has no adverse effect on their soundness which one finds difficult to believe - there are examples of them breaking their leg under perfectly normal circumstances such as in their home paddock (example a mare on a stud's facebook page) thus needing to be destroyed. This also happens with Arabians, which also have no bone; adults and foals snapping a leg under normal circumstances, usually in their paddock, and suffering leg strain when used for example for endurance. The many claims to having a unique build don't seem to stand up to scrutiny which is a shame as they are a unique breed. Honesty is best. Several Caspians seemed to have surcumbed to snake bite in Australia. Neat hooves with little frog. They have an extra molar where the wolf teeth are in other horses, so do many other horses although wold teeth are more common in horse breeds with long term inbreeding, this may speak well to the genetic diversity and lack of inbreeding in the breed, always very healthy.

Willing, hardy, with good natures. An ancient breed saved at the verge of extinction, and still not out of the woods numbers wise. 

 Uses: Riding, child's mount, jumping, driving, pony trots, pony races. 

 Breed Organisation: No active Australian organisation. There was an Australasian one and a Western Australian one but they seem to have vanished, the International Registry has also vanished. Iran and the UK have registeries. Hopefully an Australian register will be set up again to properly keep records of these unique little equines. 

Known studs: Mouleki Stud - very helpful and provided their numbers thank you, Tandara Stud (W.A. possibly retired now; exported seven Caspian mares to the USA in 1991), Astara Stud S.A.  (website) no response to query. Several others which may be defunct now - cannot find any evidence of their existence online.

Winter Dreams Show Horses on facebook also has them.

Additional Notes:

Top photo: This delightful Caspian foal photo was taken by Jenne Timbs of Jasenna Caspian Stud in Queensland, for our 2017 RBTA photo competition. Bottom photo: Caspian colts by Andrew Timbs .

 

Caspian Horse in Australian by Jenne Timbs
Page by Janet Lane. Updated March 2022.
Some details from various facebook entries about the breed.

 

 

 

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