Horses : CURLIES

Origin: America

Australian Status:

International Status:

Arrived in Australia: 2011. There was an article on horses with curly coats occasionally in the news here - one in 1923 about  two young healthy working horses growing curls in their winter coats - so not a case of Cushings Disease -  reported in the Western Mail (Perth); it was remarked horses in their winter coats were often seen with curls, and were clipped if excessive sweating caused any problems. Articles in 1915 said many early Shire horses brought to Australia had curly coats.

Australian Population: 100 (50 mares) - 2017.
2022 - Population estimate is 100 living horses, being 30 breeding age mares and 4 breeding age stallions. Thank you to Ti Tree Curlies for assistance. Some of the 100 are upgrades (crossbreds).

History: The oldest studbook is the American one started in 1971 based on curly coated horses in Nevada. A myth had it these horses were originally from the Bashkir people of Bashkortostan - the Ural mountains area - hence were named Bashkir Curlies, a name that stuck. It's since been proven they're not from there. It appears they were in America from early colonial days and probably much earlier - records of Native Americans trading them among their nations in Dakota. Further back is unknown. Those in Australia have mostly come from Canada, some lines from America; all of the original American lines. Occasionally a curly horse occurs in other breeds. Scientific studies are ongoing into the genetic structure of this phenomena. It is of interest that poodles are curly coated and also hypoallergenic, and the fur being a similar fibre may be spun like wool.

Breed traits: The outstanding trait of curly horses is that they are hypo-allergenic - people otherwise allergic to horses have no reaction to this breed. The curly coat may vary from minimally expressed with curls inside ears, on fetlocks and a crinkled mane and tail, to maximum expressed with a curly coat, curled eyelashes, dreadlocked mane and tail, to extremely expressed with very tight curls and sometimes shedding mane and tail at the change of coat for summer. The mane, tail and body hair can be spun like wool.

As well, this is a hardy breed able to live happily in cold conditions. They have tractable quiet nature which means they rarely if ever shy and the steadiness needed to concentrate - for example for dressage training. They have a lovely long stride for riding. Hard strong hooves, good bone.

14hh to 16hh although aims to also breed pony sized Curlies are in the pipeline at Yarraleigh stud. They are 'easy keepers' - thriving on low-quality feed and with minimal problems. Mane is often split (falls on both sides of the neck). They come in all colours including tobiano and some carry the Lp gene for spots (like an Appaloosa).

Uses: Hacking, endurance, dressage, jumping, carriage, pony clubbing, western riding, trail riding.

Breed Organisation: none in Australia. Yarraleigh stud http://www.yarraleigh.com.au/  imported the first Curlies here. Also DNA test all their stock; having a homogenoeus stallion means the curly gene will always be passed on. There are also Greenhills Curly Horses of Milford Queensland and Benjara Curly Horses at Orange. Now Yarraleigh are semi-retired, Ti Tree Curlies at Crookewell, Vic. have taken on some of their stock and are a premier stud - they have a great website  Ti Tree Curlies website.

There is no Australian organisation, horses may be registered through the American ones. The American Bashkir Curly Registry is the original http://www.abcregistry.org/curly-horse-info/4553749478 .

The International Curly Horse Organisation was founded in 2000, it registers American curlies and any other curly coated horses  http://www.ichocurlyhorses.com/research.html

Additional Notes:

Photo : FloraLake Moonlight Schimm'l, aka Moony. Beloved gelding (was a stallion) of Yarraleigh Stud, Victoria, used by kind permission of Helen Barrenger of Yarraleigh.

Page by Janet Lane.

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