Re: Orlov Rostopchin
it's very popular breed in Russia. it's also known as russian warmblood horse. This page can help you) very much about this breed and about purchase

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
Thanks for that, it's a really interesting site with some beautiful horses, though I couldn't find any information about horses for sale on there. I've owned a Budenny for the past 11 years and an Orlov Rostopchin has been my dream for quite some time now, but I've never seen or heard of one here in the UK.

I do find it quite confusing the way this breed seems to have many names, depending on who you speak to. I have read in other (Russian) sources that it's incorrect to use the term Russian Warmblood for this breed, that the original name was Orlov Rostopchin but that this was changed in the Communist years to Russian Saddle Horse or Russian Riding Horse. That source also said that in recent years the original name had been reinstated. The problem with a name like Russian Warmblood or Russian Riding Horse is that in English it sounds like a generic term rather than a breed name. I suspect it may well be an issue of the English translation not meaning quite the same thing as the Russian original name. We'd call my Budenny a Russian warmblood

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
Orlov Rostopchin is today regarded as a legendary breed in the full meaning of the word. Created by Russian aristocrats and for Russian aristocracy. Those could be among the most popular horses in the late 19th-early 20thC not only in Russia, but in the world as well. Won quite a few of highly honorable awards (Gold Medals) in the World Trade Fairs.
Today, regrettably, we can only view the pictures of Orlov Rostopchin horses in art museums canvases and city (St. Petersburg, mostly) sculpture:
http://www.most-spb.ru/anichkov/anichkov/anichkov_foto06.htm
The Russian Warm Blood is an attempt to restore and revive what was lost during the turbulent revolution and war years.
The breeders of today do follow the basic guidelines of the predecessors (Count Orlov and Count Rostopchin), yet the original result is not there yet. This may be the main reason why the new breed has the new name.

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
i have the same point of view as Кантри)) Actually, this breed now only started to restore, but becomes very popular and in Russia has basically this name. But yeah, the first one name more beautiful). it's very beautiful, not very big, black horses, but they also have pretty nerveous carachter). And they very sucssesful in championships, especially, in dressage.
if you're really wanna get it, here you can communicate with the director of the starozhilovo stud) addres for communicating His name is Andrey
I guess, here you find the best horses of this breed

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
Actually, my Budenny (Lopushok) doesn't have the easiest of temperaments. He's gentle and kind to handle on the ground, but is very sharp and spooky, has a hot temper and can be extremely stubborn and opinionated. It's a pity, because he has a huge jump and nice paces but the spookiness makes it well nigh impossible to get consistent results in either jumping or dressage. I wouldn't part with him for the world, but that temperament makes competing him a very frustrating experience. It sounds like you're saying that the Orlov Rostopchins have the same kind of nervousness/spookiness.

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
How old is your Budenny? Temperament and character of Budenny and Russian Rining Horse differ substantially. And these horses should be handled accordingly.It is not that much the matter of spookiness. It is how much these horses respect their owner

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
No! What are you talking about! :PP I love them espesially for their (i mean Orlov rostopchin) temperament! And i love budenniy horses as well! it's another story) I think, they have more calm carachter, but, anyway, i guess, even better, when horse more nerveous, than too calm:PP Exactly this carachter helps them in championships *sigh* that's why it's very popular breed).. And i didn't mean spookyness, i mean distinctive feature of them is nerveous carachter in compare with, for example, hannover horses).. You know, i had expierence work with Orlov rostopchin breed once and i compared them with other breeds. And, you know, these horses have more close carachter, they listen to you, to every little motion)). They can understand you on a half word)

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
OK, Olga, it sounds like you're basically just saying that the ORs are sensitive horses rather than spooky, with enough fire and personality to give them presence. That's fine, lots of well-bred horses are sensitive and that's great as it makes them light and responsive to ride. A horse with too much survival instinct that is consequently spooky by nature really isn't ideal for competition, but a light sensitive horse is perfect.

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
Yeah, exactly!) They just need may be more attantion in dressage, but they very perspective horses for sport)) In dressage they look very effect with their black colour. Just perfect!
It's really great that foreign people intrested in them) I think, this breed defenitaly become restore..
web page

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
That's a beautiful horse in that picture!! What I also like about them is that they're quite light in build. Many of the dressage warmbloods bred in Western Europe are bred to be powerful above all else. Because of that they tend to be quite big heavy horses, and I don't much like that type of horse.

There used to be a place in the UK that imported a lot of horses from Russia, that's where I bought my horse from. Sadly they shut down some years back and I'm not aware of anyone else in this country selling Russian breeds. I'd hate to see ORs bred in this country, I think that's something best left to Russians who understand the breed well, but I wish there was still a place here where you could go to see and buy these horses.

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
i think they'll be in other countries, including UK). Yeah, on the one hand, it's better - to buy breeds in their native land, but, you know, there are places, in other countries, where they grow in better conditions, i think western europe - one of those) (please, don't beat me, russian people )

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
Olga - I think it would be wonderful if these breeds were sold in the UK. However, if they were bred in the UK I can guarantee you that someone would decide to breed a more submissive/placid temperament into them

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
i'm dreaming about that, actually))) Because without they're hot temperament, it's perfect horses Btw, i love english breeds as well)

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
Did you get your Budenny all finished, or green? How easy are they to train, in your opinion, compared to any of the other breeds you are familiar with? Say, compared to your average TB, or an Arab? I noticed, arabs are nerve-bombs, but they learn twice as fast as your average quarter horse. Recent experience has opened my eyes! ("I see the light!!!")

Spookiness is something that I had a chance to deal with, on a few occasions, in various high-strung horses. More often than not, spookiness in the arena can be attributed to a certain lack of discipline. Outside, in the open - different story, of course... In your opininon - do you think it's a characteristic of a breed, or a trait of an individual?

Re: Orlov Rostopchin
I've had my Budenny since he was 3 years old. However, he'd been ridden since the age of 2 so by that age he was well used to being ridden. I should point out that he's not a full Budenny, he's Budenny X TB. He actually looks like some kind of Arab cross, pretty head like an Arab with a light build and slightly upright conformation. It's hard to say how much of his temperament is down to the TB side and how much to the Budenny side, but we're certainly very accustomed to riding TBs and Arabs in the UK and I've met very few that were as spooky as him, or as stubborn. He does all three sorts of spooky - naughty spooky, acutely suspicious and genuinely terrified - but he very definitely has more than his share of survival instinct. Most of the time he's a pretty calm character, other than the spooking, but if something gets his dander up he can be very, very hot and unpredictable, hotter than most TBs I've met.

He's easy to train from the point of view that he's intelligent and athletic. However, the combination of spookiness and intelligence also leads to a short attention span, and the stubborn streak makes him prone to arguing And god, is he tough when he decides to argue. In comparison with most of the horses I've worked with, whether TB, Arab or West European warmblood, I'd have to say that on balance he's damned hard to school. It's the combination of being highly strung and extremely tough that makes him hard. I don't know whether this is a trait of the breed or the individual, but I suspect it's a bit of both.

I love him to bits, he has huge personality and talent and I could never part with him. I do prefer to ride horses that have plenty of personality, horses with a buck in them, as long as it's not mean. However, that spookiness does mean that you're unlikely to get any consistency when you take him out to strange places, i.e. competition venues, and sadly that does mean that his many talents are not very usable talents.