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The Hortaya Borzaya or simply Hortaya (Хортая Борзая, translation: "shorthaired sight hound") is an old Asian sight hound breed originating in the former USSR. It is a dog of large size, of lean but at the same time robust built, of considerably elongated proportions. In its everyday life the Hortaya is quiet and balanced. It has a piercing sight, capable of seeing a moving object at a very far distance.
In spite of its calm temperament the dog has a very active
reaction to running game. Hortaya are excellent, enduring
hunting dogs endowed with a good, basic obedience and
completely lacking aggression towards humans.
The name is pronounced CHORTAH-YAH BORSAH-YAH (a Scottish
"ch" as in Loch Ness or a strongly aspirated
"H", all "a" vocals are pronounced as in
the name "Marcus").
Appearance: The Hortaya is a sight hound of a large to
very large size depending on breed type. The breed has five
distinct types, with at least as many subtypes to each main
type. The result of this is a broad variability, adapting the
breed to the large variety of geography, climate and prey
found across the huge expanse of its habitat.
The short, dense fur can come in almost any color and color
combination: white, black, cream of all shades, red, sable and
brindle, solid or piebald (with white markings, or white with
coloured markings). A black overlay and black mask, grey or
red tan markings are normal. The nose is black, with light
colours a brown nose is not a fault. Eyes always have a black
or very dark rim.
Atypical colors and markings, like brown or chocolate, a
saddle or dapple pattern, and diluted colors (isabella) with
blue or light eyes are not allowed. Hortaya males range from
26 to 30 inches (65 to 75 cm), females from 24 to 28 inches
(61 to 71 cm). The weight depends largely on type and can
range from 18 kilos (Stavropol type female) up to 35 kilos
(Northern type male). In general the Hortaya is heavier than
it looks.
When not hunting the typical gait of the breed is a fluid,
limber and effortless trot. When chasing the prey Hortaya
gallop in extremely fast leaps of great length.
Temperament: The Hortaya Borzaya is of a friendly,
but distinctly Asian character. It is never aggressive or
fierce towards humans, even though occasionally quite
vigilant. Due the rigorous selection on hunting in a team with
its owner, the Hortaya belongs to the trainable sight hounds,
showing a good basic obedience and high intelligence.
It is very close to wolves in its pack behaviour. Thus it
is usually no problem to keep even larger groups of Hortaya
together in a kennel, Hortaya integrate easily.
As rural people in Eurasia do not at all tolerate dogs
which harm their livestock, properly socialized Hortaya do not
hunt domestic animals and can easily be taught, which animals
are off limits to them.
History: The Hortaya is an Asian dog breed, which
developed over the centuries in the steppes north of the Black
Sea, after spreading slowly from the mountains of Afghanistan
westwards. Dogs of this type were bred by various peoples of
this region, which extends from modern Ukraine and the south
of Russia to the westernmost regions of Kazakhstan.
Therefore it is not possible to attribute this breed to a
specific people or country. In the east and south-east of its
geographical spread it connects to the oriental rsp. central
Asian sight hounds, while it is considered the link to the
western sight hound breeds close to the Polish frontiers.
In the year 1951 the USSR laid down the first standard for
the breed. Nowadays the Russian Kynological Federation (RKF),
the national Russian FCI member association, officially
maintains the standard. Currently there exist an estimated
2500-3500 Hortaya Borzaya worldwide, with less than a few
dozen outside of the boundaries of the CIS.
An international recognition by the FCI does not exist so
far, however the breed is nationally recognized by all FCI
member countries within the CIS and by many other middle
European nations. In some of these states the studbook is
maintained directly by the national member organisation of the
FCI, in others the Hortaya is registered by specialized
hunting dog associations.
The owners of these dogs are mostly local hunters, who live
in remote, often isolated villages in the steppe. Few of them
have any interest in shows. For them the Hortaya is a valued
co-worker who puts food on the table in winter. In the steppe
a good hunting Hortaya can be worth as much as a good riding
horse.
The Hortaya Borzaya belongs to the extremely rare sight
hound breeds, which - up to our modern times - has been
selected exclusively on its hunting abilities and qualities.
Health: The breed is late in development, very
vigorous and longlived. It is not rare that older dogs,
retired from active hunting, start their breeding career at an
age of 8 or 9 years in perfect health and without any
impairment. Breed specific illnesses or hereditary diseases,
hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia are so far unknown.
The life expectancy of the Hortaya Borzaya largely depends
on its use. In regions where they are hunted on large prey,
especially predators, there may be quite some dogs killed
young during the hunt. If you subtract these dangers, 14-15
healthy years as an average is not uncommon.
However, great care has to be taken in not over-feeding the
Hortaya pup and juvenile Hortaya. The breed was formed on a
meagre, extremely basic and low diet with but rare and small
amounts of meat, especially high quality meat.
Most of the year Hortaya get little more than the scraps
from the table, a gruel of oats, bread soaked in milk and
whatever rodents they can hunt for themselves around the
house. Only during the spring slaughter/lambing season and the
main hunting season they get more meat: the innards and offals
from what they hunt for their masters. As a result this breed
has practically no tolerance for high quality, high protein
dog foods and supplements, and especially the young, still
growing dogs will suffer irreversible and lethal damage to
their bone structure and cartilage when faultily fed.
Use and Activity: The Hortaya Borzaya is - in its
original habitat - still purely a hunting sight hound. It is
used on all game living in the steppe, especially for hunting
hares, foxes, wolves and Saiga antelopes. It is extremely
enduring, capable of working from early morning into late
evening. Up to 8-10 runs on game on one day including tracking
it down together with the hunter across large distances is a
perfectly feasible workload.
The Hortaya is no short distance sprinter, like e.g. the
Whippet or the Greyhound. Game is usually chased for distances
up to 2.5 miles (4000 m) on the open steppe and a Hortaya can
repeat these runs after but a short rest. Unlike most sight
hounds it is not hunting on sight alone, its sense of smell is
also quite well developed and it often will track game gone
out of sight nose down.
Hortaya hunt singly on smaller game, or as pairs and larger
groups on wolves, antelopes and deer. Small game will be
hunted and killed immediately, larger game cornered and held
in place for the hunter. The Hortaya has a "soft
mouth" like the Retriever breeds, after the quick kill
the game must not be rent as the native hunters also use the
furs. In the CIS hunting sight hounds are regularly tested,
judged and graded in so-called "hunt trials".
Recently a first few Hortaya have been officially exported
with full breeding papers to western European countries, e.g.
Czech Republic and Slovakia, but also to Germany (2004),
Finland and Switzerland. 2005 the first Hortaya was imported
into the USA. Some of these dogs participate in racing and
coursing, this partly out of competition due the lack of
international FCI recognition. Hortaya owned by Westeuropean
owners have shown aptitude for Agility, Breitensport and have
proven to be excellent trail companions for horseback riders.
2006 the very first registered Hortaya litters outside of
their historical habitat have been born in Europe.
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