Heihe Horse

Heihe Horse

　　【Germplasm Origin】 Heihe County, Heilongjiang Province

　　【Main Production Area and Distribution】 Produced along the Heilongjiang River in northern Heilongjiang Province. Mainly distributed in cities and counties such as Heihe City, Huma, Aihui, Sunwu, Xunke, and Jiayin.

　　【Formation History】

　　The Heihe Horse is a new dual-purpose breed formed through long-term selective breeding based on the Solon Horse and the Mongolian Horse, with multiple introductions of foreign breeds for crossbreeding. According to the “Longsha Chronicles” and the “Aihui County Annals,” as early as before the 17th century, the Heihe Horse production area was the territory of the Solon people, who raised a large number of Solon Horses. In the mid-17th century, to strengthen defensive forces, the Qing government repeatedly deployed cavalry units, bringing in a large number of Mongolian Horses. After 1820, due to land reclamation and forest logging, especially with the development of gold mines, many more Mongolian Horses were introduced. Between 1937 and 1939, additional Mongolian Horses were purchased from Hailar and Taolan, making the Mongolian Horse the main foundation of the Heihe Horse. Before 1908, Chinese residents in the eastern part of Heilongjiang lived alongside Russians, leading to some exchange in horse bloodlines. Local residents often traded wooden goods for or purchased horses from Russians. During the Boxer Rebellion, after the invasion by the Russian cavalry, some horses were sold to local residents after the war. From 1911 to 1930, trade between Chinese and Russian residents along the river was permitted, leading to the purchase of a large number of Russian horses. During the October Revolution, many Soviet expatriates moved to the Heihe riverside area, bringing in a number of high-quality Orlov Trotters and a small number of heavy draft horses. Later, some of these expatriates moved to Harbin and other places, selling their horses to local farmers and residents. These Russian horses, through long-term crossbreeding with local horses, laid the foundation for the formation of the Heihe Horse. Between 1937 and 1939, Anglo-Norman and its stallions were transferred from the Keshan Stud Farm of the puppet Manchukuo state, and four breeding stations were set up in Aihui County. In 1938, the provincial Heihe Breeding Livestock Farm was established, and by 1940, there were 16 breeding stallions, including 2 Anglo-Arabians, 4 Anglo-Normans, 0 Anglo-Norfolks, and 10 Belgian Drafts, with breeding stations set up in Aihui, Xunke, and Sunwu. These horses also had a certain influence on the formation of the Heihe Horse. In 1950, four breeding stations were established locally, equipped with 12 high-quality local stallions, and superior local stallions were selected from rural areas to carry out self-breeding of the Heihe Horse. In 1955, the Heihe Horse Breeding Base—Northern Horse Farm—was established to carry out planned selective breeding of the Heihe Horse and to promote a large number of superior stallions to rural areas. In 1963, a joint investigation team from Heilongjiang Province and the Heihe region conducted a comprehensive survey of the Heihe Horse and concluded that it had met the breed standard requirements, officially recognizing it as a new breed.

　　【Breed Advantages and Disadvantages】 Larger in size, strong working ability, good endurance, highly adaptable, stable heredity. The Heihe Horse matures relatively late.