Origin
Estonia
History
In 1856, the Tori stud was established to improve the local breed. It was founded with 47 native Klepper mares and 7 Klepper stallions. The Klepper was a dun pony, known for its toughness and hardiness. In addition 10 mares and 3 stallions of Finnish breed were imported from Finnland and from the Veil Horse stud in Germany 3 Arab stallions were brought. Improving the Estonian breed by cross-breeding did not provide the desired results , the horses being more good-looking than their parents but totally useless for farming.
In 1862, 10 Ardenner breedmares and 2 stallions were imported from Belgium. They helped to increase the growth of the local horse. In 1888, an Orlov trotter stallion, Jantar was imported from Russia, whose 2 sons strongly influence the Tori breed.
In 1894, a Norfolk-Roadster crossbred stallion, named Hetman was bought from Poland. Hetman was the son of Stewart, a crossbred of a Norfolk Trotter sire and Anglo-Norman dam and a hunter mare of unknown breeding. Hetman became the basis for breeding the Tori breed: he produced good offspring suitable for farming and was the founding sire of the first stallion lines and mare families.
By the end of the 1930s, signs of inbreeding depression were noted and in 1937, 5 stallions of the Postier Breton breed were imported. The result was a massive-type horse with poor quality in the gaits.
In 1973, due to an increasing need for a utility as well as sport horse, a crossing with Hanoverian and Trakehner stallions was undertaken.
The studbook of the Tori horse was established in 1921. The breeding regulations for the breed were approved on the 5th of June 1925. The USSR board of ministers officially approved the breed in 1950.
In the recent past, the breeding has moved from the heavier type of horse to a lighter sporthorse type. Approximatively 25% of the old-typed universal tori horse suitable for harnessing is still bred.
The main breeding centers are the Tori stud and the breeding farms at Pyarivere and Aravete state as well as collective farms. At the Tori stud, there are about 100 horses, 35 are mares which give birth to 10-20 foals a year.
Description
- Head:
large to medium-sized head - Conformation:
the Tori has a very clean and solid build-fleshy neck of medium length-withers of average height-back, long and flat-croup, broad and well muscled-legs, strong and clean - Average height:
15 to 15.1 h.h. - Colour:
common colours are chestnut, bay and reddish bay - Temperament:
good nature, dashy temperament and good durability at working - Today:
it is a draft horse of great quality which is suitable for farm and agricultural work and in some strains as a riding horse with a natural ability for jumping.
