American Bashkir Curly

## Summary

*The American Bashkir Curly is an American horse breed which is known for its curly coat. It wass named after the Russian Bashkir breed, because it was believed at the time that the two are genetically connected. However, this theory was disproven, and today it is known that the American Bashkir Curly is not related to the Bashkir horse, but instead descends from American or Spanish mustangs.*
*The story of the American Bashkir Curly begins in 1898 in Nevada, when Peter Damele and his father encountered three Mustangs with curly coats. These curly horses attracted the attention of the Dameles, who started to breed them. Over the years, the Dameles became even more interested in the curly coats of their horses following the winter of 1952, when all of their straight-haired stallions died in the cold, but a curly stallion called Copper D survived.*
*Copper D who became the foundation sire of the curly herd of the Dameles, who focused on breeding curly horses. They improved their horses by crossing them with other American breeds such as Morgan, American Saddlebred, and Quarter Horse, while also breeding for their curly coats. Over the next decades, American curly horses gained more and more attention from breeders, and in 1971 the American Bashkir Curly registry was established to protect this curly breed, as well as protecting curly American Mustangs. In addition, the registry also promoted the American Bashkir Curly, and today American Bashkir Curlies serve as all-around horses for various disciplines.*
*Today, all American Bashkir Curlies can be traced back to the herd of curly horses bred by the Dameles. That said, there are other lines of curly horses that can be found in the American Bashkir Curly. One example for such a line is the Fredell line, which presents a conformation similar to that of a Quarter Horse. Another line is the Curly Jim line, which is named after its foundation sire who was a Missouri Fox Trotter, and who passed its ambling gaits to its offspring. Horses of this line are often gaited, and often serve as trekking horses.*
*It is important to mention that there is another registry for curly horses in North America: the North American Curly Horse Registry, which was founded in the year 2000. Unlike the American Bashkir Curly registry which has a closed studbook and strict breeding rules, the North American Curly Horse registry is for any curly horse in North America, even if they come from an unknown lineage. Therefore, while every American Bashkir Curly is also a North American Curly Horse, not every North American Curly Horse is an American Bashkir Curly. In Horse Isle, the American Bashkir Curly have a closed studbook as well, meaning that crossbreeding is not allowed.*
*Since the curliness in the American Bashkir Curly is a dominant trait, crossing heterozygous curly horses might result in a straight-haired foal. These foals are eligible for registration in the straight division, and are allowed to breed only with curly horses. Therefore, in Horse Isle, these straight-haired foals cannot be crossed with each other, but only with curly American Bashkir Curlies (see the 'American Bashkir Curly - Straight Division' for more info).*
*American Bashkir Curly Horses come in all colors and patterns except for mushroom, dominant black, and manchado. They stand between 13.3hh and 16hh.*

## Details

**Catchable in wild?**

Yes
**Parentage requirements:**

None
**Purebreeding:**

Any combination of American Bashkir Curly and American Bashkir Curly - Straight Division
**Breed hierarchy:**

Grade Horse
→Grade Warm-Blooded Horse
→Grade Pleasure Horse
→**American Bashkir Curly**