Zakon was coal black, with two white hind socks and the barest hint of a star. He was 16HH of power personified. Head down, snoozing in the crossties, to my eyes accustomed to a little arab, he was huge. Harnessed or under saddle, all that meekness vanished. He was not one of those horses who danced lightly over the ground. Instead, he owned it. He claimed it with strength and power. Thunder literally rolled from beneath his hooves. Given the amount of percussion he could produce it was amazing that his hooves and legs were still strong and whole.
We were guests of Doris' for four days at Black Horse Mesa. During that time we felt we were being carefully scrutinized for our suitability to own an Orlov. Orlovs must be placed in careful, respectful hands. Because of their willing temperments they will often damage themselves without complaint. It is a privilege to own and be owned by an Orlov. But they come with a warning "Once you own an Orlov, nothing else can compare." As we loaded up the car on that last day we still didn't know...would we be allowed to buy him?
That's how we ended up with one of the world's rarest horses. Zakon came home that September.
He is the most incredible horse I have ever ridden. He is power and glory. His athleticism and innate honesty have made him the best riding instructor I have ever had. His feedback to cues is immediate and with 100% effort. He never balks or shirks at a difficult task, always giving more of himself than required. He will cheerfully work until he drops. An Orlov can literally be worked to death. He reaches for his bridle with such enthusiasm I often have to wrestle it from him to put it on properly. His joy is expressed in every movement he makes, an unfettered pleasure in his own physical being. I am constantly amazed at his physical prowess and intelligence, even at 20 years old.
It wasn't very long before we wanted another Orlov. We had been warned!
There was only ONE other purebred Orlov in North America that we knew of. Bunchuk was the oldest of those three Orlovs imported by Doris. He had been sold years before we bought Zakon to an endurance rider. We had no way of knowing whether or not she still had him, or what condition he might be in. But we went looking. As luck would have it, she still owned him. She had used him for 50 and 100 mile endurance races but had decided, despite him being robust and sound, to retire him at 19. She felt he just shouldn't have to work that hard any more. She was happy that he would be going to a home where he would be lightly used, both under saddle and in harness. Orlovs need to feel useful and Bunchuk was not coping well with retirement.
We realized that someone needed to try and import and introduce more of these amazing horses to North America. And time was of the essence. There are fewer than 1500 purebred Orlovs in the world and both our geldings were over 20 years old. With an eye to starting a small breeding facility, we began to look for a place to build our dream. We found Nova Scotia. A place of rolling hills, beautiful forests, sea breezes and fresh water springs. Compared with Calgary, the winters are moderate.
We were guests of Doris' for four days at Black Horse Mesa. During that time we felt we were being carefully scrutinized for our suitability to own an Orlov. Orlovs must be placed in careful, respectful hands. Because of their willing temperments they will often damage themselves without complaint. It is a privilege to own and be owned by an Orlov. But they come with a warning "Once you own an Orlov, nothing else can compare." As we loaded up the car on that last day we still didn't know...would we be allowed to buy him?
That's how we ended up with one of the world's rarest horses. Zakon came home that September.
He is the most incredible horse I have ever ridden. He is power and glory. His athleticism and innate honesty have made him the best riding instructor I have ever had. His feedback to cues is immediate and with 100% effort. He never balks or shirks at a difficult task, always giving more of himself than required. He will cheerfully work until he drops. An Orlov can literally be worked to death. He reaches for his bridle with such enthusiasm I often have to wrestle it from him to put it on properly. His joy is expressed in every movement he makes, an unfettered pleasure in his own physical being. I am constantly amazed at his physical prowess and intelligence, even at 20 years old.
It wasn't very long before we wanted another Orlov. We had been warned!
There was only ONE other purebred Orlov in North America that we knew of. Bunchuk was the oldest of those three Orlovs imported by Doris. He had been sold years before we bought Zakon to an endurance rider. We had no way of knowing whether or not she still had him, or what condition he might be in. But we went looking. As luck would have it, she still owned him. She had used him for 50 and 100 mile endurance races but had decided, despite him being robust and sound, to retire him at 19. She felt he just shouldn't have to work that hard any more. She was happy that he would be going to a home where he would be lightly used, both under saddle and in harness. Orlovs need to feel useful and Bunchuk was not coping well with retirement.
We realized that someone needed to try and import and introduce more of these amazing horses to North America. And time was of the essence. There are fewer than 1500 purebred Orlovs in the world and both our geldings were over 20 years old. With an eye to starting a small breeding facility, we began to look for a place to build our dream. We found Nova Scotia. A place of rolling hills, beautiful forests, sea breezes and fresh water springs. Compared with Calgary, the winters are moderate.
