Ob Pony or Priob

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Country of Origin: Siberia

Similar to the Narym Pony, the Ob pony is bred in the Khanty-Mansi national district near the lower areas of the Ob and Irtysh rivers. The climate is severe with extreme cold, deep snow and lack of grain foods, creating difficult conditions for working horses. They are used chiefly as pack animals in winter and also work in forests. During the summer months the horses do not work and are left free to graze the marshes.

Long lived and fertile, Ob ponies work until the age of eighteen or twenty. In general appearance, the Ob is similar to the Yakut Pony, although more of draft type. Small in stature with a long back and well developed skeleton, Ob ponies are hardy and enduring. The legs are short. The head is of medium length, coarse and often Roman-nosed; the neck is short and thick; the shoulder is slanted and short; the withers low; the back long and often carp-shaped; the legs are sturdy. The hooves are wide and flat, an adaptation to the muddy terrain. They usually stand between 13 and 14 hands high.

Colors are various in the Ob breed, but most typical is dun. Dun, grullo, and bay Ob ponies usually have dun factor markings - dorsal stripe, shoulder stripes, and zebra striping on the legs.

The first research on this breed was done in 1936. The Ob is rare today and should be bred pure and upgraded, as it is invaluable in the northern forest regions.