A farmer from the Sumy region has been breeding a rare breed of horses for over 30 years

Mykola Kasatkin, a farmer from the Sumy region, has been breeding a unique breed of horses—originally developed in the 18th century—for over 30 years. During this time, he has devoted a significant part of his life to this endeavor and has established his own horse farm.

About 10 foals are born on the farm each year.

Mykola Kasatkin dreamed of pursuing equestrian sports since childhood, but he was unable to build a career in the field. Since 1977, he has run his own horse farm in the Romny District of the Sumy region. “We set up a sports school here. It was small, with about 60 children. Some dropped out, others joined, and they learned little by little. We trained our own candidate for the title of Master of Sports, competed in tournaments, and that’s how this stable came to be,” the owner explained.

In 1993, the farmer purchased two mares and began breeding. He then bought more horses from another horse farm that had closed down. These were Trakehner horses. He has been breeding this breed ever since.

Mykola Kasatkin competed with his Trakehner horses. However, the farm owner noted that equestrian sports are expensive, so he has put them on hold for now due to a lack of funds. “I had to pick up the reins and keep the business going. We used to travel to competitions and participate in Ukrainian cups and championships. Right now, we’re not competing due to a lack of funds. It’s a very expensive hobby. We have both a car and a trailer. We could still go. But right now, the main task is to preserve the remaining genetic material and continue breeding from it,” the man explained.

Mykola Kasatkin’s farm currently has 23 horses, and up to ten foals are born each year. The horse owner has a tradition: he names the foals after the first letter of their mother’s name. The oldest horses on Mykola Kasatkin’s farm are two stallions, both 22 years old. On average, they live to be 20 years old.

Every day, the farmer personally cares for the horses, feeds them, stocks up on feed, and so on. At the same time, the horses also have their own schedule and know when they need to go into the stables at the end of the day. In addition, each horse has its own diet. 

“They all go into their stalls individually, and each one is given grain, oats, and hay. If she’s in foal, she gets a bit more. If she’s not in foal—without a foal—she gets a little less; we try not to upset them,” the owner shared.

Trakehner horses are a riding and driving sport breed originating from East Prussia (now part of Germany). The breed was developed in 1732 during the 18th century, when the Trakenenski stud farm was established in the village of Trakenenski. Initially, the farm housed over 1,500 horses, which were bred to meet the needs of the Prussian army. Today, the breed is 294 years old.

This was reported with reference to Suspilne Sumy.

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