Hut | Facts & Information

Colors: black-red, gray, brown-red or red with white and black

The hutul is a breed of small horses native to the Carpathian Mountains. This breed of horses is representative for our country,having an ancient history in the eastern mountains.

These animals are raised for work, stoically enduring the living conditions, no matter how harsh they may be. The first mention of the hut dates from 1606, in the profile work "Hippica", by Dorohastajki.

The name of the breed comes from the Hutuli, a Ukrainian-speaking population living in Bukovina, Maramures and Pocutia (in Ukraine). Archaeological finds have revealed that this breed of horse is much older than the population that gives it its name.

The ancestor of the Hutus was the tarpan horse, a wild horse from prehistory, whose habitat stretched from Spain to central Russia.

It is believed that on the monuments erected by the Roman Emperors Dominitian and Trajan, are depicted for the first time horses of the hutul breed as animals of burden used by the Dacians.

Unlike other small horse breeds, the hutul was very rarely crossed with horses of other breeds. The fact that this horse lived and bred in harsh conditions has given it, over the generations, endurance, strength and robustness.

In the nineteenth century, the Hutus was also used in the army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In 1856 the first hutuli horse stud was founded in Radauti, in Suceava County. Several lines (dynasties) were established by the first Stallions brought to Radauti (Goral, Hroby, Ousor, Pietrosu and Prislop).

Horses were bred very carefully to preserve the purity of the breed, and later, hutul specimens were sent abroad to be founded stud farms.

The two World Wars seriously affected the Hutu herds in Eastern Europe. In 1994 the International Federation of Hutus was founded, whose main occupation is the conservation of this breed.

Today there are about 3,500 Hutu horses in the world, Romania harboring the most such horses. Lucina stud farm, founded in 1877 near the border with Ukraine, has brought an essential contribution in the improvement of this breed of horses.

In 2015, about 450 horses are bred at Lucina.

Hut Layout

Hutulul is a small horse, with a height not exceeding 150 cm, and a weight of about 400 kg. The head is relatively large compared to the body.

The profile of the face is straight (there are also specimens with concave profile), with large and expressive eyes and ears are small and mobile.

The neck is short, muscular and dressed with a rich Mane. The chest is strong and the legs are short and muscular. The hooves are adapted to Mountain life, being small and tough.

The color of these horses can be black-reddish, gray, reddish-brown, light yellow or red with white and black.

Some specimens still have spots or stripes of a different color at the bottom of the legs. The overall appearance of this horse is that of a robust animal, very energetic and resilient.

Hut Behavior

The "hutans", as the hutul horses are called by the inhabitants of the mountain areas of Moldova, are very helpful in the peasant households of the Eastern Carpathians.

The hut is perfectly adapted for all daily activities, from riding to hauling. These horses are not picky about food and are used to the low temperatures in the mountain areas.

Hutuls are intelligent, docile, patient and resistant to disease, but if not treated properly they can become stubborn and violent.

Hutul horses are also long-lived, managing to work at maximum yield up to 25 years. Due to their quiet character, hutuls are used for equestrian activities aimed at Children.

Hutul horses are also used in equestrian tourism for horse riding or for carriages with up to four horses.