Continent: Europe
Country: Russia
Weight: 450 – 550 kg
Height: 155 – 168 cm
The Russian Trotter, also called Metis Trotter (Русский рысак, Rússkiï rysak), was developed in Russia in the 19th century, and was later officially recognized as a distinct breed in the mid-20th century.
It originates from crosses between the Orlov Trotter, renowned for its elegance and sturdiness, and the American Standardbred, valued for its speed and efficiency in racing. The breeders’ goal was to create a performant harness racing horse, able to compete with the best international trotters while maintaining the hardiness required for local breeding conditions.
Its main breeding center is located around Moscow and in the Russian state studs, where it is still selected today for trot racing. Widespread throughout the former USSR, the Russian Trotter numbered around 280,000 individuals in the 1980s, making it one of the largest equine populations in Russia and Belarus.
The Russian Trotter is bred mainly in European Russia, concentrated around major race tracks and state studs.
Today, the Russian Trotter remains an emblematic breed of the former USSR, still used for racing, leisure driving, and sport breeding.
The Russian Trotter is the result of the cross between the Orlov Trotter, known for its sturdiness and elegance, and the American Standardbred, famous for its speed and regularity at the trot. This genetic combination created an intermediate breed, capable of combining power, endurance, and sporting efficiency.
Thanks to its wide distribution in the USSR, the Russian Trotter became an important foundation for national breeding programs. Its genes helped improve the speed and consistency at the trot of many local lines. It remains a cornerstone of harness racing in Russia and Belarus.
Unlike the more fragile Standardbred, the Russian Trotter retained the hardiness of the Orlov, with strong limbs, good endurance, and an ability to adapt to harsh climates. This makes it a valuable genetic reservoir to strengthen the durability and resistance of modern trotters.
In Russia, trotting races grew in popularity from the mid-19th century. The Orlov Trotter dominated the tracks, valued for its elegance and endurance, but its lack of speed became a limitation against foreign competitors. From 1890 onwards, American Standardbreds were introduced to enhance the speed of local lines.
Systematic crosses between Orlov mares and Standardbred stallions were carried out in several Russian studs. The goal: obtain a horse able to compete with Standardbreds over short and medium distances, while keeping the hardiness and robustness of the Orlov.
After several decades of selection, the USSR officially recognized the new breed as the Russian Trotter. The stud-book was opened, centralized, and managed by the state studs and the VNIIK.
The Russian Trotter became the reference harness racing horse of the Soviet Union. The hippodromes of Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Ryazan, and Perm hosted major competitions, often with symbolic and political importance. The breed spread widely across the USSR, especially in Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic states.
After the fall of the USSR, breeding experienced a setback: reduced funding, closure of studs, and fewer race tracks. On the international scene, the Standardbred continued to dominate, limiting the Russian Trotter’s recognition abroad.
The breed remains common in Russia and neighboring countries, but numbers have declined. It still plays a role in national racing, while also expanding into leisure driving, equestrian tourism, and cultural promotion as a legacy of Soviet breeding.
The history of the Russian Trotter illustrates the USSR’s will to create a competitive horse for modern trotting, balancing tradition (Orlov heritage) and innovation (Standardbred influence).
The Russian Trotter is recognized for its energy and liveliness. Selected for competition, it shows a natural forwardness and a strong will to work, making it a high-performance racehorse.
This breed demonstrates good intelligence and marked responsiveness. It learns quickly and adapts well to the demands of harness racing. However, its liveliness requires an experienced rider or driver to channel its energy.
While it can be calm outside the track, the Russian Trotter remains a sensitive horse. Some individuals inherit the nervousness of the Standardbred, with a tendency to get easily excited.
Outside racing, it proves cooperative and versatile, especially in leisure driving or trekking. With proper training, it becomes a reliable and willing partner.
“Between the sturdiness of the Orlov and the speed of the Standardbred, the Russian Trotter embodies the balance of power, endurance, and elegance in harness.”
The Russian Trotter is an integral part of the equestrian culture of Russia and Belarus. Its preservation is a matter of genetic and historical heritage, as it reflects the evolution of trotting races in the USSR.
Faced with the competition of the American Standardbred and faster European trotters, the breed must redefine its role. Some breeding programs are moving towards:
The main challenge remains to improve speed and regularity at the trot, while keeping the hardiness and strength inherited from the Orlov. Selection programs in Russia are still active to reinforce the breed’s place internationally.
Although still little spread outside the former USSR, the Russian Trotter could attract foreign breeders looking for new blood to improve the resistance and longevity of modern trotters.
The Russian Trotter inherits the robustness of the Orlov, making it generally a solid horse, with good endurance and natural resistance to the harsh climates of Russia and Belarus.
Some individuals still show morphological defects, inherited from the breed’s development:
Like all harness trotters, the Russian Trotter may be prone to:
A balanced diet, gradual training, and regular limb care (trimming, joint monitoring) help reduce these risks. Modern selection tends to reduce hereditary defects and favor the strongest and most functional individuals.
