Horses : TORI

Origin : Estonia

Australian Status: 

International Status: RARE in its home country and not commonly seen elsewhere.

Arrived in Australia: 2008

Australian Population: 6 purebred. (more information still to come) - 2020. 2022 - four.

History: A stud was set up in 1856 in the area of Pärnu in south west Estonia - in those times the country was in the possession of Russia and that area was called Livonia, as it had been since the 12th century. The aristocrats of Livonia asked the Emperor of Russia if they could establish a horse stud, he agreed. The aims of the stud were to preserve the Estonian native horse. 47 mares and 7 stallions, all Estonian, started the stud.

This sturdy breed had been valued as an export commodity, many going for war horses to Russia. Imports of several Finnish horses, 3 Arab stallions from Germany and an Orlov Trotter stallion from Russia all went into the mix on the stud to create a good riding horse. To get the type they wanted a Roadster cross was used - a stallion by a Roadster out of a big hunter mare, bred in Poland and named Hetman, foaled 1886. Hetman, chestnut with a blaze, became the founding sire for the Tori breed, producing horses capable of being used for work, military and for general riding. Norfolk roadster-Hackney lines and Estonian horses were used up to 1936. In 1937 five Postier Breton stallions were added, these are a heavy horse with good action, and chestnut with white markings remained a breed characteristic. In the 1970's to prevent inbreeding, Hanoverians, Trakehners and Holsteins were used.

As a sign these horses became a useful type, they were bought by Russia, Ukraine, Sweden and Finland, all discerning horse cultures. By the end of the twentieth century they were being bred lighter for the fashionable sport horse and hacking market, making ideal police horses too. Some of the original heavier lines have been retained, fortunately, these are suited to light draught work and harness and are often called the Old Tori Horse - they look like a heavy roadster. Good nature.

The original stud went through a difficult time in the 1990's when the Soviet Union fizzled, hence collective farms fizzled so breeding quality dropped. In 1996 the decision to breed out again saw the old type decline, and a sport-horse type replace them, being the so-called warmloods of Europe. However by 2001 an earnest group revived the stud, it's still going and has about 100 horses in residence. It struggles to survive but has embraced equine tourism with tours and guests, and riding lessons helping pay its way. Sales of their horses also help - the Swedish Mounted Police are on Tori horses.

The stud maintains a very high standard, dedicated to preserving an excellent, useful breed with ancient Estonian blood. A separate studbook was started in 2012 to keep the old Estonian lines pure, called the Old Tori.  There were less than 100 of these left in 2015.

In the efforts for a light sport horse like most modern "warmbloods," outcrossing is leading to extinction. This has happened now to the Oldenburg, Trakehner, Holstein and Hanoverian - basically Thoroughbreds with a touch of Arab – hot bloods. Several Tori horses have done extremely well in competition in Russia, winning harness and jumping competitions. The Tori horses in Australia are the sport horse type and appear a true warmblood, they certainly have plenty of bone and good Estonian traits.

Breed traits: A hardy, athletic breed which winters out in snow. Most are chestnut; they may also be black, bay, or palomino. White markings. Height 15 to 16hh. Willing. Good powerful forward action. Powerful chest and quarters. Well let down into the hocks, making great jumpers. 

Uses: Sport, endurance, police, military, eventing, jumping, dressage, hacking, harness.

Breed Organisation: None at present. Dundee Tori Stud of Jerangle NSW is/was the only stud known. Did a tremendous job to import the breed here. No website any more, and their faceboook page inactive since 2019 - it appears the stud was dispersed  - mares sold being Dana, Amadora and Leary. Omadeus, the palominio gelding also sold. He was foaled here, out of Amadora, three weeks after her arrival in 2008; she'd had a lengthy time in quarantine in the UK. Leary was also an import, arriving in foal.

Additional Notes: Article by Jessica Owers of the Dundee Tori Stud, Jerangle, NSW. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1soNH2BgKBec73a0V9tITdQuXpAmVLeHK/view?usp=sharing

Photo: Old Tori, also called the universal type, by Rozpravka, via WikiMedia Commons. 

(population updated 08/06/2020 by A.Y.)
Page by Janet Lane. Updated 7th  June 2022.

Back to Horses