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Hokkaido
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Hokkaido Description |
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In its
native Japan, the Hokkaido is also called "Dosanko"
or "Hokkaido Washu". It is very hardy and
is used both for riding and for heavy draft work. Their
home is primarily on the Pacific Coast of Hokkaido,
one of the islands that make up Japan. They are very
capable of surviving in cold weather and traversing
very difficult mountain terrain. They are used for transportation,
and more so on the ranches of the Island. During the
winter months, the ranchers often leave the horses to
survive on bamboo grasses found only in the mountains.
While in other regions, horses left in the wild may
become feral, on Hokkaido, the bears come out of hibernation
in the mountains and begin preying on the horses. For
this reason, the Hokkaido is more than willing to return
to work when the farmers come back to the Island in
nicer weather. It is a fairly small horse that is fairly
docile with an even temperament. Their heads are large
and they have thick manes. Solid colors including bay,
brown, chestnut, roan and cremello are common. Rarely
do they have white markings, but a black dorsal stripe
is possible. Their tough hooves enable them to navigate
the difficult mountain terrain. |
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