The horse played an important role in the life of Ossetians. In almost all written sources mentioning Ossetians, one can always find reports of their horses [2; 7; 8; 13; fourteen; 16]. Osteological material in the burial places of antiquity and the Middle Ages testifies to the widespread use of horses among the Ossetian ancestors. Ethnographic material demonstrates the important place of a horse among Ossetians during the period of traditional societies [1; 5]. The data of Ossetian linguistics and folklore also indicate the development of horse breeding among Ossetians in the past [15].
The relevance of the topic of this study is determined by the extremely unsatisfactory state of knowledge of the issue of the Ossetian horse. A deep and comprehensive study of the role of the horse in military affairs involves the study of the type of horse that was used by Ossetians in the mountains. In this article, based on various sources, mainly written evidence, we will consider the features of the Ossetian rock breed of the horse and try to illuminate the history of its origin. Continue reading →