A move with a knight: where in Russia you can chat with the symbol of 2026
The symbol of 2026 was the Red Fiery Horse. There are many different places in Russia where you can meet and chat with these ungulates in person. For example, in the Orenburg region it is worth visiting the Przhevalsky Horse Reserve, in the Leningrad region there is an equestrian theater, and horse shows are held in Kislovodsk. About the most picturesque places for horseback riding and how communication with horses affects health — in the material of Izvestia.
Picturesque places for horseback riding
If you want to see the symbol of 2026 firsthand, you can go horseback riding, there are quite a lot of such routes in Russia, tour operators told Izvestia. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy walking for several hours, and multi-day hikes in the mountains or steppes.
For example, there are such routes in Dombay in Karachay-Cherkessia and the surroundings of this mountain range, Avito Travel recalled. Winter routes are usually shorter than summer ones, but nevertheless they function — you can admire the Caucasus Mountains and mountain forests.
Horseback riding for several days is carried out in Altai. For example, there is a route to the Karakol Lakes — through forests, passes and mountain slopes.
And in Kamchatka, tourists will be taken on horseback to the hills, hot springs and observation decks. In winter, it is possible to combine equestrian activities with dog sledding.
In general, winter horseback riding is carried out in regions with picturesque nature — in Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karelia, Bashkiria, as well as in the Irkutsk region in the vicinity of Lake Baikal.
The rarest horse
In the reserve in the Orenburg region, you can see the rarest type of horse — the Przhevalsky horse. They are listed in the Red Book with the highest rarity status. In 2015, a project was launched to preserve their population. In the Orenburg State Nature Reserves, a special territory of 16.5 thousand hectares was allocated and named the "Pre-Ural Steppe".
Then the first six Przhevalsky horses were brought to the Orenburg region from France. They adapted during the year, and then, in 2016, they were released into the reserve. Russian President Vladimir Putin also followed this event. The second and third batches of horses were brought from Hungary in 2017. Currently, their number in the "Pre—Ural steppe" is more than 130 - in 2025 alone, 30 foals were born here.
There are guided tours for visitors, where you can admire wild horses from a close distance, but you can not pet or feed them.
And Yakutia is home to the world's only Arctic horse breed, the Yakut. These animals are adapted to year-round herd keeping and withstand frosts up to -60 degrees.
"Tourists can visit the herds in the villages near Yakutsk. To see how horses behave in their natural environment, and to hear the history of the breed from local horse breeders," said Avito Travels.
And in the Nizhny Novgorod region, in the Pochinkovsky district, you can see heavy trucks built in the 20s of the last century, which are capable of carrying a load of 23 tons. The breed is called the "Soviet heavy truck", it was registered in 1952.
At the same time, horses have been bred in Repairs for more than 300 years. In the middle of the 17th century, boyar Boris Morozov bought this territory from Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Here they began to raise riding and riding horses for the needs of the boyar, and later for sale.
In the Voronezh region, at the Khrenovsky Stud Farm, you can see one of the most important and famous Russian horse breeds that actively participate in horse racing, the Oryol trotters. There are guided tours of the historical stables — the factory has been operating since 1776, it was founded by Count Alexei Grigorievich Orlov-Chesmensky.
The largest horse shelter in Russia, Chance for Life, is located in the village of Shipulino in the Moscow region. Horses that are no longer needed due to injury or old age get there. The first guests who came here were bought out of the slaughterhouse with money raised by volunteers. There are more than a hundred horses in the shelter now. They also teach from scratch the professions of a groom, a horse breeder and a horse trainer.
Where to watch horse shows
In large Russian cities, horses can be seen in theatrical productions and circus programs. For example, in the Nikulin Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard in Moscow, horse riding and acrobatics are regularly performed, even horses are emblazoned on the circus logo.
Gala performance dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of People's Artist of the USSR Yuri Nikulin at the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard
Theatrical productions featuring horses as actors are shown in the Leningrad Region. In the village of Nesterkovo in Gatchina district there is the Larisa Lust Equestrian Theater, and in the village of Lepsari in Vsevolozhsky district there is the VelesO equestrian Drama Theater.
You can watch extreme horse shows of horsemen at the Amanat ethnocomplex in Kislovodsk. The riders, champions of All—Russian competitions and candidates for the Master of sports, perform difficult stunts at full gallop. And in the show's stables, visitors can feed the horses of the Karachay, Orel and Trans-Baikal breeds.
You can also go to Tatarstan for sporting events: Kazan has one of the most modern racetracks in the country, where competitions are held even in winter. Horse riding centers with walks, family routes and activities for children are also available in the city and the surrounding area.
Another equestrian theater is located in Moscow at VDNH. It shows musical costume shows using light and modern technology. The pavilion also houses Russia's first Horse Museum.
How communication with horses affects health
In the middle of the 20th century, horses began to be actively used in the treatment and rehabilitation of sick people. The method appeared largely thanks to the Danish athlete Liz Hartel. Being partially paralyzed due to polio, she was able to recover with the help of horseback riding and gained worldwide fame at the Olympic Games.
Hippotherapy has now spread all over the world. Classes are recommended for adults and children with autism, Down syndrome, oligophrenia, blindness and other diseases.
— Any therapeutic horse riding begins with hippotherapy. Instead of a saddle, a valtrap (fabric lining) is used. — Ed.), in order to feel the animal better," Oleg Solovyov, director of the Moscow equestrian sports club for the disabled, told Izvestia.
She explained that as the horse walks, it makes oscillatory movements that are transmitted to the rider. Thus, in people with disabilities, muscles that are inactive in normal life are activated, and all the neural connections of the brain are activated.
Horses for hippotherapy are carefully selected.
— First of all, attention is paid to the character of the horse, its temper. The animal should be calm and sociable, as well as understanding enough. Horses can sense very clearly when a person lacks, for example, a limb, and adjust to it," the director explained.
Horses are empathic and sensitive animals, so they are able to become partners in the process of personal development and correction of psychological problems, says Natalia Novoselova, a practicing psychologist.
—Communication with horses, along with the opportunity to have a pleasant time, is also considered a powerful therapeutic tool that has a profound and multifaceted impact on the mental state of both children and adults," she told Izvestia.
According to her, horses react instantly to a person's condition — they feel their fear, anxiety, tension, or calmness and confidence.
"This interaction teaches a person to be aware of and manage their emotions, to understand how their inner state affects the world around them," the psychologist emphasized.
The expert noted that horse riding has a powerful calming effect, which helps to reduce the level of cortisol (the stress hormone) and improve mood.
—Riding and caring for a horse improve coordination of movements, balance, and motor skills, for example, in people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, which has a positive effect on a person's sense of self," Natalia Novoselova added.
According to her, the ability to find a common language with a large and strong animal, manage it, and reach mutual understanding increases self-esteem. For children who have difficulty communicating with their peers (for example, with autism spectrum disorders, ADHD), the horse becomes a partner helping to develop communication skills and build trusting relationships.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
