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  HISTORY
Looking back in time, The Tiger Horse history from antiquity to the present.
Visit the ROYALTY and HEAVENLY
division as well as the newly created;
SOULON SEAL OF APPROVAL.
Tiger Horses from the Heavenly Mountains district on the China/Siberia border, were once known as Heavenly Horses. At some point in their ancient history,
probably the T'ang Dynasty (618 AD), China obtained a small herd of Heavenly Horses and began breeding them to smaller local stock, as well as larger Draft horses,
thus creating superior foals. The larger size and improved quality gave China a much needed military advantage.
They named these horses: "The Soulon."
Cross breeding to unrelated horses creates what is known as hybrid vigor. This occurs when opposite types are bred to one another creating a third, usually a
larger type, with unique characteristics inherited, some from each parent. Increased intelligence in the offspring is also generally witnessed.
(Modern day humans are a good example of hybrid vigor as once we began the march from central east Africa and encountered Neanderthals from the North with
whom we interbred, vast changes began to take place in the human race. We are the "hybrid vigor" results of those encounters.
In the Ferghana Valley where the earliest known representatives of the Heavenly Horse grazed, not one original horse remains. Wars with neighboring tribes over the
horses, and the demands of a Chinese Emperor for the very best horses, took its toll on the Sogdian's who then threatened to kill what was left in order to preserve
themselves from further aggression. They had threatened to do so if raids and pillaging did not stop. Eventually the overthrow of the Chinese Empire would also see
the demise of any last traces of original horses. All remnants of the original horses from Ferghana to the Soulons of China, the horses that awed nations, inspired
poets, and caused Emperors to swoon, are now gone!
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BUT WAIT A MOMENT!!
(above left) A modern day Tiger Horse mare named; Annandale's Heavenly and
immediately left, one of her recent Tiger Horse foals. Both belong to Charles and Carol Phillips of Chesapeake Beach, MD.
Are they Soulon look-alikes or what!.
The ceramic
reproductions above, are Soulon horsess from the T'Ang Dynasty (China, around 618 AD),
and certainly carbon copies of these 21st century Tiger Horses.
This is
"pheno-type" supported by "geno-type" at it's best.
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That horses like the ones Tigre is creating today ever existed previously, is evidenced by beautiful clay sculptures dug from burial mounds or newly created from
artists renderings, some of which have been carbon dated thousands of years old. Fortunately "genes take millions of years to change, let alone completely disappear
," allowing us to successfully bring back a modern day version of the famous Soulon horse of China.
Tigre's Founding member Victoria Varley is a Sculptor, Artist and international competitor in the sport of long distance horse racing. This modern day Tiger Horse
breed was her idea, and is now supported by lifetime and annual membership of others, to TIGRE, The Tiger Horse's Breed Registry.
Tiger Horses are modeled on competitive endurance horses, and have inherited similar athletics, a competitive but sensible nature, and the bonus of a 4th or "middle" gait. The ride is extremely quiet and does not require any special riding skills.
In 1992 - 6 years after competing with her last Arabian in the first world championships, 100 miles in 1 day endurance race, Victoria switched to gaited horses and
tested them for endurance and a competitive edge. Eventually crossing the proven horses with a certain type of color producing Appaloosa, The Tiger Horse was born
. The new breed appears to be a horse that wanted to be born because within the first 35 horses produced, similarities to the Soulon of China, began showing up. With
only ceramics and textiles to go on, it is amazing that a look-alike horse is already on the ground in the USA, and beginning to breed true to an ancient, but extinct
breed. The new breed was initially named The Tiger Horse, because it descends from horses that were once used to hunt the Siberian Tiger. " Heavenly," or "Tiger"
Horses appear in old world art and also in France in the Peche Merle cave paintings, near Lascalle. They are mentioned in writings that go as far back as the written word.
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(above left) Two 1st generation Tiger Horse foals showing their color, markings and
distinct proportions resembling the two in an antique Chinese painting on the right.
The comparisons are remarkable.
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We are not 100% certain of our new breeds roots, but we do know we are not the first to try and keep their genes alive. The most recent "antique" history dated some
2000 years ago, puts Tiger Horses in the Ferghana Valley, near the Chinese/Siberian border. It was from this area that the Chinese obtained a dozen or more and bred
them to their short legged potbellied stock as well as Draft or Plow horses. Some accounts refer to our spotted horse's Ancestors as "blood sweating horses,"
"heavenly horses," and even "horses of the air." The latter description is a definite indication of middle gaits.
Many sculptural castings show the oriental horse with a lateral gait. Scarce in number, then and now, battles continue to rage over ownership, and even promotion.
Coveted by neighboring tribes, and then a Chinese Emperor, bitter feuds forced their original caretakers to threaten death to the herd in hopes that the threat would
help to stop the marauding. Chinese Emperors threatened to sack the city if agreement could not be reached for ownership of just a few. At the time, Chinese horses
were hardly a match for the small but hardy Mongolians reported to have out- numbered them in the thousands.
When reports of a superior "blood sweating horse" reached the Emperors ears, an Emissary was dispatched with orders to bring back as many as possible. It was
also known that "long after riders had been knocked from the saddle, the horses would continue the fight." Who could blame the Emperor for seeing the advantage of
owning such amazing animals? The eventual Chinese acquisition of 12 Heavenly Horses and 2,000 others, appears to have taken a 12 year journey, and is well
documented. The expedition was fraught with danger experiencing some losses along the way. 2,000 "others" were race horse types like the Kuhaylan Arabian.
Probably the horse that went to Russia and now known as the Akhal-Teke.
Today there is not one original horse to be found in China. There is a herd of spotted, distant cousins to the Heavenly Horses living at the foot of the Altai Mountains
in Siberia. Named after the mountains, the Altai is Appaloosa spotted, farmed for table food and reported to be hardy and disease resistant. Plans are currently under
way to cross the 18 Hand French Percheron into the Altai pony sized horse to increase their size and table yield.
And so it goes, around and around.
Many questions were asked during the initial stages of Tigre's Tiger Horse development. Above left, the Founder Victoria Varley with Annandale's
Winter Fox, a color producing "Ghost Horse" filly. Above center, Victoria with Annandale's Love Story, "Near Leopard" gelding who belongs to
Cassandra and John Booth and lives with them in New Zealand. Above right, in Montana at the "Chief Joseph" (Appaloosa Horse Clubs annual
memorial week long ride), Victoria chatting with Ted, the Assistant Registrar of the Nez Perce Horse Registry.
According to Ted, the Asst. Registrar of the Nez Perce breed; "We had very few if any, Appaloosa spotted horses. Our preference
was for the blue roans".. (It has been recorded that Chief Joseph's favorite mount was a blue or brown roan). Ted said; "Gaited
horses were generally NOT in the Nez Perce mix, but usually seen with the Cayuse Indians."
Lewis & Clark reported that the blue roans were definitely kept on one side of the Palouse River and that the reds and other types
were kept on the opposite banks to prevent cross breeding, probably of the two types?
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