CENTRE WELLINGTON – Eighteen-year-old Elana Oakes of Centre Wellington dedicates her free time to spreading awareness about the rare Bashkir curly horse breed.
Oakes and her event horse Spartacurl are curly horse ambassadors of Canada.
They attend shows and events around Ontario teaching people about the opportunities the breed provides to those who may previously have thought horse riding was not an option for them.
“The main objective is to promote the breed so that they can actually learn about them as they are an option for people with allergies,” explained Oakes.
The Bashkir curly horse carries a gene that causes the breed to have a hypo allergenic curly-haired coat.
The breed can come in different sizes, body types and colours and typically have harder hooves which don’t require horse shoes.
According to Oakes, genetic testing to try and isolate which genes cause the curly coat is only just starting.
Oakes grew up on Oakesmuir Farm, a curly horse farm outside of Elora.
Her parents, Greg and Sonja Oakes, started Oakesmuir with just Bashkir curly horses because Greg has a horse allergy.
“My dad is actually allergic to horses and my mother grew up with horses so she wanted to get curly horses so they could both share the horses,” Oakes added.
Oakesmuir is home to just over 50 curly horses and exclusively breeds, trains and sells Bashkir curly horses. It also offers equine-assisted therapy with Spartacurl as one of the horses used for the program.
While Oakes said people in Ontario are slowly becoming more aware of the breed, it is still not common on show circuits.
“I go to horse shows and I have never actually been to another horse show that has curly horses besides the ones that I show,” Oakes said.
She is also allergic to horses and has only ridden and competed with curly horses.
Oakes and Spartacurl have been competing together for eight years.
They have taken part in mounted games, western games, jumping, hunter equitation, trail, extreme cowboy and performance riding.
“[Spartacurl] has actually competed in over 500 classes. She’s been the American ambassador curly horse champion, performance horse champion and versatility horse, and she’s been
winning that award since 2013 until the present,” said Oakes.
Last year alone Oakes and Spartacurl participated in approximately 20 different horse shows and parades, winning the champion high point youth and the champion high point open horse for the games classes at the Rockton and Barrie fall fairs.
Now Oakes said she is looking forward to their participation in the monthly saddle club shows and this year’s fall fairs.
