The Cukurova is a rare Turkish breed of a saddle and harness horse.

Origins:
Cukurova is a district near the southern border of Turkey, not far from the Mediterranean Sea. During the 1890s, the Ottomans established a State Stud in Cukurova where they bred saddle horses.

Although the Ottoman empire collapsed in the years following World War I, the breeding of horses in Cukurova continued. Native Uzunyayla horses were crossed with the local Turkish Arabian horses, and their offspring were crossed with Native Anadolu (Anatolian Native) horses. The result was a small saddle breed named after the stud: Cukurova.

(See 'Uzunyayla' and 'Anadolu' for more info.)

The Cukurova today:
Originally a widespread breed, today the Cukurova is rare. It is found in Cukurova and used as either a saddle horse for riding or as a harness horse.

Subtypes of the Cukurova:
There are two types of Cukurova horses: saddle and halter.

The Saddle Cukurova is lighter and fit for athletic riding both in conformation and temperament, similar to its Turkish Arabian ancestors from which it inherited most of its traits. The facial profile of the Saddle Cukurova is straight, its eyes are large, its legs are long, and its body is slender.

The Harness Cukurova is heavier and fuller, similar to its Uzunyayla ancestors who were used for pack work and for pulling carts. Its facial profile is convex, its eyes are smaller, its girth is deeper, and its legs a tad shorter than the legs of his saddle brother.

Conformation:
Regardless of their type, all Cukurova horses share the general characteristics of a long head, long and upright ears, a long neck, prominent withers, a long and slightly sloping croup, and a narrow body. The mane and tail are thin, with the mane growing to medium length at most.

Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Cukurovas in Horse Isle (not bred ones). In rare cases, horses might have metrics outside of the range. Breeders can produce horses that are beyond this range.

Speed: 14.7-15.9, 15.2 (0.2), 0.05.
Sprint: 40-52, 46 (3), 0.55.

Accel: 0.87-1.06, 0.96 (0.04), 0.01.
Decel: 0.80-1.01, 0.91 (0.04), 0.01.

Jump: 4.90-5.23, 5.05 (0.07), 0.01.
Pull: 1.36-1.87, 1.60 (0.13), 0.03.

Turning: 43.82-57.03, 50.18 (2.91), 0.57.
Reverse: 2.2-2.8, 2.5 (0.1), 0.03.

Stamina: 46.91-50.82, 48.97 (0.83), 0.16.
Reaction: 0.75-0.84, 0.80 (0.02), 0.00.

Coats & Height:
Colors: usually grey, but also bay, black, brown, and chestnut.

Additionals: flaxen, sooty, dark mane & tail. The coat is always solid.

Height: 13.2hh to 13.3hh.

Shouldn't the Cukurova be taller?
No. Some sources mistakenly list the Cukurova as taller than 14hh, but this taller type of Cukurova went extinct after World War I. Today, Cukurovas are smaller, standing 13.2hh to 13.3hh.