On January 13, 2023, Latvian Post issued new definitive stamps "Domestic animals and Flowers".

In 2023, the standard issue of Latvian stamps was replenished with 6 new subjects. The Post issued three stamps with flowers: tulips, a rose and a peony, as well as three stamps with domestic animals: a rabbit, a turkey and a horse. All stamps have different denominations and circulation. The author of the series is the artist Ģirts Grīva, who has been successfully collaborating with Latvijas Pasta for a long time.

From a stamp with a face value of 1.65 euros, a dark bay horse with a white blaze on its forehead looks at us. There are no inscriptions on the stamp that give a direct reference to any particular breed. But since the stamp was issued by the Latvian Post, we will assume that it depicts a Latvian horse :)

The Latvian half-breed is the only national horse breed in the country. Work on its breeding began in Latvia at the beginning of the twentieth century, the stud book was created in 1927. Local horses of the northern forest type were crossed with sires of Oldenburg, Hanoverian and other half-bred breeds. In 1952, the Latvian draft breed (as it was then called) was officially registered. By that time, three types were distinguished in the breed: basic, harness and lightweight (riding). For a long time, the attention of breeders was mainly focused on breeding horses of the main and draft types - they were used both for agricultural and transport work, and to improve the livestock of local horses.

The heavy type of the Latvian draft breed was formed under the influence of the Arden heavy trucks, which made it possible to obtain horses of a truly unique working capacity. Draft-type horses were infused with the blood of Norfolk and Hanoverians, resulting in a large, unpretentious, harmonious and balanced horse, capable of long-term work in a carriage or in the field. Intensified work with the riding type of the Latvian harness began only at the end of the 1980s, when the demand for sports horses increased. Breeders began to cross Latvians with Hanoverian (light type), Arabian Thoroughbred and Trakehner stallions, the number of “riding” Latvians grew, and the quality of horses also increased. If earlier the riding type in the breed accounted for no more than 5-6%, today the share of "riding" horses has greatly exceeded half. In this regard, the word "draft" was excluded from the name of the breed. Now the sports pride of Latvia bears the official name "Latvian half-breed". On the territory of the country, "Latvians" are bred in the stud farms "Tervete", "Burtnieki" and "Zilupe", as well as in numerous private factories and breeding farms. There are two organizations in Latvia that work for the prosperity of the national horse breed - the Society of Horse Breeders and the Association of Latvian Horse Breeders.

The circulation of the horse stamp is 500,000 copies. The tariff of 1.65 euros is designed to pay for items weighing up to 20 grams within the country. It's good to know that a horse has been chosen as one of the themes for the definitive issue. Soon thousands of these horses will decorate ordinary letters and begin their journey around the country.

Sources: veikals.pasts.lv , www.goldmustang.ru