[7][5] The Karabakh region was known for the quality of its horses; the classical historian Strabo describes the Armenian province of “Orchistene" as supplying the kingdom with the "most cavalry.

"[8] According to some sources, tens of thousands of horses with golden-chestnut coloring (characteristic of Karabakhs) were seized by the Arabs during their eighth- and ninth-century conquest of Arran.

The heir of Russian general Valerian Madatov sold all his horses, including 200 Karabakh mares, to a breeder in the Don region in 1836.

Seven years later, the Karabakh stallion Zaman and an Akhal-Teke named Mele-Kush were presented to Queen Elizabeth II by the Soviet government.

Unlike Mehdigulu Khan, his daughter Khurshidbanu Natavan was actively engaged in the development of stud farms.

Natavan's Karabakh horses took part in the Exposition Universelle (1867), agricultural exhibition in Moscow (1869), in Tbilisi (1882) and were awarded golden medals and certificates of honour.

[17] Karabakh horses are bred at two stud farms: in the village of Lambaran of the Barda region, and in Agstafa.

[18] The traditional Karabakh horse-riding game of chovqan was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2013.

[5] On 13 February 2017, the Organisational Committee of the Islamic Solidarity Games introduced mascots: Karabakh horses Inca, that represented beauty and tenderness, and Casur, that stood out with self-confidence and love of freedom.

[26] In 2012, the breed appeared at the Royal Windsor Horse Show to perform at the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

[29] On May 16, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II was presented with a Karabakh horse named Shohrat (Glory) as gift from President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.

The horse has a deep chest,[contradictory] a sloping croup and long, fine, strong legs with small joints.

The main colors are chestnut and bay, with a characteristic golden tint; some are gray, and palominos and buckskins are rare.

[34] They are known for their endurance as the 19th century French Geographer Reclus Elisée describes in his book L'Homme et la terre (The Earth and its Inhabitants) their strength as: "The Karabakh horses, however, which climb the cliffs like goats, are said to be the finest in Transcaucasia"[35]