The article examines the state of horse breeding in the Stalingrad region on the eve of the Great Patriotic War and the sharp decline in the number of horses during the war years. The influence of such factors as sending horses to the front, evacuation of livestock from the western regions of the country, wintering conditions, lack of feed, deterioration of animal care and the epidemiological situation in the region, an increase in the burden on horses and a sharp decrease in the birth rate is shown. The number of horses in the collective farms of the region decreased from 135.3 thousand heads on January 1, 1941 to 35.8 thousand heads on January 1, 1945, or 3.8 times. It was only in 1945 that there were positive developments in the development of horse breeding, when in the first five months the number of horses on collective farms increased by 17.5% compared to the beginning of the year and exceeded targets by 9.4%, and by December 1, the number of horses increased by 7.1 thousand head compared to 1944.