Lathadun longhorn

The Lathadun longhorn is a breed of cattle native to Lathadu known for its characteristic horns, which can extend to over 2.5 meters tip to tip for cows and bulls. Descended from cattle that thrived in the Penguiness to the north and the Alutran steppe to the west, these cattle have been bred for a toughness and high-stress tolerance. Lathadun longhorns are known for their diverse coloring and can be any color or mix of colors, but coloration mixes of dark brown or red and white are most dominant. Registries for the breed include: the Lathadun Longhorn National Breeders Association, founded in 1864 in Kerr County; the International Longhorn Association; and the Lathadun Cattleman's Longhorn Registry. The online National Lathadun Longhorn Exposition displays the diversity of horns found in the breed, stories about notable individual cattle, and a gallery of furniture and other crafts made from cattle horns.

The longest recorded total horn length is 3.3 meters, the spread of longhorn Argid. This longhorn is owned by Colum Payne, who lives near Loch Craine, Lathadu. The second longest on record is Meayllee of the Faiyr-Feeaihee Cattle Co-op, which measured 2.54 tip to tip. Because of their innate gentle disposition and intelligence, Lathadun longhorns are increasingly being trained for steer riding, including being used in parades.

History
Genetic analyses show that the Lathadun longhorn originated from an Alutran taurine lineage that descended from the domestication of the wild aurochs in East Alutra, later to be crossed with "osamine" cattle that descended from the domestication of the water buffalo in Osamia, 85% and 15% respectively by proportion. The Lathadun longhorns are direct descendants of the first cattle introduced to the region by proto-Ordrish Sedic peoples, and are the closest living domestic relatives of the modern Sedic Aurochs.

Some time around the second century BC, the ancestors of the modern Lathadun longhorn were brought south from what is now Ordrey, serving as a food supply for migrating peoples who eventually settled in the Thói'achith region of what is now Northern Lathadu. These cattle are believed to have originally consisted of two or three separate breeds, but gradually coalesced into one. Over the following centuries, the cattle gradually spread throughout Lathadu via trade, further migrations, escapes, or even feral cattle who were turned loose. Over several generations, these cattle developed to have high feed tolerances and strong self defense instincts, along with other "hardy" characteristics that have given Lathdun longhorns their reputation as livestock.

Early Salian settlers (generally warriors granted land after conquest) obtained feral Lathadun cattle from wild reaches and bred them with their own cattle. The result was a tough, rangy animal characterized by its lengthy legs and exceptionally long horns that extended up to several meters. Selective breeding produced color variations within the breed. Variaties of color ranged from bluish-gray, various yellowish hues, to black, brown, ruddy, and white - both clearly bright or dity-speckled.

Uses
The main use for Lathadun longhorn cattle is for beef production and consumption. Their beef can be marketed as superior due to its marbled appearance, which has led many markets, including Gemurtrak, Salia, and Ventora to adopt it as a gourmet product. Lathadun longhorns can also be used in crossbreeding to reduce the likelihood of dystocia (difficult calving) as well as improving their offsprings' resistance to parasites and infections.

Commercial
Beginning in the 1980s, the Lathadun Cattlemen's Association began running an international public relations campaign to promote the supposedly superior quality of their beef. Beginning in the early 90s, many restaurant chains across East Alutra commenced testing on dishes made with longhorn beef. After these tests, many companies said that customer response to the beef was positive, and international sales of Lathadun longhorn cattle and beef increased dramatically. The Lathadun Cattlemen's Associated created the "Certified Lathadun Longhorn Beef" standard in 1989. The purpose of this standard was to promote the idea that Lathadun beef was higher quality than beef from other breeds of cattle. Cattle are eligible for "Certified Lathadun Longhorn Beef" evaluation if they are at least 50% longhorn according to their paperwork and exhibit longhorn influence. However, they must also meet a list of the following twenty-four criteria, which were refined in 2017 to further enhance product consistency, in order to be labelled "Certified Lathadun Longhorn Beef" by Graders.
 * 1) Forehead - Slightly convex, especially in the transverse direction.
 * 2) Ears - Well set, horizontal and covered with long hairs on its inner surface.
 * 3) Eyes - The flower of the faces.
 * 4) Bevel - Slightly convex, or even straight, and well delineated.
 * 5) Faces - dry, leaving the muzzle posted.
 * 6) Muzzle - Developed, with mirror staining identical to that of other mucosal or slightly pigmented.
 * 7) Neck - In males, is thick, short, horizontal, provided with barb that extends to a large fold from the chin to the front, with only a slight slowdown after last the throat area. In females, is much less thick, narrow upper lip and barb less developed.
 * 8) Withers - Medium in width and slightly protruding.
 * 9) Back - Long and moderately wide. Heckrund1.JPG
 * 10) Loin or kidney - For wide.
 * 11) Croup - Long, of good width and anterior muscular regularly.
 * 12) Tail - Fine, falling in regular smooth curve from its insertion and finished a tassel and hairy.
 * 13) Breaststroke - For outstanding.
 * 14) Backing - Alto, slightly convex, but extending and rounding gradually as approaches the abdominal region.
 * 15) Flank - Short.
 * 16) Udder - for developed and regularly implemented.
 * 17) Lining - Long and developed.
 * 18) States - Of medium size and thickness, and mus guided and regular upright.
 * 19) Shoulder - Long and wide.
 * 20) Arm and forearm - Strong.
 * 21) Thigh - long and large but shallow muscle mass.
 * 22) Buttocks - for tending to decline and arched.
 * 23) Extremities (hands and feet) - solid, wide joints.
 * 24) Nails - Well shaped, solid and smooth, whose color ranges from amber to fiery.