Umka the dog with Kunduchene the horse. Picture: Sakha Press

The unusual scene is from Dyupsya village in Ust-Aldan district of Yakutia, the largest and coldest region in Russia, also known as Sakha Republic.

One of the oldest sayings in English is: 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.'

But Umka seems to manage both these tasks well with stubborn Kunduchene.

Each day the mixed Central Asian and Caucasus Shepherd takes the disobedient six year old horse across the snow to the ice hole for a drink.



'It was impossible to make her move and go, she was such a nuisance - so we taught the dog to help us'. Pictures: Sakha Press

Semen Sivtsev, the horse's owner, said: 'When Kunduchene was a foal, I had a lot of trouble with her, but now my helper walks her to the watering place.'

His daughter Maria Zakharova: 'It was impossible to make her move and go, she was such a nuisance - so we taught the dog to help us, and Umka enjoyed his new mission.

'At first, the horse did not obey Umka either but he kept pulling her and now they are managing well.

'Umka is about 60 kg and Kunduchene is 160 kg, so it took them just about two days to understand who is more stubborn, and now they are great friends.

'Kunduchene loves Umka, she allows him to smell her, and she is smelling him too, checking if this is her friend. He is protecting her.'



Umka with Kunduchene, at home and walking another horse to an ice hole. Pictures: Sakha Press

The horse joins other animals queuing at the ice hole.

Umka waits patiently while the horse takes a daily drink no matter how cold it is.

The owner says his dog has also started escorting other horses back from the ice hole.