The Jabe (also spelled Zhabe or Jaby) is one of the principal subtypes within the broader one of the principal subtypes of the Kazakh breed breed, alongside the Adaev and Dzhabe. It was developed by nomadic pastoralists on the cold semi-arid steppes of Central Asia — principally in what is now Kazakhstan — as a dual-purpose draught and meat horse capable of surviving extreme winter conditions without supplemental feed.
Jabe horses are characterised by a stocky, heavily muscled body with a large head, a short thick neck, pronounced withers, and a deep broad back. They deposit subcutaneous fat readily in summer and autumn, sustaining themselves through winter by pawing through snow to graze dry grass — a behaviour called 'tebenovka'. Foals are born hardy and grow quickly on the kumiss production from the mare's milk. The breed is primarily used for meat and kumiss (fermented mare's milk) production in Kazakhstan, though individuals are also used for light riding. Standing 13.1 to 14.1 hands (135–145 cm), the Jabe is smaller than European draft breeds but far more metabolically adapted to steppe winters.