Keywords: Ossetians, matchmaking, son-in-law, pre-wedding gift, horse

The article discusses one of the most important elements of the Ossetian wedding ritual — a custom of donation a horse denoted as faty bækh («horse of arrow»). Research of this issue’s historiography reveals some significant uncertainties in the interpretation of the ethnographic information on faty bækh. In particular, the sources do not confirm the interpretation of faty bækh as a horse, that was given as a gift to the bride’s father. Sources analysis leads to conclusions about local specific features inherent this custom in different Ossetian societies: among Tagaurians and Alagirs the recipients of the faty bækh horse are not personified (relatives of the bride), while among the Kurtatians this gift was definitely presented to the bride’s mother.