Malopolski

Malopolski
	Malopolski horse
Other names	Lubelsko-Kielecki; Kraków-Rzeszów
Country of origin	Poland
	Equus ferus caballus;

The Malopolski (Polish: koń małopolski) is a Polish horse breed developed in the 19th century in Lesser Poland, Polish Małopolska, hence the name. It is versatile breed, used today for light draft and under-saddle work. It was developed mainly from native Polish horses crossed with Thoroughbreds and Arabians, and a 2006 study shows a strong genetic presence of Thoroughbred bloodlines within the breed today. Population numbers have been in decline since the late 20th century, but genetic studies show little danger of inbreeding at this time.

Breed characteristics

Malopolski horses generally stand from 15.3 to 16.2

croup slightly sloping. The legs are well-muscled and long, with good joints and tough hooves. The breed has much in common with another Polish breed, the Wielkopolski. Malopolski horses are used for riding and light draft work. They are said to perform well in sporting competitions, especially show jumping.^[1]

History

The origins of the Malopolski are rooted in native Polish horses of the 15th century, who were crossed with

stud book for the breed was begun, and despite a lack of demand for horses to work in agriculture, Malopolskis rose in popularity as a riding horse. However, beginning in 1999 the breed population has begun to decline, and concerns have been raised about the possibility of inbreeding. However, a 2006 study found that there was little danger of inbreeding within the Malopolski, in part due to the large amount of genetic diversity brought to the breed by the Thoroughbred, which was shown to have a strong genetic influence on the current Malopolski breed.^[3]

There are two distinct varieties of the Malopolski. The first is the Sadecki, which was heavily influenced by the Furioso line, and the second is the Dąbrowsko-Tarnowski, heavily influenced by the Gidran line.[1] The breed was also influenced by infusions of various other Arabian and Thoroughbred half-breeds. Today, they are bred at five state studs in Poland: Stubno, Prudnik, Udórz, Walewice, and Janów Podlaski Stud Farm, as well as by individual citizens of southeast and central Poland.^[2]

References

^
ISBN 0-671-66068-3
.

^
ISBN 978-0-8061-3884-8
.

^ Ząbek, Tomasz; Żyga, Agata; Radko, Anna; Słota, Ewa (2006). "Analysis of Genetic Variation in Malopolski Horses Using Molecular and Pedigree Data" (PDF). Annals of Animal Science. 6 (1).

External links

Malopolski Horse Breeders Association of Poland (in Polish)

[Bongianni-1] 
ISBN 0-671-66068-3
.

[Hendricks-2] 
ISBN 978-0-8061-3884-8
.

[3] Ząbek, Tomasz; Żyga, Agata; Radko, Anna; Słota, Ewa (2006). "Analysis of Genetic Variation in Malopolski Horses Using Molecular and Pedigree Data" (PDF). Annals of Animal Science. 6 (1).

[1]

[3]

[2]