Summary

The Hungarian Coldblood horse breed was traditionally used in agricultural works but the modernisation of agricultural tools has largely replaced it. Their breeding was carried out mainly by private farmers and their breeding objectives were often driven by the market preferences which jeopardised key traits of the breed. 

The University of Kaposvár joined a rescue programme to protect the genetic lines of the breed with its own Coldblood studs. This programme aimed to identify and use representatives of the breed’s foundational stallion lines for reproduction. Support under Measure 10 of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) facilitated the rearing of foals, born from carefully planned mating, to reconstruct the rare stallion lines. 

Results

In the last three years, 2 350 doses of semen were collected and frozen from 18 breeding stallions from rare lineages.

Currently the University has 23 mares. Some were born from the University’s own studs through planned mating and some were purchased from other breeders. Out of the 23 mares, 19 (83%) belong to the endangered stallion line.

Out of the current 52 stallions, 42 individuals (81%) belong to the rare line.