Silesian horse
Encyclopedia
The Silesian horse, Polish
: Koń śląski, Silesian: Ślůnski kůń, is a breed
of warmblood
horse from the area of historic Silesia
, which lies mostly within modern Poland
. It is the heaviest of the Polish warmblood breeds, and has been influenced mainly by the Thoroughbred
and Oldenburg, and partly by the East Friesian and German halfbred
. Two types are recognised in the breed standard, an old and a new. At 3 years old, stallions of the old type stand 160 – at the withers
, mares about 2 cm less; the girth is 190 –, and the cannon-bone circumference about 23–24 cm. The new or racing type is taller and lighter, stallions standing 164 – at the withers and mares about 2 cm less; the girth measures 185–200 cm and the cannon-bone 21.5–23 cm. Stallions average 650 kg (1,433 lb), mares 600 kg. The current stud-book dates from 1961; registers for this type of horse have been kept since the late 19th century. In 2008 the breed numbered about 5000.
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
: Koń śląski, Silesian: Ślůnski kůń, is a breed
Horse breed
Horse breed is a broad term with no clear consensus as to definition, but most commonly refers to selectively bred populations of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a very broad sense to define landrace animals, or...
of warmblood
Warmblood
Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds, primarily originating in Europe, registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport...
horse from the area of historic Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, which lies mostly within modern Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It is the heaviest of the Polish warmblood breeds, and has been influenced mainly by the Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
and Oldenburg, and partly by the East Friesian and German halfbred
German Warmblood
German Warmblood may refer generally to any of the various warmblood horses of Germany, or more specifically to a warmblood registered with the nation-wide German Horse Breeding Society...
. Two types are recognised in the breed standard, an old and a new. At 3 years old, stallions of the old type stand 160 – at the withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
, mares about 2 cm less; the girth is 190 –, and the cannon-bone circumference about 23–24 cm. The new or racing type is taller and lighter, stallions standing 164 – at the withers and mares about 2 cm less; the girth measures 185–200 cm and the cannon-bone 21.5–23 cm. Stallions average 650 kg (1,433 lb), mares 600 kg. The current stud-book dates from 1961; registers for this type of horse have been kept since the late 19th century. In 2008 the breed numbered about 5000.