Polish Konik horse - characteristics and historical background of native descendants of tarpan.

Abstract

The year 2014 marks the round anniversary of 100 years of the pioneering con- stitution type research on the native Polish horse breed - Polish Konik, which was initiated by two eminent hippologists - Jan Grabowski and Stanislaw Schuch. Genetically and envi- ronmentally, the breed is extremely valuable not only because of the their primitive traits, which these horses inherited from their direct ancestors - the tarpan horses, but mainly due to the fact that in a natural world, the Polish Konik horses, next to the Przewalski horse, represent, for the representatives of the Equus caballus, an invaluable genetic reserve of the primitive biological features, especially those related to longevity and health. The purpose of this study was the characterization of the Polish Konik horses, giving a broad outline of their diverse usability to the wider group of readers outside Poland and bringing attention to the accuracy and reasonable necessity to protect this breed that is priceless to the natural world.