Konik

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The konik is a small Polish horse, a kind of semi-wild pony. In Poland these horses are called koniks, this word comes from the Polish diminutive for a horse, but refers to several breeds. These koniks show many primitive features, for example some breeds have the dun coat and dorsal stripe.

In 1936, professor Tadeasz Vetulai of Poznan University began attempts to breed the extinct tarpan back to its original state. The Polish government commandeered all the koniks, which displayed tarpan-like features. The result of this selective breeding programme is that semi-wild herds of koniks can be seen today in many nature reserves and parks.

[edit] Nature reserves

A konik horse in the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve in the Netherlands.
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A konik horse in the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve in the Netherlands.

As it is genetically very close to the extinct tarpan, the original European wild horse, it has been introduced into many nature reserves in the Netherlands such as the Oostvaardersplassen.

Along with deer, the wisent and the Heck Cattle, the konik are big grazers. They keep the landscape open, and when kept without supplemental winter feeding, they alter the landscape to produce more parklike forest.

In Maastricht, the Netherlands, a herd was released in 1995, in 'de Kleine Weerd', a 12 hectare strip of land (roughly 100 m by 1 km) along the river Meuse. The area is open to the public, but people are advised not to go near the horses because their reaction is unpredictable. Koniks have also been introduced in Latvia and the United Kingdom because of the success of such programs. Koniks have been introduced into Wicken Fen near Cambridge by the National Trust.

[edit] See also

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[edit] References

  • Maas, P.H.J. 2006. Selective breeding. The Extinction Website. Downloaded at 27 August 2006.
  • Maas, P.H.J. 2006. Tarpan - Equus ferus ferus. The Extinction Website. Downloaded at 27 August 2006.
  • Markerink, M., 2002. Koniks, wilde paarden in Nederland. Stichting Ark, Hoog Keppel.
  • Volf, J. 1979. Tarpanoidni kun ("konik") a jeho chov v Popielne (Polsko)/ The tarpanoid horse ("konik") and its breeding in Popielno (Poland). Gazella 2:67-73.
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