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| Country of origin | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
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TheBosnian Mountain Horse (Bosnian: Bosanski brdski konj / Босански брдски коњ)[2] is the only indigenousbreed of domestichorse inBosnia and Herzegovina, where it constitutes about 70% of the horse population. It is a small horse and is used both as apack animal and forriding. Breed numbers were severely reduced during theBosnian War of 1992–1995, and, unlike populations of other farm animals, continued to fall after the end of the war.[6]
Selective breeding of the Bosnian Mountain Horse began at the stud ofGoražde in 1908. The principal centres for the selection of the breed were the stud farms ofBorike, in the municipality ofRogatica, andHan Pijesak. Three stallion lines – Agan, Barut and Miško – and nine mare lines were established; the Agan line is lost, and the Barut and Miško lines heavily mixed.Arab stallions at the Borike stud were used to improve the Bosnian Mountain Horse.[6]
There are two types within the breed. The Glasinacki type has substantial Arab influence; it is named after theplateau ofGlasinac on theRomanija mountain, in the eastern part of theRepublika Srpska.[3][7]: 35 A smaller type, the Podveleški, is found inHerzegovina.[4]
Horse populations – like those of other farm animals – suffered heavily during theBosnian War of 1992–1995. In theFederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the total number of horses fell from46628 in 1990 to16080 in 1995, and by 2002 had fallen further to7014, or about 15% of the pre-war number; in the Republika Srpska numbers also fell, though not so steeply. Overall, horse numbers in Bosnia and Herzegovina fell by 68% between 1990 and 2002.[6]
The breed has not been substantially affected by importations of foreign horses. It is in some areas the principal, or even the only, means of transportation.[6]
A survey of3800 of the horses in the 1950s found the commonest colour to bebay, accounting for 38% of the total, followed bygrey (28%), black (18%),chestnut (13%), dun andstriped dun (3%) andisabelline (0.13%).[8]: 168
