Phylogenetic development of family structures of the breed Danubian horse

Georgi Yordanov

Abstract: The phylogeny of the families of the breed Danubian horse is investigated based on the analysis
of primary zootechnical documentation, stud breed registries, zootechnical inspection lists of stud
“Clementina”, original zootechnical documents of mares imported from Hungary and Serbia, State
Stud Book vol. I (1959) and II (1964) and current information from the data base of the National Horse
breeding association. It is has been found that the first families are set in the period 1924 to 1940. At
present the rear 12 breed families active, with a total of 76 foaling mares (1 to 16 per family), which
are registered in the Main Section of the Stud Book and 43 fillies born in the period 2018–2020. Seven
families are progenitors of the families, set during the foundation of the breed: five are developed after
1995. The foundation mares of 5 fundamental families are of Nonius breed, 4 of them are imported
from the former Republic of Yugoslavia and 1 – from Hungary. The other two are of Bulgarian origin,
one is Anglo-Arabian and the other – half-bred Thoroughbred. There is potential for sustainable
development of eleven of the existing 12 families.

Keywords: Danubian horse; family structure; generation interval; phylogeny

Date published: 2021-06-17