The Silesian mink is a cold-blooded, medium-sized breed with an average weight of 600-700 kg. It is a horse of strong constitution with a slightly club-nosed head, a strong neck, a relatively long body and a strong, slightly arched hindquarters. He is easy to handle and docile, walks well and is willing to cooperate with the coach. It is healthy and fertile, without high demands on the composition of the food.
Silesian mink breeding at the Klokočov Farm is managed by the Council of the Silesian Mink Stud Book and the Council of the Silesian Mink Stud Book within the Association of Cold-Blooded Horse Breeders, which is part of the Association of Horse Breeders of the Czech Republic. Three-year-old Silesian Norik mares perform so-called performance tests, are registered in stud books and are further used for breeding or work.
From the history of Silesian norik breeding
The Silesian mink is a cold-blooded breed, but it was created by crossing warm-blooded mares especially in the area around Jeseník and Opava in the second half of the 19th and early 20th century and has been further bred since then.
The original mission of the Silesian mink was to work in the fields and forests, which especially in the Opava Region required a horse that was strong and at the same time mobile, and the original breeding material of a lighter type was also determined by the requirements of the Ministry of War. Norik stallions from the Alpine regions were used in this purposefully controlled strengthening process. The name of the breed "norik" thus refers to the old name of these areas from the time of the Roman Empire (the province of Nordium). Descendants of these imports in subsequent generations have already acquired the epithet "Silesian".
During the First and Second World Wars, however, breeding suffered considerably and it was not better after the war either. During collectivization and the beginning of cooperatives, as well as with the advent of machines and tractors, the traditional use of cold-blooded horses for agricultural work was reduced and their numbers declined significantly. These horses were used practically only for logging and there was a crossbreeding of breeds, mainly Silesian norik and norik.
So the Silesian mink waited for its glory until the 80s of the last century, when these noble and at the same time hardworking cold-blooded horses once again became sought-after helpers in logging throughout Czechoslovakia.
Horse breeding in Klokočov
The history of horse breeding in Klokočov begins in 1953, when, by order of the Ministry of Agriculture, breeding facilities were built at some state estates, among others at the Vítkov state estate, where Františkův dvůr was chosen for this purpose.
The original breeding intention was the production of powerful all-round warm-blooded horses, but in the early 1960s, the rest of the breeding herd of Silesian norik from the declining breeding of the state farm Deštná was moved to Klokočov. The existing breeding of warm-blooded horses was canceled and the breeding program focused exclusively on the Silesian Norica horse.
The breeding herd of Silesian mink in Klokočov gradually grew and its breeding quality was increased by annual sorting. At the time of its greatest prosperity in the 80s of the last century, Klokočov acquired the status of a breeding breed. In 1988, the herd of mothers consisted of 96 breeding mares, and together with the years of foals, the total number was 478 horses.
Among the most important stallions at that time were Hubír 10, his son Hubír 13, then 2914 Gofal and later 2901 Hegar. An important stud in recent years was the stallion 2415 Hugo. The entire breeding herd was characterized by a stable phenotype and genotype, and these important exterior and character traits are also preserved in the current breeding herd of Silesian mink in Klokočov. Silesian mink as a breed has become the gene source of the Czech Republic.
Today, Hřebčín Klokočov Františkův dvůr is the largest concentrated breeding of the Silesian mink breed in the Czech Republic. They currently own 20 mares of the core herd and ten foals are born every year. The stallion 1443 Negír and the stallion 2637 Ryo worked as studs in the last period and left very good offspring, the stallion 1589 Baramis worked in Klokočov for three years and currently there are two studs 2885 Steiman and a representative of the low-numbered line 2953 Regent.
The Silesian Norik is characterized as a hardworking and undemanding horse. It is durable, calm, easy to handle and works well with people. It is mainly used for work, it can also be used with a lighter harness or for riding under saddle, as part of hippotherapy or during riding training. In the area of Františkova dvora, there are facilities for visitors, who are attended by qualified staff, and they complete the ride under the supervision of a qualified guide or coachman. The experience is intended for all generations without distinction, according to need and own possibilities, it can also be completed by the disabled by agreement. It is a unique relaxation, the course of which depends on the abilities and possibilities of the given rider. In the case of using a carriage or a carriage, one can indulge in undisturbed observation of the passing landscape, watching the views and resting.
You can arrange tours of the farm or rides by calling 733 122 539 between 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
