Commission on Horse Production

Abstract

1. Background • with regard to genetic aspects of horse production major topics covered included genetic base of Horse production in Europe has played an imperformance, reproduction and health, breeding portant and variable role in agriculture over the last programmes, performance testing, estimating 50 years. In the early 50s horse populations were breeding values, inbreeding and population size. largest and horses were mainly used providing draft • With regard to environmental aspects of horse power for agriculture and forestry. Thereafter the production subjects covered included nutrition of number of horses decreased since fewer draught sport horses, nutritional value of feed, protein and horses were needed and in many populations breedenergy evaluation systems, biotechnical aspects in ing goals were adapted for sport horses. Nowadays, reproduction, and management aspects of horses. in most European countries horse populations have • Also organisational aspects relating to registering increased in numbers particularly over the last ten and identifying horses were covered. years and are dominated by sport horses, such as • Recently, more attention has been given to probriding horses, race horses, and cart horses. Neverthelems relating to behaviour of horses, to physiless in some countries horses are kept for meat and ology in training, exercising and performing milk production and other special markets. Parallel horses, and to education of horse owners and with the great changes in size and function of many users. horse populations public and scientific attention given to horses has steadily increased. Following the great variety of horse populations in Europe, the Commission on Horse Production has always looked closely into the situation of horse 2. The commission’s policy production of each individual member country of EAAP. Also, several activities in cooperation beFollowing the mandate of the Commissions as tween scientific groups interested in horses have led defined by the Statutes of the EAAP with regard to to recommendations widely accepted in Europe, such improving the conditions of animal production and as the Energy and Protein Evaluation Systems of its organisation, the Horse Commission focused on Feed for Horses. Recently, the Horse Commission genetic and environmental aspects in horse productestablished a working group for identifying systems ion either by itself or in close cooperation with the of performance testing and evaluating horses within discipline-oriented Commissions. In more detail, and across European countries.