Žemaitukas

The Žemaitukas ( Lithuanian; majority žemaitukai, diminutive to Žemaitis Samogitians ') - also Zhmud or Zhemaichu - is a pony breed from Eastern Europe. The ponies are very robust. Their use in agriculture is declining in favor of use in tourism and equestrian sports.

The breed should not be confused with the newly bred on this basis, significantly larger breed Stambieji Žemaitukai.

Background information on the evaluation and breeding horses can be found at: exterior, interior and horse breeding.

Exterior

The Žemaitukai are predominantly brown ponies. The head is medium sized and has a straight profile. The tuft is tight and framed by small ears. The neck is relatively short with lush, dense long hair. The fuselage is long and has a pronounced ribcage on.

Interior

The Žemaitukai are considered willing, quiet and frugal with a high life expectancy of about 30 years.

Breeding history

In the self- representation of the breeding institute the race is as early as the 5th / 6th Century represented known. Secure evidence are missing, if only because written records from the area used until much later - it relies largely on archaeological remains here. Much more plausible is the link with information from the chronicles of the Crusaders, where it is referred to small perennial horses of Lithuanians and particularly the Samogitian. As a "Horse of the Samogitian " they are referred to in 1615 in connection with a trip from Vilnius to Krakow in 1554 as a " small, probably because of the great cold, but robust". After breeding in different private goods, in 1922 the establishment of the first state-owned stud farm specializing in Žemaitukai Plunge. After the chaos of war in 1948 remains modest in the state farm Biržuvėnai could be gathered. In 1959 the breed was transferred to the state stud farm in Vilnius. The wave of privatization after 1990 these scattered flock. 1994, when the breed has now been resumed at the Institute for Livestock in Baisogala, only 30 horses were counted. Specific Popularity learned the race, as after Lithuania's accession to the EU, this was classified as worth funding in the village development program 2004-2006.