The “Vučijak” Stud Farm in Prnjavor is creating the foundations for the implementation of a new, modern system of horse keeping and breeding by acquiring new equipment, primarily rubber flooring to improve environmental conditions for breeding, as well as by planning its own cultivation of crops for balanced and high-quality horse nutrition.
The acting director of this public institution, Ranko Grubešić, told SRNA that a proper system in horse breeding must be established and that the planned reconstruction of the stud farm will bring a different structure, form of breeding, and mode of operation, while also enabling normal work with the current number of employees.
Grubešić described the situation at the stud farm as disorganized, stressing that modernization comes after decades of neglect, especially of the built facilities.
– We practically inherited a large farm that housed not only horses but other animals as well. All this property, inherited from the former institution, we are now adapting and converting for its intended purpose. Although it would be easiest to demolish the old buildings and construct new ones suitable for horse housing, we do not want to do that, because it would erase the spirit of the stud farm and its surroundings – he said.
He noted that the stallion stable, built in 1946, is both a kind of historical monument constructed in the style characteristic of the post-war period and, at the same time, adequately sized and shaped for horse breeding. However, it is in poor condition since nothing has been invested in it since its construction.
– A horse is an animal that requires hygiene. Housing conditions must be nearly perfect. Through the experimental-educational center we obtained funds to create modern conditions for their breeding, which means adapting the interior living space for horses according to world standards, replacing earthen floors prone to harmful fungi and mold with modern rubber flooring that is easy to clean, disinfect, and wash – Grubešić explained.
This modernization will not only mean better conditions for Lipizzaners but also a reduction in manure production, thereby decreasing the time-consuming manual cleaning of stables, freeing workers for other essential tasks in horse breeding, and increasing efficiency and productivity.
Soon: Circular automatic horse walker and new stalls
The stud farm has also initiated the process of acquiring a circular automatic horse walker with the help of donors, which will allow six horses to be exercised automatically within an hour and a half. Plans are also underway to convert former cattle barns, due to their strong construction, into secure and safe stalls for stallions.
– We have the capacity to build 54 individual stalls, and for this year, within financial limits, our goal is 18. We have already built nine, and the remaining nine should be completed soon – Grubešić said.
He noted that in the near future the stud farm will also have facilities for geldings, used for recreational riding.
– In Prnjavor we currently have an informal group of young people who work with horses voluntarily, and the benefit for the stud farm is that these horses are trained. The structure of our employees is such that they are not fully trained for professional work with horses – he explained.
One of the institution’s obligations in the coming period will also be to purchase a certain line of stallions from foreign stud farms to avoid inbreeding.
Oats cultivation at the stud farm
The “Vučijak” Stud Farm has taken a serious approach to cultivating its own crops for horse nutrition. This year, they produced more than 80 tons of oats and about 800 bales of hay. During the spring, they planted 22 hectares of grass-clover mixtures, whose effects on horse nutrition will be seen next year, and they also plan to expand into wheat production. Until they are able to fence off available plots to prevent damage from wild animals, they have temporarily abandoned corn cultivation.
Judging by what has already been done and planned, brighter days are ahead for this stud farm, whose Lipizzaner breeding tradition is inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
– We have the support of the Government of Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Srpska, the city of Prnjavor, and Mayor Darko Tomaš. We are achieving our goals, and the stud farm is developing in the right direction – Grubešić said.
The “Vučijak” Stud Farm is one of Prnjavor’s landmarks and possesses six of the eight globally recognized bloodlines of Lipizzaner breeding horses. It was founded by decree of the Ministry of Defense for the needs of the then People’s Army in April 1946, and was named after the nearby hill Vučijak. Today, the stud farm houses 111 purebred Lipizzaners.
Source: See Srpska
