A COMPARISON OF FOALS DEVELOPMENT OF THE LIPIZZANER AND HOLSTEIN BREED

Abstract

A comparison of the Lipizzaner and Holstein breed offspring shows the growth intensity and the development of body measurements at specific age until turning three. 57 Lipizzaner and 25 Holstein breed foals were included by the research. The withers height, the chest girth and the cannon bone circumference were measured seven days after birth, and at the age of 6, 12, 24, 36 months. The collected values show that the most intensive growth was noticed in the first six months of the researched foals, being decreased by age. The withers height increase in the first six months in relation to total increase with the 3 years old Lipizzaner foals was 56.89%; on the other hand the Holstein breed foals showed an increase of 48.82%. The chest girth increased in the first six months by 55.96% with the Lipizzaner foals and 47.28% with the Holstein foals in relation to total triennial growth. The cannon bone circumference with the Lipizzaner foals increased in the first six months by 53.22%, and with the Holstein breed foals by 49.55% in relation to total triennial growth. The above mentioned results show a more intensive growth of the Lipizzaner than of the Holstein breed foals.

Keywords

• horses
• offspring
• Holstein
• Lipizzaner
• body measurements