[Biological and performance parameters of the Nonius horse breed in Slovakia] | Biologické a výkonnostné parametre koní plemena Nonius na Slovensku

The aim of this paper was to analyze the development of blood horse families, their performance and versatility in the process of breeding, to evaluate the growth indicators as well as the achievement level of the stallions and mares for the last 50 years. A phenorype value of the observed mares showed, in most indicators, the average value of the breeding standard. For practical purposes we mostly reccommend to use the horse family No. 14 (1 Nonius), which has fulfilled all the prescribed average values of the observed body measures according to breeding standard. Based on our research of the Nonius body lines we can state that at present there are 3 stallions that are followers of the N VIII horse line founder, hi general, there are 12 stallions that are active within this breed in Slovakia. Out of the genealogical information we have acquired about the horse families we can state that die generation interval value was 12.1 years and the relatedness index was calculated on the level of 1.67%. The average degree of homozygousity increase or the intensity index of relatedness breeding was 1.31% and the average individual gain of inbreeding was on the level of 0.25%. We can state from the analysis of the body measurements taken in different periods of time that the mares of the second and third groups have achieved better parameters in some body measures than the mares of the first group. It was statistically confirmed that this particular breed grew much stronger through the goal-directed breeding work, improved nutrition as well as the immediate breeding site. It was quite complicated to evaluate the performance tests because the individual indicators were significantly influenced by the subjective views of the commitee members performing the evaluation. The next factor which prevents the objective evaluation is the fact that in the period up to 1979, the performance tests were valued by the 100 point system and from the year 1980 by the 10 point system. That is why we take the performance test results into account only as supplemental ones, which can provide a kind of amendment to the observed biological parameters.