Published in 2025, the book explores one of Europe’s oldest aboriginal populations, which was formed under conditions of Polesie. Scientific materials and rare photographs reveal horses’ origin, their exterior and designation, as well as present-day challenges associated with their declining numbers. Particular attention is drawn to the role of Polesskaya horses in agriculture, sports, equine-assisted therapy, and environmental projects, as well as prospects for their conservation in the framework of national and international programs.
The book is destined for a wide range of readers: from horse breeding specialists to horse lovers.
Expeditions of 2021
In 2021, employees of the Institute of Genetics and Cytology, NAS of Belarus (E. Makeyeva, PhD, Associate Professor, Head of the National Coordination Centre on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing, and T. Dolmatovich, PhD, Leading Researcher), organized several expeditions to Polesie to survey the horse populations of the Stolin, Luninets, and Zhitkovichi districts.
The goal of the expeditions was to determine the number of Polesskaya horses that could be obtained from the population for breeding. A total of 846 horses from private farmsteads in 56 villages were examined. Based on phenotypic characteristics, 93 horses were classified as belonging to the Polesskaya population. As a result, DNA samples of the Polesskaya population were collected and included in the catalogue of collections of the Republican DNA Bank of a Human, Animals, Plants and Microorganisms.
European Rewilding Network
In 2021, thanks to the Institute of Genetics and Cytology, Belarus joined the European Rewilding Network to promote the use of Belarusian horses in maintaining sustainable ecosystems and preserving their biodiversity in our country.
The Value of Aboriginal Horses
Unfortunately, Belarus has no experience yet with the use of Polesskaya horses and Belarusian draft horses in the wild (free-range grazing).
The Russian version of the book is available at the following link.