Die Gangpferderasse Aegidienberger

Abstract

The gaited breed “Aegidienberger” was developed on base of a breeding- idea of Walter Feldmann sen. and Walter Feldmann jun. 1982. By expert advice of Dr. Dohn the head of breeding management of the rhenish stud book and Prof. Dr. Schmitten the head of the department of animal breeding of the faculty of agriculture of the university Bonn the breeding idea was transferred to a though breeding- schedule. On base of the 5/8- cross- breed program used in farm animal production before Islandic horses and Peruvian horses were mated with each other. The products of this breed were registered in the rhenish stud book by the name “breeding attempt Aegidienberger horse”. Target was to create a final product in type of an Icelandic horse with an increased height showing a genetic fixed Tölt- gait with equal beat. By strict breeding hygiene an equal stability of health was reached. Since 1994 „Aegidienberger“ officially became accepted as separate breed by the ministry of environment, regional planning and agriculture and by the German Equestrian Federation. The standard of the breed is fixed in the breeding regulation of “Aegidienberger Horses”. By experiences revealed by the first generations (F1 and R1) bred and recognition of positive and negative morphology of the offspring and therefore the parental generation the breed was improved and approached to the final target more. Examining the first generations bred it became obvious a well developed Tölt- gait got genetically fixed meanwhile the height defined in the breeding target was not reached. Therefore individual horses of other gaited breeds became recommended for the Aegidienberger breed under achievement of certain conditions starting in 2004. For this purpose potential parental animals have to be presented at a material- exam for licensing first. Despite several controversies due to an expected blur of the animals pedigree offspring revealed by such matings get registered as “Aegidienberger candidates” till taking the material exam. By passing this exams successfully these animals may obtain the title “examined Aegidienberger Horse” similar to all Aegidienberger Horses produced by the classical breeding schedule. The population includes more than 600 animals today (Bartel, 2003). Main focus of the breed stays in Rhineland meanwhile the Aegidienberger Horse gets more popular in whole Europe.