Study of the conditional stability of modern horses of the Kabardin breed in the foothill zone under herd management conditions

Historically, horse breeding in Russia has always held a position of special significance and has been one of the most complex branches of animal husbandry, requiring great patience, knowledge, experience, and intuition. Even today, in developed countries, the standard of living is often measured, like a barometer, to a significant extent by the state and level of horse breeding development. Therefore, considering the changing conditions of horse use, it is necessary to conduct breeding work to improve domestic breeds, considering this the main objective of pedigree horse breeding. Currently, Kabardian breed horses have a fairly wide distribution range in several regions of the Russian Federation, as well as in countries such as Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, France, and others. Interest in horses of this breed stems from their well-known qualities. As is known, they are distinguished by high endurance and a capacity for rapid recovery. To determine the level of adaptive qualities and condition stability of modern Kabardian broodmares under adverse conditions during winter pasture (herd-based) management, research was conducted at the Taik LLC farm in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), in a foothill zone. To more accurately determine live weight losses, the weighing method was applied, carried out three times during the winter period (at the beginning, middle, and end). The conducted research revealed a very high level of condition stability and adaptive qualities in modern Kabardian horses, while maintaining the conformation typical of the best stable-bred breeds. Mares with high stability were identified as follows: among young mares (5-7 years) - 64.9%, among those 8 years and older - 66.5%. Mares with medium stability accounted for 28.1% and 28.9% respectively. Horses with low stability totaled only 15 head, or 5.1% of the 296 head examined.