Based in Binh Son commune, Song Cong, Thai Nguyen province, the Center for Animal Breeding Research and Development in Mountainous Areas under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is known as the largest supplier of crossbred horses in the North.

The Center was established in 1960 as the Ba Van horse breeding farm, but had its name changed in 1998 under a Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development decision revising its functions.

Director Nguyen Van Dai said his center paid great attention to research into improving the stature of local horses because in mountainous regions horses are used not only for transportation but also for plowing.

Grass is cut by machine before being fed to horses.  Adding salt to keep grass fresh.  Horses of different breeds are kept separately. Feeding horses in the morning. Vietnamese brown and dark-brown horses make a majority of horses raised at the center.   Checking samples from the horses’ intestine for epidemic control at the center’s lab.

The research focused on breed selection, and purebred and crossbred multiplication to improve the stature and productivity of local horses. The center has selected the Kabardin breed for crossbreeding with the local one to produce a new breed which has a 25% blood rate of Kabardin horses. These 25% Kabardin-bred horses are supplied to the northern mountainous provinces of Cao Bang, Lao Cai, Bac Can, Ha Giang and Bac Giang for the production needs of ethnic people.

Under a ministerial-level project entitled “Research on horse crossbreeding for sports and tourism purposes”, the Center for Animal Breeding Research and Development in Mountainous Areas has imported from Germany 72 frozen semen straws of racing stallions for crossbreeding for sports purposes.

Given the rising demand to use horses for cultural, sports and tourist activities, the center has also crossbred the Kabardin breed with local ones to turn out horses of 50% and 70% Kabardin breed for tourist attractions, horse farms, ecotourism destinations and the circus.

Doan Quang Hop, a technician from the center said, they now have around 200 stallions which are Kabardin, Vietnamese, white, miniature, and crossbred racing horses. The center is focusing on preserving white and crossbred racing horses to use them for crossbreeding.

In 2017, the center crossbred and raised white horses to preserve this breed.  The center's sfaff graze horses every day.  The centers imports miniature horses for crossbreeding to meet tourism needs.   Pastures for grazing at the center.    The center has supplied over 20,000 crossbred horses for ethnic people in northern mountainous provinces.

The Center for Animal Breeding Research and Development in Mountainous Areas is now a leading research institution for horse crossbreeding and raising, which has helped increase agricultural production effectiveness and boost horse-related sports and tourist activities in the north.
 

Story: Ngan Ha - Photos: Khanh Long