The Konik (Polish: konik polski) or Polish primitive horse is a small horse, a kind of semi-wild pony, originating in Poland. The Polish word konik (plural koniki) is the diminutive of koń, the Polish word for "horse" (sometimes confused with kuc, kucyk meaning "pony"). However, the name "konik" or "Polish konik" is used to refer to certain specific breeds. Koniks show many primitive features, for example some breeds have the dun coat and dorsal stripe.

In 1936, Professor Tadeusz Vetulani of Poznań University began attempts to breed the recently extinct tarpan back to its original state. To achieve this he used horses from the Biłgoraj area descended from wild tarpans captured in 1780 in Białowieża Forest and kept until 1808 in Zamoyski zoo. These had later been given to local peasants and crossbred with domestic horses. The Polish government commandeered all the koniks that displayed tarpan-like features. The result of this selective breeding program is that semi-wild herds of koniks can be seen today in many nature reserves and parks, and can also be seen in the last refugium in Białowieża Forest.
Vetulani's breeding program is one of several attempts at breeding back the Tarpan. Other programs resulted in the Heck horse.

As it seems genetically very close to the extinct tarpan, the original European wild horse, it has been introduced into many nature reserves in the Netherlands such as the Oostvaardersplassen.
Along with the wisent and the Heck Cattle, the konik are big grazers. They keep the landscape open, and when kept without supplemental winter feeding, they alter the landscape to produce more parklike forest.

In Maastricht, the Netherlands, a herd was released in 1995, in 'de Kleine Weerd', a 12 hectare strip of land (roughly 100 m by 1 km) along the river Meuse. The area is open to the public, but people are advised not to go near the horses because their reaction is unpredictable.
Koniks have also been introduced in Latvia and the United Kingdom because of the success of such programs. Koniks have been introduced into Wicken Fen near Cambridge by the National Trust. Koniks have also been introduced to a number of Nature Reserves in Kent, England by Wildwood Trust (the charity which runs the Wildwood Discovery Park) and Kent Wildlife Trust. These include Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve, Ham Fen National Nature Reserve, Whitehall Meadow, Sandwich Bay and Park Gate Down.

(Source: Wikipedia)

In Germany, also examples are known, e.g. "Wilde Weiden, Die Neuen Wilden" in Westphalia.

Formerly throughout Eurasia.

• Last wild European subspecies are believed to have died in Poland in 1814, in Ukraine in 1879. However it is most probable that these were already feral horses (Vlasakker, van de; pers.comm. 2007).
• Wild populations of the subspecies survived (at least until recently) in SW Mongolia and adjacent Gansu, Sinkian, and Inner Mongolia (China).
• Domesticated worldwide; feral in Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Iran and several countries outside the Palaearctic.

(Equid specialist group, 1996a; Wilson & Reeder, 2005)

As with Aurochs, attempts have been made to introduce certain breeds (e.g. Konik) that are close to there wild ancestors to the wild. With respect to these projects it is of importance that species are introduced in the range of the original wild subspecies, it resembles most.

To add information about primitive races such Exmoor ponies, and horses in the triangle of Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine.

View European wild horse in a larger map

Distribution of the European Wild horse Substitutes. Please add your location.

European wild horse (substitutes) weergeven op een grotere kaart

Please email photos and figures that may be used in further publications to info@largeherbivore.org

To illustrate this webpage (and for the sake of the protection of these animals) we have made use of photos of which it is not always clear who is the possessor of the credits and rights. If you feel yourself infringed in your rights or if you know the source of a photo, please let us know.