EQUESTRIAN CENTER “VUČIJAK” IN PRNJAVOR ENTERS A NEW ERA OF HORSE BREEDING

The Vučijak Stud Farm in Prnjavor, with the purchase of new equipment—primarily rubber flooring to improve the environmental conditions for horse breeding—and with plans for its own production of plant crops for balanced and high-quality horse feed, is creating conditions for the implementation of a modernized system of horse care and breeding.

Acting Director of this public institution, Ranko Grubešić, told Srna that a proper system in horse breeding must be established and that the planned reconstruction of the stud farm will bring a different concept, breeding method, and way of functioning, while also enabling normal operations with the current number of employees.

Grubešić described the condition of the stud as disorganized, noting that modernization comes after decades of neglect, particularly of the existing facilities.

“We practically inherited a large farm where not only horses but also other animals were kept. All of the property inherited from the previous institution is now being adapted for its intended purpose. Although it would be easiest to demolish the old buildings and construct new, adequate ones for housing horses, we don’t want to do that because we would lose the spirit of the stud and the surroundings in which it is located,” he said.

He pointed out that the stallion stable, built in 1946, is on one hand a sort of historical monument built in a style characteristic of the post-war period, and on the other hand, perfectly suitable in size and shape for horse breeding—but in poor condition, as nothing has been invested in it since construction.

“A horse is an animal that requires hygiene. Accommodation conditions must be almost perfect, which is why, through the Experimental and Educational Center, we obtained funds to create modern breeding conditions. This includes arranging the interior living space for horses in line with global standards, replacing the dirt floor—prone to harmful fungi and mold—with modern rubber flooring that is easy to clean, disinfect, and wash,” Grubešić explained.

This modernization will not only improve conditions for Lipizzaner horses but also reduce manure production, decreasing the need for physical cleaning of the stables—a time-consuming task for workers—thereby allowing them to engage in other important horse breeding activities and increasing overall efficiency and productivity.

AUTOMATIC HORSE WALKER AND NEW STALLS COMING SOON

The stud farm has also launched the procurement process for a circular automatic horse walker with certain donors. The machine can work with six horses simultaneously for one and a half hours. In the facilities previously used for cattle fattening—due to their structure, strength, and construction materials—secure and safe stalls for stallions will be built.

“We have the capacity to build 54 individual stalls, but for this year, according to our financial means, our goal is 18. We have already built nine, and the remaining nine should be completed soon,” said Grubešić.

In the near future, the stud will also have the capacity to house geldings—male horses used for recreational riding.

“In Prnjavor, we currently have an informal group of young people who work with horses for free, with the benefit to the stud being that these horses are trained. Our workers are currently not trained for professional work with horses,” he added.

One of the institution’s obligations in the coming period will also be to purchase a certain line of male horses from foreign stud farms to avoid inbreeding.

GROWING OATS FOR THE HORSES

The Vučijak Stud Farm has taken a serious approach to growing its own plant crops for horse feed. This year, they produced over 80 tons of oats and around 800 bales of hay. In the spring, they sowed 22 hectares of grass-clover mixtures, which will improve the horses’ diet next year, and they plan to expand wheat production. Until they can fence their available fields to prevent wild animals from damaging the crops, they have temporarily abandoned corn cultivation.

Judging by what has been done and what is planned, brighter days lie ahead for this stud farm, whose tradition of Lipizzaner breeding is inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

“We have the support of the Government of Republika Srpska, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, the City of Prnjavor, and Mayor Darko Tomaš. We are achieving our set goals, and the stud is developing in the right direction,” said Grubešić.

The Vučijak Stud Farm is one of the symbols of Prnjavor and possesses six out of eight internationally recognized breeding lines of the Lipizzaner horse. It was founded by decree of the Ministry of Defense for the needs of the then national army in April 1946, and it was named after the nearby hill Vučijak. Today, the stud is home to 111 purebred Lipizzaners.