Kisber Half Breed

By PetMD Editorial on Jan. 3, 2010

The Kisber Half Breed, also known locally as the Kisberi Felver, is a horse breed that originated from Hungary. This is a common breed, mainly used as a riding and harness horse.

Physical Characteristics

The Kisber Half Breed has a head that is dry and noble in appearance. It has small ears and protruding eyes. It has a long and arched neck. The withers are long and somewhat high. The back is arched and strong, and the shoulder is well sloped and muscular in appearance. The legs of the horse are muscular, but not overly so.

Kisber Half Breed horses are generally elegant in appearance, especially given their relatively large size at 16 to 17 hands (64-68 inches, 163-173 centimeters). The dominant colors are bay and gray.

Personality and Temperament

The horse is said to have a good constitution. It also has a lively temperament – and this actually gives this horse its noble air and makes it a good breed for equestrian sports.

History and Background

The Kisber Half Breed was developed in response to the need for a Thoroughbred horse without perceived weaknesses, such as nervousness and jitters. There was also a need to find a horse that had the Thoroughbred’s fine characteristics but not its expensive price tag and high maintenance costs.

The breeding effort specifically began in 1853 in the Kisber Stud Farm. Obviously, this is the place from which the Kisber Half Breed got its name. For these stock-improvement attempts, mixed Kisber horses were bred with Thoroughbred horses. The result was the new breed of half-blood horses (half Kisber stock and half Thoroughbred).

However, this was not the end of the improvement efforts. The resulting stock was still found wanting in terms of size. Thus, the half-blood mares were bred with Furioso and East Prussian stallions.

The Kisber Half Breed development efforts are still underway today. Efforts are mainly focused on increasing the size of the horse’s body. The bold appearance that makes the horse suitable for sports activities, however, has already become a trademark of the breed and is expected to be preserved.