The Malopolski (also 'Lesser Pold Horse'; not to be confused with the Wielkopolski aka 'Big Polish Horse') is one of the only two native Polish breeds of sporthorses (the other one being the Wielkopolski).

A fast horse for a quick skirmish:
Starting from the 13th century, Tartars arrived at the borders of Poland from the east. The Polish and the Tatars did not see eye-to-eye, to say the least, and the strained relationship quickly morphed into the form of skirmishes.

Skirmishes require nimble horses of good endurance and speed, which the Tatars already had but the Polish people lacked. In the 15th century, Polish breeders from Lesser Poland -- an area also known as 'Malopolski' that encompasses southern- and south-eastern Poland -- decided to cross their local Polish mares with Arabian horses that processed all of the qualities listed above.

The result was a new nimble Polish breed that could carry its riders swiftly and safely in the Polish landscape, be it on the way to the next skirmish or quickly escaping from one.

The birth of the Malopolski:
Fast forward to the 19th century, when Poland was a part of the Austrian Empire (and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire), those Polish/oriental horses from Malopolski were further refined with the blood of the Thoroughbred, as well as the blood of the athletic Hungarian breeds of Gidran, Furioso, and Shagya-Arabian.

But, above all, it was one breed that influenced these horses the most and turned them into the beloved Malopolski. This breed was the Anglo-Arab, which the Malopolski still resembles today in both appearance and abilities.

The Malopolski today:
In short, the Malopolski can largely be regarded as a "Polish Anglo-Arab", and, despite its name, is no "lesser" than other sporthorses. This energetic breed has good jumping ability, impressive speed, and excellent endurance, all of which make it an excellent jumper and eventer, especially at recreational levels.

While the Malopolski is popular among Polish riders for the reasons above, its numbers overall are relatively low. Still, it is being preserved thanks to dedicated breeders who promote this unique Polish sporthorse in both Poland and beyond.

Conformation:
While real Malopolski horses resemble Anglo-Arabs, in Horse Isle they are less so, as the Anglo-Arabs here are more heavily influenced by the Thoroughbred, and as such more heavily built than the slender Malopolski.

Malopolski horses have a light conformation. Their head is slender from the side and has a somewhat dished profile. Their forehead is broad, and their ears are small. Their neck is long, light, and arched.

Their withers are tall and connect to a long back. Their croup is only slightly sloping, generating a high-set tail. Their chest is wide and muscular, and their legs are long and slender.

The mane is short or medium in length, and while the tail can grow long its hair can be fine.

Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Malopolskies in Horse Isle (not bred ones). In rare cases, horses might have metrics outside of the range. Breeders can produce horses that are beyond this range.

Speed: 15.8-17.5, 16.6 (0.4), 0.08.
Sprint: 52-68, 59 (3), 0.65.

Accel: 0.99-1.20, 1.08 (0.05), 0.01.
Decel: 0.86-1.03, 0.95 (0.04), 0.01.

Jump: 5.25-5.57, 5.38 (0.06), 0.01.
Pull: 1.79-2.49, 2.18 (0.17), 0.03.

Turning: 52.81-66.07, 59.49 (2.88), 0.56.
Reverse: 2.5-3.1, 2.8 (0.1), 0.02.

Stamina: 44.18-50.19, 46.93 (1.44), 0.28.
Reaction: 0.79-0.89, 0.84 (0.02), 0.00.

Coats & Height:
Colors: bay, black, brown, chestnut, grey.

Additionals: flaxen, minimal-mealy, roan, rabicano, sooty, all rare patterns. The coat can be solid or leopard (all patterns).

Height: 14.3hh to 17.1hh.