The breed was named after a village in Komárom County, located along the road connecting Győr and Székesfehérvár, where the Batthyány family established a very modern farm on the estate they acquired in 1758-59. The owner of the estate, Kázmér Batthyány, and his brother Gusztáv were successful English thoroughbred breeders and racehorse owners.
Kázmér Batthyány was symbolically executed in absentia for his role in the 1848-48 war of independence, and in 1853, Emperor Franz Joseph I. ordered the establishment of a noble military stud farm on his confiscated estate. At that time, "noble blood" undoubtedly meant English thoroughbreds, but the planned purchase of 300 English thoroughbred mares was an impossible task and a financial burden even for the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Therefore, in addition to importing English thoroughbreds, a large number of horses were brought to Kisbér from the treasury and court stud farms of the time, as well as from the herds of major private stud farms.
This herd, was of mixed origin (Arabian, Circassian, Spanish, Piber, Norfolk, Percheron, Mecklenburg, etc.) but carefully selected in terms of type and appearance, has been continuously bred with English thoroughbred stallions for several generations. The first commander of the stud farm, Lieutenant General Franz von Ritter, made the valuable English thoroughbred stallions, which were of great importance for quality horse breeding, available to the public in addition to breeding the stud farm's stock. As a result of this practice, it became common in Kisbér from 1855 onwards for the English thoroughbred stallions to cover not only the stud farm's mares but also the thoroughbred or half-blood mares of private breeders. This not only made better use of the stallions and spread excellent breeding stock, but also helped the stud farm generate significant income from stud fees. Every year, the Minister of Agriculture published the stud fees and conditions for breeding at the Kisbér stud farm in the official gazette.
Thanks to the influence of the excellent thoroughbred stallions in the stud, a type of riding horse was developed that was similar to the English thoroughbred, but heavier, calmer, more willing to work, and particularly more correct in appearance. The half-breed stallions produced in this way were able to fully satisfy the national demand for stud horses and replace thoroughbreds. Kisbér bred first-class half-breeds for public breeding. At the turn of the century, these half-breeds had already made a name for themselves. It was around this time that the breed's famous lines were established: Deutscher Michael, Dunure, Kozma, Fenék, Shannon, Maxim, Filou, Slieve Gallion, and, on the mare side, the highly successful Montbar, Rocketter, Verneuil, Willilam Rufus, Gunnerbury, Royal Lancer, etc.
As agriculture became more intensive, the need for mass breeding of Kisbér half-breeds became increasingly apparent. During this process, half-breed stallions were introduced into the stud farm to replace the outstanding thoroughbreds with strong hereditary traits, and Mezőhegyes half-breed stallions were also used (Furioso XXIII, Furioso VII, North Star XXV). As a result, the somewhat over-refined stock type consolidated and became more numerous, but retained its nobility, elegance, speed, and endurance. In order to preserve these valuable characteristics, young broodmare candidates had to complete the designated tasks and time limits in the field and in hunting.
Before World War II, stallions were imported from the Trakehner breed, which was created using similar breeding techniques, for the Kisbér stud farm in order to improve movement and performance characteristics. This is how the Széplak, Formás, and Lobogó lines were established.
As a result of the war, the stud farm's stock was divided into two in 1944. Three hundred and thirty stallions, mares and yearlings were placed on various estates throughout the country to await a more favorable turn of events, while the other half, consisting of seven stallions, 145 brood mares, 55 yearling colts, 63 yearling fillies and 10 suckling foals were evacuated to Bergstetten in Bavaria. In 1945, 78 of these horses were shipped to the United States as war booty and auctioned off there. Thanks to the Hungarian Horse Association, founded in 1953, their purebred breeding has survived to this day in the United States.
In June 1948, 150 horses from Kisbér returned home in three shipments. With this stock and the mares from the former "contract" private stud farms, which followed a similar breeding program, the Sárvár stud farm was established in 1954 with the mares and stallions found at the stud farms. "conventional" private studs, and the stallions found in the stud farms, the regeneration of the breed began. It was possible to revive a large part of the once famous tribes and to direct the breeding of the breed towards the increasingly important sporting requirements. In 1961, the Kisbér stud, which by then had been reduced to only 40 mares, was transferred to the Dalmandi State Farm, and a reckless and unstoppable wave of crossbreeding began across the country, which by the end of the 1970s had reduced the purebred mare population to an endangered level. Most of the traditional stallion lines and mare families were lost.
The reorganization of 1961 and the subsequent change in breeding policy had a severe impact on the Kisbér half-breed stock, along with other traditional Hungarian breeds. Due to the unprofitability of horse breeding, on farms where the senior management had no emotional attachment to horses, the number of mares in the breeding stock continued to decline despite the state's mandate and subsidies that did not even come close to covering the costs. Their quality deteriorated, and their living conditions were often unworthy of a stud farm. Although certain positive measures were taken in the 1980s to remedy this undesirable situation, these only slowed down the decline butwere unable to stop it.
On June 12, 1989, the Kisbéri Half-Blood Horse Breeders' National Association was founded with 60 founding members and 260 breeding mares from the remaining folk and former tribal herds. The association is currently the only recognized breed-maintainer for the breed.
The task of Kisbéri Half-Blood breeders is to preserve the traditional values of the breed by using the original breeding methods. The Kisbéri Half-Blood, originally bred for military purposes, is also excellent for sport and hobby riding.
One of the main tasks of the association, in addition to preserving the genetic value of the breed, is to support the widest possible range of sports trials for breeding animals. As the association does not have the necessary financial resources for this, this activity takes the form of organisation and advice. Kisbéri half-breeds achieve nationally recognized results mainly in military (equestrian) disciplines, but they also regularly appear in show jumping, carriage driving, and dressage.
When selecting new stallion lines and mare families for the Kisbér breed, the primary focus should be on suitability for sport. In addition to the good qualities previously established in the breed (sturdiness, explosiveness, speed, physical strength, jumping ability) and the preservation of the type, the aim is to establish characteristics that meet the requirements of today's sport horses through selection within the breed and the creation of new, primarily English thoroughbred lines (movement, jumping ability, and style).
