- Nonius - |
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 The Nonius breed developed in Hungary during the early 19th century. The bred gets its name from the sire Nonius Senior, who foaled in Normandy in 1810 and was taken by the Hungarian cavalry in 1813 after the defeat of Napoleon at Leipzig. Nonius Senior went to the prestigious Hungarian Stud Farm of Mezohegyes, where he stood for the next 22 years, during which time the Nonius breed was established Nonius Senior was sired by a stallion called Orion, who is known to have been an English half-bred. It is though he had some Norfolk Roadster connections and his dam was a Norman mare. It is documented that Nonius Senior was not particularly well-conformed or attractive, traits that he fortunately did not pass on to his progeny. It does seem strange, however, that a poor=looking stallion was used as a primary stud at the great Mexohegyes. Nonius Senior was put to a wide variety of different mares, including Andalusian, Arabian, Norman, Kladruber, and English half-breds. Later in the development of the breed, the English Thoroughbred was used to further improve the stock both from a physical aspect and in terms of ability. Nonius Senior was a prolific stallion who went on to sire 15 excellent stallions, including Nonius IX, who in turn were instrumental in fixing the breed characteristics. The Nonius breed developed into two strains: a heavier larger type, suitable for light draft and farm work, as well as being a riding hors, and a smaller, lighter strain, more suited to pure riding work. Recently, very successful crosses have been made using Nonius mares and English Thoroughbred stallions to produce first-rate competition and sports horses. The Nonius is strong and tough with an amenable and lively temperament. They tend to make useful all-around riding horses, and are generally well built and sound. In appearance, the Nonius has a long head with a straight or convex profile; the neck is muscular, and arched in the stallions. The shoulders are powerful but can be rather straight, the withers are often wide and rounded, and the back too is wide and quite long. They are wide and deep through the chest, and the legs are solid and muscular. They are nearly always bay or brown, and their height varies from between 14.3 and 16.2 hands high.
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