Buttero
.jpg)
The Buttero is the mounted shepherd of the Maremma , the Campagna Romana and the Pontine plain , regions of Tuscany and Latium. The Maremma is divided into the so-called Bassa Maremma and Alta Maremma, i.e. the low-lying coastal area and the hill country in front of the Abruzzo. The mouth of the Ombrone River is a formerly very swampy landscape and is dominated by hedges, macchia and pine forests and was previously heavily contaminated with malaria. Due to the drainage during the last 100 years or so, this danger has largely been averted. The summers are hot, in winter it can rain extensively. Typical trees are oaks, cypresses, pines and hardwood shrubs. The name means "sea land".
The Butteri has always been responsible for looking after the semi-wild herds of cattle, for which horses are used (e). Selection (separation), sorting, moving, vaccinating and deworming, setting marks or burning (la marca) and wound treatment were and are the tasks that require a long working day in the saddle. The equestrian training takes place in practice, the riding style is described as "typical", but it is a fairly simple work riding that is oriented towards the purpose. Nevertheless, Butteri groups appear at the Italian horse fairs (e.g. Fieracavalli Verona) and show both practical herding work (mostly foaling) and simple quadrilles as well as equestrian games in groups. Both a soft sisal lasso and a short driving stick (approx. 1.5 m) with a hook are used to catch young animals. The clothes are quite typical, mostly consisting of tasteful corduroy suits with jackets or gilets and breeches, ties and hats, as well as leggings and ankle boots or rough boots. The predominant colors are olive green, brown and beige or gray-brown. The behavior is polite and correct throughout, you are proud of your job and you show it. By the way, there are similar working riders in other Italian areas that are hardly known. There are spores, but they are only small and inconspicuous in shape. The riding style appears calm and matter-of-fact, without excessive harshness. The legs are stretched a little forwards, the seat is balanced, you trot "lightly" and sit out from the gallop or sit in a light seat. The horses are good at flying changes and tight hindquarters as well as quick stops.
His saddle is also a model that is only common in the Maremma and often does without a saddle tree. With a wooden saddle tree, the rather heavy, large saddle is known as Scarfada, without a saddle tree it is called Bardella (tolfetana). It is tall and padded, with a deep, ribbed seat and very high saddle pommel and is vaguely reminiscent of Iberian and Moorish saddles, to which it could be related. Breastplate and tail strap are always used. The bridle is simple and characterized by a simple curb, which, however, has a typical, thick halter made of sisal rope underneath, which has an integrated lead rope to which it is led and tied. This rope halter is also used for breaking in, which takes place in a round corral and is always done with one or two experienced lead horses accompanying the young horse. Often the young horse is worked on the fence or between the lead horses until it has become quiet. The horses are quite calm, but should also tend to be stubborn.
The Buttero usually rides the typical Maremma horse , a Maremmano . He is a strong horse of around 160 cm stick size or a little more, with a slightly rammed profile, strong neck, a strong, rather steep shoulder and a very stable back. The croup is muscular and slightly sloping, the trousers are well muscled and the joints are firm and dry. Only very small pigtails, rather thin tails, often double mane. Mostly dark browns, blacks or browns with only small markings. Average gaits, eager walk, trot not very productive but comfortable, round canter; agile and sure-footed. Fearless, persistent and robust, with a lot of "cowsense". Only a few breeding farms left, little known outside of Italy and hardly exportable despite its good characteristics, although this would represent an ideal leisure breed that corresponds to the German market in appearance, size and caliber. In the last few decades English thoroughbreds have been crossed in to make the breed a bit sportier. It is likely to be related to the Iberian races and the extinct Neapolitano; also resembles the Murgese from Apulia, which should be an image of the Neapolitano.
The cattle are typically of the Podolian breed group and represent an attractive and useful breed. They are gray or silver-gray, with long, spreading horns in the shape of a lyre, the bulls appear darker and extremely masculine. The roots are to be found in the steppe cattle of the east, which came to Italy via North Africa and Iberia or via the lowlands and from the north and are distributed there as Apulier, Chianina, Cinisara, Maremmana, Modicana and Sardo-Modicana as well as Marchigiana. Bulls about 150 cm and 900 kg; Cows about 145 and 600 kg. The breeding association dates back to 1935 and today looks after a growing number of animals because they are well suited as an extensive meat breed and for suckler cow husbandry. Formerly known as two- or three-purpose breeds, they have a high level of malaria resistance and are extremely fertile and robust. The calves are born red or reddish brown and only later light gray.
Especially in Cisterna di Latina , which calls itself Città dei Butteri , the tradition of the Italian cowboys is cultivated and celebrated in May and October at the Merca - a kind of rodeo. When Buffalo Bill (William Cody) toured Europe with his Wild West show, there is said to have been a historic contest between his cowboys and the Butteri in Cisterna. The bet was made as to which group could ride horses faster and mark cattle. The audience and the experts present decided in favor of the Butteri, but Buffalo Bill did not pay his betting debt. Since then, he has been talked about with little respect and has no particular opinion of the cowboys. Today, many residents of the region work as "leisure butteries" and preserve the traditions; among them a steadily growing number of girls who prove themselves to be equal. The lack of offspring is a major cause of concern, because Buttero is a dangerous and difficult job that only brings about 1200 euros net income.
The largest operation - with only around half a dozen Butteri - is the Azienda Alberese, a large company with enormous land covering around 4600 hectares and large herds of around 500 animals. Alberese was founded by monks around 1000 years ago and became state property in the 1970s. It has recently become an organic farm that also offers Agro-Turismo. For a fee, you can ride the butteri on the pastures for an hour or a day and attend a small show. The last Butteri are proud of their traditions and skills and look forward to interested visitors.
More mounted shepherds
- Charro (Mexico)
- Cowboy (North America)
- Csikós (Hungary)
- Gardian (Camargue)
- Gaucho (South America)
- Huaso (Chile)
- Vaquero (Venezuela)
literature
- Alessandro Lenarda, Giorgio Salvatori: Butteri. Abiti e storie di Maremma. Sica - Società Italiana del cavallo e dell'ambiente, Blera (Viterbo) 2006.
- Luigi Vellucci: I butteri, Buffalo Bill, il West. Edizioni Pugliesi, Martina Franca 2008, ISBN 978-88-8348-143-7 .
- Mario Bussoni: Buffalo Bill in Italia. L'epopea del Wild West Show (= Archivi storici. 6). Mattioli 1885, Fidenza (Parma) 2011, ISBN 978-88-6261-178-7 .
