Mérens
| Mérens | |
|---|---|
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| Important data | |
| Origin: | France |
| Main breeding area: | Pyrenees |
| Distribution: | France, Spain, Italy |
| Stick measure : | 145-150 cm |
| Colors : | Rappen |
| Main application area: | Riding and driving horse, agricultural work, light draft horse, pack horse |
The Mérens is a medium-sized, stocky mountain horse (also known as the Ariègeois horse ) from France . It is similar to the fur pony and the Dales pony .
Background information on horse evaluation and breeding can be found under: Exterior , interior and horse breeding .
Exterior
Straight or slightly rammed, dry head and strong neck arising from a massive shoulder. The metacarpus is deep, long and strong, the hindquarters muscular with a broad, slightly knocked-off croup. The long hair is dense and wavy, the legs are short and stocky, sometimes cow-hocked at the back . A pronounced droppings is also typical. Black is the only color that exists in this breed, badges are rare; Height at withers between 145 and 155 cm.
interior
The Mérens horse is a good-natured, persistent, very energetic workhorse. It is also very sure-footed, so it is well suited for agriculture. It can work as a draft horse on steep slopes where tractors cannot drive. However, its properties have also made it popular as a riding and driving horse for leisure and competitions.
Breeding history
The breed is likely to be of very ancient origin, as the cave pictures in Niaux in the Ariège department show. Even the Romans are said to have brought powerful pack animals with them and crossed them with the local loft. Smuggling was part of everyday life along the Spanish-French border , and particularly reliable, calm and strong horses were needed for this. A dark coat color was also helpful. Just like the Pottok ponies in the Basque Country, the Mérens were used in the southern parts of the Pyrenees. In lower regions, the breed has long been crossed with draft horses of the Percheron and Breton breeds . In the mountainous regions they crossed with Arabs , so that today pure Mérens are rare and exist more in the most inaccessible high valleys. Around 1970 the breed was grafted with an Arab stallion , and there has been a stud book since 1947 . The horses are used in agriculture and are popular as trekking horses . The original home of the breed is the mountainous region of the Ariège department in the Pyrenees . Today it is grown in almost all mountain regions in France.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Fiche des Haras Nationaux sur la race du cheval de Mérens ( Memento of the original from December 5, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 115 kB), document officiel des Haras nationaux français
