Skyros pony
| Skyros pony | |
|---|---|
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| Important data | |
| Origin: | Skyros |
| Main breeding area: | Greece |
| Distribution: | |
| Stick measure : | 90-115 cm |
| Colors : | Duns, browns and molds |
| Main application area: | Pack animal, agriculture, children's riding horse |
The Skyros pony is an ancient, autochthonous horse breed from the island of Skyros . It is Greece's smallest pony and is also called Hipparion 'little horse' by the locals .
Background information on horse evaluation and breeding can be found under: Exterior , interior and horse breeding .
Exterior
The Skyros pony is a small, petite pony. The height is given as 90 to 110 cm, over an average height of 104 cm up to 100 to 115 cm. The head is relatively large, the shoulders short and steep. The back is long with low withers and the tail set low on the short, severed croup. The legs are often incorrectly positioned, the front legs toe wide, the rear legs cow-hocked or saber-legged. The dark hooves are small and very hard. The most common colors are brown, fallow and mold , black horses are rarely represented.
interior
Because of the centuries of isolation on the island of Skyros, the ponies are very adaptable and frugal. They are content with extremely little food and reach a high age. The semi-wild ponies live in the mountains and are only caught when they are needed. They are easy to tame and, thanks to their character and persistent and eager nature, pleasant to deal with. In the past, the Skyros pony was mainly used as a pack animal to carry loads and when threshing . Today only a few ponies are caught by a few farmers, as they are essentially only used as children's riding horses in tourism. Ponies are also caught for training as race horses. In the annual races in August, which have a great tradition, young people have to stay bareback on horseback for as long as possible. In the past, an assessment of the ponies and the burning was carried out as part of the race . If they are no longer needed, the ponies are released again.
history
Before the conquest by the Venetians in 1207, there are said to have been no horses on the island of Skyros. In the 12./13. In the 19th century, they are said to have brought horses to the island. According to other sources, as early as the 5th to 8th centuries BC Colonists from Athens brought horses to Skyros. Due to the harsh living conditions on the barren island, the horses withered to their current small pony size. Systematic breeding never took place. Even the ennobling with oriental blood during the Turkish rule, which took place among the races on the other Greek islands, was not carried out on Skyros. Again and again there was a strong reduction in the population due to the climatic conditions. In the winter of 1928/29 the number of ponies decreased from 500 to 100.
Despite the hard work of the farmers, the food and water they got during the summer work was an essential aid to the survival of the ponies. Occasionally there was also feeding on the mountain in winter. After threshing machines were introduced on Skyros in the late 1960s, not only was the work done, but also this help for the ponies.
There has been an export ban on mares and foals since 1975, with which the government tries to secure the preservation of the breed. Today about 133 ponies live on the island.
Outside of Skyros, around 40 animals are kept as a breeding group at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki . There the genetic makeup and the degree of inbreeding are researched. In addition, around 20 animals are kept on the island of Corfu by the Silva project for the preservation of the breed. Riding lessons and especially therapeutic riding are offered here.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Jasper Nissen: Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-440-09723-4 .
- ↑ a b http://www.tiho-hannover.de/einricht/zucht/eaap/descript/806.htm
- ↑ http://www.thesilvaproject.org/Description.shtml
- ↑ http://www.thesilvaproject.org/HorseHistory.shtml
- ↑ Friderun Papavassiliou: PFERDE HEUTE, Esslingen, 12/92 (quoted by Jasper Nissen in Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds )
- ↑ http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_civ_1_23/04/2004_42065
- ↑ http://www.thesilvaproject.org/Breeding.shtml
- ↑ http://www.thesilvaproject.org/Equestrianactivities.shtml
literature
- Jasper Nissen: Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds . Franckh-Kosmos Verlags GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-440-09723-4 .
