Mérens horse

In the Mérens is a medium-sized, stocky Mountain Horse (also known as ariegeois horse known) from France. It resembles the Fell Pony and the Dales Pony.

Background information on the evaluation and breeding horses can be found at: exterior, interior and horse breeding.

Exterior

Straight or slightly geramster, dry head and strong neck springing from a massive shoulder. The metacarpal is deep, long and strong, the hind legs muscular with broad, easily severed croup. The long hair is thick and wavy, the legs are short and stocky, sometimes behind cow hocked. A pronounced lightly feathered is also typical. Rappe is the only color that exists in this breed, badges are rare; Withers 145-155 cm.

Interior

The Merens horse is a good-natured, perennial, very energetic workhorse. It is also very surefooted, so it is well suited for agriculture. It can work on steep slopes, where tractors can not ride, as the engine. Its properties have also meant that there is a riding and driving horse for leisure and competition alike.

Breeding history

The race is likely to be of very ancient origin, as evidenced by the cave images in Niaux in the department of Ariège. The Romans are said to have brought strong pack animals and crossed with the domestic shock. Along the Spanish-French border smuggling part of everyday life, this one needed particularly reliable, quiet and powerful horses. A dark coat color was also helpful. Like the pottok ponies in the Basque Country Mérens were used for this purpose in the more southerly parts of the Pyrenees. In the lower areas of the Department of the breed has long been crossed with draft horses breeds Percheron and Breton. In the mountainous regions of intersection with Arabs, so that today pure Mérens are rare and there are more in the most inaccessible mountain valleys. As late as 1970 we finished the race with an Arabian stallion, since 1947, there is a stud book. 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 in the Pyrenees. Today it is grown in almost all mountainous regions of France.