Messara horse

The Messara Horse ( also Crete Trojan Horse ) is a horse breed that is native to the Greek island of Crete. The main distribution area is located in the Regional District of Heraklion, in the Messara plane, which explains the name of the breed.

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

Exterior

The Messara horse has a dry physique, a straight head and a medium length back. It has fine long hair, a high set tail and a shoulder height of 120 to 140 cm. Among the Messara horses are found mainly brown, dark bay, black and gray.

Interior

The Messara is the ambling horses (Greek Jorga ) innate, and therefore they are also popularly called Jorgalidka. They are comfortable to sit, reliable and sure-footed and fast even on uneven terrain. They serve as a light riding and driving horse and used for light field work and transport. The stallions are also used for mule - breeding.

Breeding history

The breed has existed since the year 1000 or longer, in the time of the siege of Crete by the Ottomans Arabian stallions were bred. Since 1994 there has been a stud book. In Crete live around 100 registered specimens of the breed, but also in the rest of Greece the Messara horses are in demand.