Sarcidano horse
Encyclopedia
The Sarcidano Horse is a rare breed
of semi-feral
horse originating from the Altopiano del Sarcidano ("plateau of Sarcidano") in the comune
of Laconi
in the Oristano
province of Sardinia
, Italy. It is one of the fifteen indigenous horse "breeds of limited distribution" recognised by the AIA, the Italian breeders' association. Although it should never exceed 148 centimetres (14.6 h) at the withers
, it is officially termed a cavallo or horse
, and not a pony
.
, bay, or grey
; other coat colours are excluded from registration. The height range for males is 125 –, the girth 140 – and the cannon circumference 14 –; for females the height measures 115 –, the girth 120 – and the cannon 13 –. Horses over 148 centimetres (14.6 h) at 30 months may not be registered.
The head is rather heavy and roughly set on, the profile straight, the ears mobile and the eyes and nostrils large. The neck is muscular, the mane
thick. The shoulder is fairly straight, the withers high and the croup
short but muscular. The legs are short, strong and reasonably well conformed, the joints are broad, the hooves
are strong but tend to be cylindrical. The action
is lively and surefooted.
The Sarcidano Horse has a lively and responsive nature, and adapts well to equestrian uses; it is frugal
and resistant.
Supernumerary premolars
are frequently present on both sides of the upper jaw.
. Studies by Valiati (1997) and by Bell (1999) of transferrin
s are reported to confirm common ancestry with the Iberian horse
of 25000 years ago. A 1996 study of protease inhibitor
polymorphism concludes that "a genetic correlation could be present between Sarcidano Horses and ancient Spanish horses as reported by historical documents about horse breeding in Sardinia". The "constant" presence of the seventh molar in the upper jaw is cited as evidence of ancient origin by Baccino, who notes that this characteristic is shared by only a few ancient breeds such as the Exmoor Pony
and the Caspian horse; Baccino also notes the presence in the Sarcidano horse of an allele
otherwise seen only in Przewalski's Horse
.
In 1999 a group of 15 Sarcidano horses was acquired by the comune
of Laconi
from a private owner; this herd lives in the state-owned forest of Funtanamela, on the Sarcidano plateau, and in 2006 numbered approximately 100 horses. A second herd, privately owned, also lives in the same area, while a third group is held by the Istituto di Incremento Ippico della Sardegna (Sardinian horse-breeding institution) of Ozieri
, at Foresta Burgos in central northern Sardinia. In 2007, the total Sarcidano horse population was approximately 190, of which 78 were mare
s.
The Sarcidano horse was recognised as a breed by Ministerial Decree No. 24347, dated 5 November 2003; the breed register
was established in 2005, and is held by the Associazione Provinciale Allevatori (regional breeders' association) of Nuoro
.
a few horses for use in trekking was being considered.
Horse breed
Horse breed is a broad term with no clear consensus as to definition, but most commonly refers to selectively bred populations of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a very broad sense to define landrace animals, or...
of semi-feral
Semi-feral
A semi-feral animal is an animal that lives predominantly in a feral state, but has some contact and experience with humans. This may be due to having been born into a domesticated state and then reverting to life in wild conditions, or it may be an animal that grows up in essentially wild...
horse originating from the Altopiano del Sarcidano ("plateau of Sarcidano") in the comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Laconi
Laconi
Laconi is a comune in the Province of Oristano in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 70 km north of Cagliari and about 40 km east of Oristano...
in the Oristano
Oristano
Oristano is a town and comune, capital of the Province of Oristano, on the island of Sardinia, Italy. It has approximately 32,500 inhabitants.Its economy is mainly based on fishing, agriculture and, to a certain extent, tourism.-History:...
province of Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Italy. It is one of the fifteen indigenous horse "breeds of limited distribution" recognised by the AIA, the Italian breeders' association. Although it should never exceed 148 centimetres (14.6 h) at the withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
, it is officially termed a cavallo or horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
, and not a pony
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
.
Characteristics
According to the breed standard, a Sarcidano Horse may be blackBlack (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
, bay, or grey
Gray (horse)
Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...
; other coat colours are excluded from registration. The height range for males is 125 –, the girth 140 – and the cannon circumference 14 –; for females the height measures 115 –, the girth 120 – and the cannon 13 –. Horses over 148 centimetres (14.6 h) at 30 months may not be registered.
The head is rather heavy and roughly set on, the profile straight, the ears mobile and the eyes and nostrils large. The neck is muscular, the mane
Mane (horse)
The mane is the hair that grows from the top of the neck of a horse or other equine, reaching from the poll to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. It is thicker and coarser than the rest of the horse's coat, and naturally grows to roughly cover the neck...
thick. The shoulder is fairly straight, the withers high and the croup
Rump (animal)
The rump or croup, in the external morphology of an animal, is the portion of the posterior dorsum that is posterior to the loins and anterior to the tail. Anatomically, the rump corresponds to the sacrum....
short but muscular. The legs are short, strong and reasonably well conformed, the joints are broad, the hooves
Horse hoof
A horse hoof is a structure surrounding the distal phalanx of the 3rd digit of each of the four limbs of Equus species, which is covered by complex soft tissue and keratinised structures...
are strong but tend to be cylindrical. The action
Horse gait
Horse gaits are the various ways in which a horse can move, either naturally or as a result of specialized training by humans.-Classification:...
is lively and surefooted.
The Sarcidano Horse has a lively and responsive nature, and adapts well to equestrian uses; it is frugal
Frugality
Frugality is the quality of being frugal, sparing, thrifty, prudent or economical in the use of consumable resources such as food, time or money, and avoiding waste, lavishness or extravagance....
and resistant.
Supernumerary premolars
Wolf tooth
Wolf teeth are small peg-like teeth that sit just in front of to the first cheek teeth of horses and other equids. They are vestigial first premolars and the first cheek tooth is referred to as the second premolar even when wolf teeth are not present. Torbjörn Lundström in Sweden reported that...
are frequently present on both sides of the upper jaw.
History
The Sarcidano horse appears to have ancient Spanish ancestry in common with the Andalusian horseAndalusian horse
The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE , is a horse breed developed in the Iberian Peninsula. Its ancestors have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual breed since the 15th century, and its conformation...
. Studies by Valiati (1997) and by Bell (1999) of transferrin
Transferrin
Transferrins are iron-binding blood plasma glycoproteins that control the level of free iron in biological fluids. In humans, it is encoded by the TF gene.Transferrin is a glycoprotein that binds iron very tightly but reversibly...
s are reported to confirm common ancestry with the Iberian horse
Iberian horse
The Iberian horse is a title given to a number of horse breeds native to the Iberian peninsula. At present, 17 horse breeds are recognized by FAO as characteristic of the Iberian Peninsula....
of 25000 years ago. A 1996 study of protease inhibitor
Protease inhibitor (biology)
In biology and biochemistry, protease inhibitors are molecules that inhibit the function of proteases. Many naturally occurring protease inhibitors are proteins....
polymorphism concludes that "a genetic correlation could be present between Sarcidano Horses and ancient Spanish horses as reported by historical documents about horse breeding in Sardinia". The "constant" presence of the seventh molar in the upper jaw is cited as evidence of ancient origin by Baccino, who notes that this characteristic is shared by only a few ancient breeds such as the Exmoor Pony
Exmoor pony
The Exmoor pony is a horse breed native to the British Isles, where some still roam as semi-feral livestock on Exmoor, a large area of moorland in Devon and Somerset in southwest England. The Exmoor is one of the British Isles mountain and moorland pony breeds, having conformation similar to that...
and the Caspian horse; Baccino also notes the presence in the Sarcidano horse of an allele
Allele
An allele is one of two or more forms of a gene or a genetic locus . "Allel" is an abbreviation of allelomorph. Sometimes, different alleles can result in different observable phenotypic traits, such as different pigmentation...
otherwise seen only in Przewalski's Horse
Przewalski's Horse
Przewalski's Horse or Dzungarian Horse, is a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horse native to the steppes of central Asia, specifically China and Mongolia.At one time extinct in the wild, it has been reintroduced to its native habitat in Mongolia at the Khustain Nuruu...
.
In 1999 a group of 15 Sarcidano horses was acquired by the comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Laconi
Laconi
Laconi is a comune in the Province of Oristano in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 70 km north of Cagliari and about 40 km east of Oristano...
from a private owner; this herd lives in the state-owned forest of Funtanamela, on the Sarcidano plateau, and in 2006 numbered approximately 100 horses. A second herd, privately owned, also lives in the same area, while a third group is held by the Istituto di Incremento Ippico della Sardegna (Sardinian horse-breeding institution) of Ozieri
Ozieri
Ozieri is a town and comune of approximatively 11,000 inhabitants in the province of Sassari, northern Sardinia , in the Logudoro historical region...
, at Foresta Burgos in central northern Sardinia. In 2007, the total Sarcidano horse population was approximately 190, of which 78 were mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
s.
The Sarcidano horse was recognised as a breed by Ministerial Decree No. 24347, dated 5 November 2003; the breed register
Breed registry
A breed registry, also known as a stud book or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders when they are still young...
was established in 2005, and is held by the Associazione Provinciale Allevatori (regional breeders' association) of Nuoro
Nuoro
Nuoro is a city and comune in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte Ortobene. It is the capital of the Province of Nuoro. With a population of 36,443 Nuoro is a city and comune (municipality) in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte...
.
Use
No use of the Sarcidano horse is documented. In 2001 the possibility of startingHorse training
Horse training refers to a variety of practices that teach horses to perform certain behaviors when asked to do so by humans. Horses are trained to be manageable by humans for everyday care as well as for equestrian activities from horse racing to therapeutic horseback riding for people with...
a few horses for use in trekking was being considered.