|
|
 |
|
|
Back to World Map > Back to All Pony Breeds A-Z
 |
Breeds of Ponies - A to Z | |
Camargue Pony
The Camargue pony comes from the marshy district of France, south of Arles
in the Rhone delta, known as the Camargue. The region is bleak and cold in
winter and intensely hot in summer. There are still some ponies roaming free
in feral herds, many of them are ridden during the summer months by tourists
and are turned out again in the bitter winters to fend for themselves. The
origin of the Camargue pony is doubtful though it is possible that it was
from North Africa, Tibet or China. It is rumoured that Julius Caesar created
stud farms of these ponies in the Camargue before the breed reverted to a
feral state. Although it is an ancient species, the Camargue horse was not
officially recognised as a breed until 1967.
The Camargue pony is attractive, usually grey or white in colour, though not
Albino. It stands up to 14h.h. and is fleet of foot with an ability to
sprint. Capable of surviving on marsh reeds and rough grass, it has a
pleasant disposition.
Conformation: A large square-shaped head with a straight or slightly convex
profile. The eyes are large and expressive, the ears are broad and short
with a broad base. The neck is short and muscular, deep at the base, the
withers are pronounced, the back is straight and short. The croup is short
and narrow, the chest wide and deep. The shoulder is rather straight and
quite short; the legs are extremely hardy with clean joints, a long forearm,
and very good hooves. The mane and tail are unusually thick and long.
There is a theory that the hardy Camargue horse may have descended from
prehistoric horses that lived farther north. Bones of the Solutre horses,
dating from the Paleolithic period (17 000 years ago), were discovered
there. The many horse images in Paleolithic cave paintings at Lascaux give
evidence of Prehistoric horses in south-western France.
|
|
|
