Bardigiano
Origin
Italy
History
The name comes from the village named Bardi. The origin of the breed can be traced to the horse of belgian Gaul. It arrived in the Apennines of Parma with Germanic warriors who came to Italy on various occasions, often stopping in the area surrounding the Po river. For centuries, the horses lived and reproduced in this area, generating a homogeneous population. The Bardigiano is a working mountain pony, physically equipped for use on rough, steep terrain at high altitudes.
During the years between the two World Wars, the army used Bardigiano mares to produce robust mules. At the end of World War II, decisions were made which contributed to the decline of the breed: stallions from several different breeds were introduced to the breed which led to the dispersion of traits charasterictic to the local population.
In 1972, the „Comunità Montana dell´Appennino Parmense" initiated a significant cooperative effort with the APA of Parma in order to recover the Bardigiano breed and in 1975 the first Bardigiano horse show was held. Shortly thereafter, with the assistance of „Centro Regionale di Incremento Ippico di Reggio Emilia" with headquarters in Ferrara, indigeneous stallions were once again used with local mares. These efforts were recognized on August 1, 1977, when the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests approved regulations concerning selection of horses and the Genealogical Book of the Bardigiano horse. With this document, the Bardigiano was officially recognized.
Today, the type of breeding is usually semi-wild, the animals staying up in the mountains for eight or nine months of the year.
Description
- Head:
it has true pony character, with a broad forehead and small, neat ears - Conformation:
-the withers are fairly well defined but the shoulders tend to be short and upright by riding standards
-there is a depth through the strongly built body and broad chest, the latter allowing ample room for large lungs
-the quarters are muscled and rounded and the heavy, thick tail is well set. The second thighs are pronounced and the hocks are clean
-the legs are short and usually sufficiently muscled, while the joints are well pronounced and the bone measurement adequate - Average height:
13.2 to 14.1 h.h. - Colour:
the coat is bay, ranging from ordinary to dark bay. A small star on the forehead is tolerated in the breed, as are white markings on the fetlocks, provided that they are not very high - Temperament:
this is a frugal breed, rustic, resistant to drought conditions, and very adaptable. They have a very docile nature and easily accessible and easy to work with. - Today:
they are used for tourism, horse therapy, work and meat production. They make good animals for nature hikes and they are good horses for working with handicapped children.
