Origin
Greece
History
In Ancient Greece, there were several breeds of horses, but the poor soil, sparse vegetation, and harsh climatic conditions meant that the animals were usually quite small. Between 430-355 BC, the Greeks relied on horses brought in from neighboring areas, which they coud use to improve their native breeds.
The traditional horse breeding areas of Ancient Greece were the lower lands of Thessaly and Epirus. For centuries, this has been the habitat of the Pindos. There seems to be little doubt that this breed is directly descended from the old Thessalonian breed, which was noted for its courage, endurance and beauty. It is also likely that the Pindos absorbed traits of the ancient Arcadian, Epidaurian, Peloponnese and other long-forgotten strains.
Description
- Head:
tends to be slightly heavy but is well shaped - Conformation:
-the body is narrow with little muscle development on the neck, although the withers are pronounced
-the back is long and the pony seems to be „short of a rib"
-the quarters are weak in appearance
-the tail is set high
-the legs are slender with small joints
-the hooves are usually narrow and boxy but they are very hard and rarely need to be shod - Average height:
about 13 h.h. - Colour:
they are usually of dark, hard colours, mostly bay and brown. An occasional grey is found. They are never piebald or skewbald - Temperament:
the Pindos is noted for its stamina, but the breed also has a reputation for being stubborn - Today:
the surefooted Pindos is used as a pack pony in the mountains, in light work on the small farmsteads, and in forestry. It can also be a useful riding and driving pony. Pindo mares are often used for breeding mules.
