Origin
Greece
History
The island of Skyros has supported ponies since ancient times but their exact origin is unknown. At one time, the ponies lived wild in the mountains, and were brought in to help with the corn threshing.
The breed resembles the horses depicted in the statuary and friezes of Ancient Greece. This suggests that there may be a connection with the old Thessalonian breed, although the coat and the general appearance show a strong link with the earlier Tarpan.
The islanders always kept a few of these ponies during the summer months to use for farm work. Turned loose for the winter months, they roamed freely in small herds without supplemental feeding, so in severe winters, numbers were often reduced.
With the advent of mechanization of both transport and agricultural machinery, use of ponies has been greatly reduced.
There is now a breed preservation society devoted to the improvement of these ponies.
Description
- Head:
pretty and light with a large eye and wide forehead, small ears, and large, open nostrils - Conformation:
-the chest is flat
-the shoulders are straight
-the back is straight
-the quarters are poorly developed
-the croup is gently sloping
-the legs are free of hair and are long and fine-boned but very strong
-the mane and tail are long
-the hooves are black and always very hard - Average height:
11 h.h. But they can be bred of 12 h.h and over - Colour:
the preferred colour is bay. Brown, grey, and rarely dun are also seen. The coat often has an eel stripe and zebra bars on the legs, indicating „primitive" ancestry. - Temperament:
spirited but good-tempered, friendly and tractable - Today:
it is still a utility animal, but is also used in other ways, which include being ridden, mainly from children.
