Intro
The Giara horse native to the island of Sardinia, Italy and they are found on a large, basalt plateau in the south of the island. Recently a small number of animals have been re-introduced into other parts of Sardinia in the hopes of growing their numbers.
Origins
The origins of this breed are uncertain, some say that they came from Greek animals in the 5th or 4th century BC. However fossil records indicate that horses have been domesticated by people on the island since close to 6000 BC. There are theories about their origins, they are thought to come from Arabian and North African Horses which were later infused with Andalusian blood in the late 15th – early 16th centuries. However by the early 18th century horse breeding in the area declined.
These animals lived in the wild all over Sardinia until the Middle Ages & for the most part they were completely isolated which protected their bloodlines. The animals are raised semi-feral and live of family groups that keep to their own territory.
Features
Average height 11.3 – 12.2
Physique
Head is wedge shaped with a straight or slightly convex profile
Eyes are large & expressive
Ears are small & pointed inwards
Neck is medium in length, muscular & arched
Shoulder is muscular & sloped
Back is short & can be hollow
Chest is deep & wide
Legs are slender with strong joints
Hooves are small & sound
Traditional Colors
Temperament
Strong character & tend to be restless
Use
Preserving bloodlines
Riding horse
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