The rare breed for this week comes from Greece & come from incredibly ancient bloodlines. This breed is also called the Eleia, Ilia, or Greek, the Andravida are a rare & mysterious light draft breed found in the region of Ilia, Greece.
Robust Yet Refined
The Andravida ancestors were cavalry horses used by the Athenians in the fourth century BC. Later, in the seventh century BC the Greek cavalry again used the Andravida for war. Originally bred as a light riding draft breed they were a cross of local breeds with Anglo-Norman animals. During the 13th to 15th centuries Arabian blood was used to refine stock, which created a lighter animal.
Traditionally, the Andravida was not bred outside of Ilia, which is the one of the reasons they are so rare today.
Re-established & Renewed
After the second World War Nonius stallions contributed to the Andravida lineage. Sadly, the Andravida horse nearly went extinct during the 20th century, until the early 90s when a stud book was established & their lineage was taken more seriously. Today numbers are still very low & a risk for extinction exists, especially those of purer bloodlines.
Learning More
Be sure to check out our own Andravida page, as well as the The rare horse and ponybreeds of Greece for more information.
Have Pictures?
As of now we have very few images of the Andravida for our informative page on them. If you have images (or information about the breed) you’d be interested in sharing, please get in touch today.