Horses

The Camargue Horse breed has been a native of Camargue, Southern France for thousands of years.? Living in the wild, nature chose the hardiest agile specimens for survival and its for these traits and their stamina that they are known for today.? The Guardians(Camargue "cowboys"? who herd the black Camargue bulls used in bullfighting in the southern parts of France.

Camargue foals are black or dark brown when born, but as the develop their coart turns pale grey or even white.? Small horses averaging only 1.32 to 1.42m(13 to 14hh), they are rugged and intelligent.? They are short necked, deep chested with a compact body on well jointed strong limbs with a thick mane and tail.

To preserve the breed, the French government set standards for the breed in 1976 and started registering breeders.? The breed book opened in 1978.? Alibility for registration has some strict and curious conditions with foals having to be born outdoors, and have been seen to suckle from a registered mare as proof of parentage. Only foals born within the defined Camargue region of France are registered sous berceau, while those born elsewhere are registered hors berceau ("out of the birthplace"). (Editor "?? seems location of horse breeding is as important to the French, as the location of grape growing for wine making. Bubbly wine made in the exact same way as "Champagne"? is from the location, Chmpagne, ?cannot be called "Champagne"?)

They are renowned for exceptionally calm temperaments, are agile and intelligent and have excellent stamina resulting in their use in equestrian games, dressage and long distance racing within France. Their calm temperament, agility, intelligence and stamina has resulted in these horses being used for equestrian games, dressage, and long distance riding, which is growing in popularity in France.

The Camargue breed was seen as useful stock in the breeding programmes of the Celtic and Roman marauders that entered the Iberian Peninsula, and as a result their genealogy is largely similar to the Spanish breeds especially those in the North. The Spanish "jaca" was likely the result of crossing ?a Celtic Pony and the Camargue "?? then later improved further by crosses with northern European horse types. The likelyresult was the Camargue genes arrived in America via the "jaca" warhorses taken to this foreign land where hardiness was a requirement. Breeds such as the Chilean Horse and Criollo likely have the Camargue as a distant relative.