Bardigiano horses, also known as Bardigiano Ponies, are from
Bardi, Italy.
The first horses that populated Bardi were brought during the
Roman Era. During the centuries, the breed developed as a mountain horse; in the
15th century, there were attempts to make it more gentle by cross-breeding it with
Arabian-Friulian horses, thus obtaining a horse very similar to the one of today.
They almost became extinct after the First World War. In 1977,
a "Regulation for the selection and for the Genealogic Book of the Bardigiano
horse" was approved. This sets the breed standard and had the aim of making
it homogenous.
Bardigiano horses were used in the past for agricultural work
in impervious areas and even meat production, but nowadays they are appreciated
for equestrian Tourism.
Content and photo source: Agraria.org.
About Bardigiano Horses
