The Cavallo Romano della Maremma Laziale, or "Roman horse of the part of the Maremma that is in Lazio", is a

horse breed A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within a lim ...

native to the Lazio region of Italy. An ancient breed, it was officially recognised only in 2010; it is now one of the fifteen indigenous horse "breeds of limited distribution" listed by the AIA, the Italian breeders' association. The Lazio region has assigned it the conservation status "at risk of erosion". The population numbers about 800, of which most are in the comune of Monte Romano in the province of Viterbo; a herd of approximately 200 is at

Ponzano Romano Ponzano Romano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about north of Rome. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,061 and an area of .All demographics and other statistics: ...

in the province of Rome, and others are in the province of

Rieti Rieti (; lat, Reate, Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina re ...

History

The

breed register A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders ...

for the Cavallo Romano della Maremma Laziale was opened on 19 October 2010, and the breed standard confirmed by

Ministerial Decree A ministerial decree or ministerial order is a decree by a ministry. With a ministerial decree the administrative department is delegated the task to impose a formal judgement or mandate. Ministerial decrees are usually imposed under the authority ...

27202, dated 1 December 2010. DNA testing had shown that the traditional working horse of the Maremma of Lazio was not only physically but genetically distinguishable from its counterpart in the Tuscan Maremma, the Maremmano, with which it had previously been classed. The two populations are reported as having common origins but limited overlap, with the Roman horse showing greater variability and a higher proportion of "ancestral" genes; Ripert reports informally that the Cavallo Romano della Maremma Laziale has 38.5% genes of the original type, while the registered Maremmano population has only 12%. The genetic study, carried out by the Consorzio per la Sperimentazione, Divulgazione e Applicazione di Biotecniche Innovative (CONSDABI), National Focal Point for Italy of the Animal Genetic Resources project of the FAO, was presented at the 12th conference on "New findings in equine practice" held at Druento (Turin, Italy), 11–13 November 2010. The ARSIAL (regional agency for development and innovation in agriculture of Lazio) suggests that this is the same horse breed as the "Cavallo Romano" that was well described in 19th century treatises; authors who discuss the Cavallo Romano include Moreschi (1903) and Fogliata (1910). It is also suggested that the Cavallo Romano della Maremma Laziale descends from the horses of the ancient Romans, such as that of Marcus Aurelius, or even of the Etruscans.

Characteristics

The Cavallo Romano della Maremma Laziale may be

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

, black,

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelat ...

or grey; limited facial markings (star and stripe) are permitted, as are white socks. Males measure at the withers, females . The girth and cannon measurements are similar for both sexes, approximately and respectively. The head is well set on, slightly long and heavy, and the profile convex or Roman; the neck is thick, muscular and arched, the mane and tail long and thick. The shoulder is muscular and tends to be straight, the chest is broad with substantial muscle, the girth is deep and the back is short, straight and muscular, sometimes slightly concave. The

croup Croup, also known as laryngotracheobronchitis, is a type of respiratory infection that is usually caused by a virus. The infection leads to swelling inside the trachea, which interferes with normal breathing and produces the classic symptoms o ...

is broad and sloping, and the tail is set low. The legs are solid, strong and muscular, the hooves broad and strong. Horses with concave profile, long or drooping ears, or poor conformation of the legs are not admitted for registration. The action of the Cavallo Romano is lively and well-marked, and its temperament docile and courageous. It is

sure-footed Sure-footedness is the ability, especially when hiking or mountain climbing, to negotiate difficult or rough terrain safely. Such situations place demands on a person's coordination and reserves of strength as well as requiring sufficient appreciat ...

on even the most difficult terrain. For comparison, the description of the Cavallo Romano given by Moreschi in 1903 is this:

Uses

Although sometimes employed in the past as a warhorse and as a

carriage A carriage is a private four-wheeled vehicle for people and is most commonly horse-drawn. Second-hand private carriages were common public transport, the equivalent of modern cars used as taxis. Carriage suspensions are by leather strapping an ...

horse, the primary use of the Cavallo Romano was as a

working horse Working equitation is an equestrian discipline. The world regulatory body is the World Association for Working Equitation. The Working Equitation discipline is intended to promote competition between traditional styles of riding used during fi ...

for the management of open-range livestock, particularly horses, cattle and sheep. Until the

land drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess of water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic condition ...

and reclamation of the fascist era the Maremma region was, like the ''campagna romana'' and the Pontine Marshes, wild and inhospitable, and inhabited mostly by vast herds of livestock, transhumant shepherds and the ''cavalcanti'', the "riders", as the ''butteri'' of the Maremma Laziale were called. The traditions of the ''cavalcanti'' and their style of working riding, the ''Monta italiana da lavoro'', are still taught and transmitted by a small number of riding academies. In addition to herding work, the Cavallo Romano is used today as a saddle horse for trekking; other uses include agricultural and light draught work, use as

pack animals A pack animal, also known as a sumpter animal or beast of burden, is an individual or type of working animal used by humans as means of transporting materials by attaching them so their weight bears on the animal's back, in contrast to draft ani ...

, and the production of high quality

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

and of milk for paediatric or cosmetic use.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cavallo Romano Della Maremma Laziale Horse breeds Horse breeds originating in Italy