The Castillonais or Cheval Ariègeois de Castillon , also formerly called Cheval du Biros or Saint-Gironnais, is an ancient breed of small rustic saddle-horse from the Ariège

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

of south-western France. It may be

dark bay Bay is a hair coat color of horses, characterized by a reddish-brown or brown body color with a black point coloration on the mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs. Bay is one of the most common coat colors in many horse breeds. The black ...

seal brown Seal brown is a rich dark brown color, resembling the color of the dyed fur from the fur seal. Usage The specifications for the U.S. Army Air Corps Type A-2 jacket (regulation summer flying jacket), adopted in 1931 and the most familiar among a ...

. It stands at the withers, with an average height of about It is used principally for trekking and for

driving Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and bicycles. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to f ...

. The Castillonnais probably descends from the horses that inspired the Magdalenian-era paintings found, for example, at the Cave of Niaux, with Oriental and Iberian blood added later. Originally bred as a multi-purpose breed used for cavalry, agriculture and driving, the breed declined in population during the 20th century, and almost became extinct. In 1980, a group of supporters began to work to save the breed, and a breed association, now called the Association Nationale du Cheval Castillonnais d'Ariège Pyrénées, was formed in 1992. The breed was officially recognised by the French Ministry of Agriculture in 1996. The French government, breed association and a regional conservation group all now share an interest in the preservation of the breed. Population numbers are still quite low, and

inbreeding Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

is a concern.

History

Like many other French breeds from the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

, the Castillonnais probably descends from the horses that inspired the Magdalenian-era paintings found, for example, at the Cave of Niaux. Over time, blood from Oriental and

Iberian horse The Iberian horse is a designation given to a number of horse breeds native to the Iberian peninsula. At present, some breeds are officially recognized by the FAO,Saint-Girons in Ariege in the Pyrenees, where a large horse fair was held the day after

All Saints' Day All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are kn ...

. In the late nineteenth century, horses of the Pyrenees were known for their use as mounts by light cavalry. In 1908, Gabriel Lamarque, equine historian and president of the Société d’agriculture de l’Ariège (Agricultural Society of Ariege), began to study the breed as part of his work in the development of native horse populations in France. The breed was originally a multi-purpose horse, used for agriculture, cavalry and pulling diligences (a type of carriage). Because of a lack of support from a breeding syndicate, such as the one in existence for the Mérens horse, once the need for a multi-purpose breed declined, the population of the Castillonnais dwindled. Many horses were

crossbred A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. ''Crossbreeding'', sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to main ...

with

draught horse A draft horse (US), draught horse (UK) or dray horse (from the Old English ''dragan'' meaning "to draw or haul"; compare Dutch ''dragen'' and German ''tragen'' meaning "to carry" and Danish ''drage'' meaning "to draw" or "to fare"), less oft ...

s, and the breed almost became extinct. The intervention of a group of supporters in 1980 saved the breed from extinction, and in 1992 L'Association Pyrénéenne Ariégeoise du Cheval Castillonnais (the Ariege Pyrenees Association of Castillonnais Horses) was formed, with support from several French government agencies and stud farms. Annually, in August, the association holds a small competition and sale for the breed in

Castillon-en-Couserans Castillon-en-Couserans (, literally ''Castillon in Couserans''; oc, Castilhon de Coserans) is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. Personalities Pierre Soulé (1801 – 1870), U.S. politician and diplomat, was born ...

, which also includes

inspections An inspection is, most generally, an organized examination or formal evaluation exercise. In engineering activities inspection involves the measurements, tests, and gauges applied to certain characteristics in regard to an object or activity ...

to register horses for the breed stud-book. In 1996, the Castillonnais was officially recognised by the French Ministry of Agriculture, due to the efforts of a small number of breed enthusiasts, though by that time only 50

purebred Purebreds are " cultivated varieties" of an animal species achieved through the process of selective breeding. When the lineage of a purebred animal is recorded, that animal is said to be "pedigreed". Purebreds breed true-to-type which means the ...

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than fo ...

s remained. The breed association's name was changed to L’association Nationale du Cheval Castillonnais d'Ariège Pyrénées (ANCCAP) (National Association of Castillonnais Horses of the Ariège Pyrenees), and is headquartered in Castillon-en-Couserans. Le Conservatoire du Patrimoine Biologique Régional de Midi-Pyrénées (Conservatory of the Biological Heritage of the Midi-Pyrénées Region), an organisation that has worked to protect the diversity of animal species in the region since 1980, is also committed to protecting the breed. Population numbers for the Castillonnais are quite low. The majority of breeders are located in Castillon-en-Couserans, in Ariège, but a few can be found in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

and

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...

. In November 2005, there were only around 260 existing Castillonnais, and a goal was created by the breed association to double the number of purebred mares between 2005 and 2014.

Inbreeding Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

is a concern due to low population numbers, and the national stud farm at

Tarbes Tarbes (; Gascon: ''Tarba'') is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France. It is the capital of Bigorre and of the Hautes-Pyrénées. It has been a commune since 1790. It was known as ''Turba ...

and Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (National Institute of Agronomic Research) have been brought in to help safeguard the

genetic resources Genetic resources are genetic material of actual or potential value, where genetic material means any material of plant, animal, microbial or other origin containing functional units of heredity. Genetic resources is one of the three levels of biod ...

of the breed.

Characteristics

The physical characteristics seen in the breed are currently in flux, so there is not a single breed

phenotype In genetics, the phenotype () is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The term covers the organism's morphology or physical form and structure, its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological pr ...

, though many members of the breed closely resemble the Mérens. Enthusiasts are breeding for a rustic mountain horse, of medium size, with good gaits and good temperament. Some members of the breed closely resemble

Iberian horse The Iberian horse is a designation given to a number of horse breeds native to the Iberian peninsula. At present, some breeds are officially recognized by the FAO,Andalusian horse. The official breed standard calls for a moderately long neck and long, sloped shoulder, broad

back The human back, also called the dorsum, is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. It is the surface of the body opposite from the chest and the abdomen. The vertebral column runs ...

, rounded croup and muscular legs. Some members of the breed are branded on the left hindquarter. Because of its relative rarity and physical similarities, the Castillonnais is commonly confused with the Mérens. The height of the Castillonnais ranges from a minimum of to a maximum of ; the average height is about for

s and for stallions and geldings. Two colours are allowed in the breed:

and

('). All horses are genetically tested for colour before registration; no horse of any other colour can be registered. The breed is considered to be an

easy keeper Easy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Easy'' (film), a 2003 American romantic comedy film *'' Easy!'', or ''Scialla!'', a 2011 Italian comedy film * ''Easy'' (TV series), a 2016–2019 American comedy-drama anthology ...

, with an easy-going temperament. The horses are agile, sure-footed on mountain paths, and exhibit extended gaits, with strong engagement of the hindquarters.

Uses

The Castillonnais is used mainly for

pleasure riding Pleasure riding is a form of equestrianism that encompasses many forms of recreational riding for personal enjoyment, absent elements of competition. In horse show competition, a wide variety of classes are labeled pleasure classes with judging st ...

, and it is well adapted to the mountainous terrain of the Pyrenees, which makes is useful for equestrian tourism in the area. It can be used for

, and is sometimes seen in dressage competitions. Some are used for logging and as

pack horse Pack or packs may refer to: Places * Pack, Austria, a municipality in Styria, Austria * Pack, Missouri * Chefornak Airport, Alaska, by ICAO airport code Groups of animals or people * Pack (canine), family structure of wild animals of the b ...

s for taking food and equipment to mountainous areas otherwise only accessible by helicopter.

References

{{Horse breeds of France, state=collapsed Horse breeds originating in France