Murgese
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The Murgese
horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
originated in the
Murge The Altopiano delle Murge (Italian for "Murge plateau") is a karst topographic plateau of rectangular shape in southern Italy. Most of it lies within Apulia and corresponds with the sub-region known as Murgia or Le Murge. The plateau lies mainl ...
, Apulia area of
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
during the Spanish rule, and was developed from Barb and Arabian horses. They are a hardy breed that is used mainly for cross-country riding, although they have also been used for light draft work.


History

The Murgese breed originated in Italy during the period of Spanish rule. It is thought that they were developed by crossing Barb and Arabian horses imported by the Count of ConversanoBongianni, Maurizio. ''Simon & Schuster's Guide to Horses and Ponies''. Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1988, pg. 24. with native horses,"Murgese"
''Oklahoma State University''. Referenced February 10, 2008.
especially the Neapolitan. The breed was extremely popular, especially with the Italian cavalry, during the 15th and 16th centuries, but then declined in numbers until it was almost extinct. In the treatise "Il Cavallarizzo" written by Claudio Corte in 1562, three years after the end of the
Great Italian Wars The Italian Wars, also known as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts covering the period 1494 to 1559, fought mostly in the Italian peninsula, but later expanding into Flanders, the Rhineland and the Mediterranean Sea. The pr ...
, the author describes how the best Neapolitan war horses came from the Puglie region and from Calabria, indicating that "Neapolitan horses" were all the horses bred for war in the Kingdom of Naples, which included Puglie and Calabria. Hence, the Murgese is considered as the direct descendant of the famous
Neapolitan horse The Neapolitan Horse, it, (Cavallo) Napoletano, ''Neapolitano'' or ''Napolitano'', is a horse breed that originated in the plains between Naples and Caserta, in the Campania region of Italy, but which may have been bred throughout the King ...
. The present day Murgese breed was developed from horses selected in 1926, when the herdbook was established, and is possibly a more refined version of the original Murgese horse. Until selection began in 1926 there were very diverse physical characteristics within the breed due to lack of breeding regulations. The original horses selected to revitalize the Murgese breed were a group of 46 mares and 9 stallions. The original center for selective breeding was the Institute for the Improvement of Horse Populations (then known as the Stallion Stud),"Genetic study of Murgese horse from genealogical data and microsatellites"
Elisa Pieragostini, Rita Rizzi, Grazia Bramante, Andrea Rosati, Giovanna Perrotta, Anna Caroli. ''Italian Journal of Animal Science''. Volume 4, pg. 197-202. 2005. Referenced February 10, 2008.
where three foundation stallions, Nerone, Granduca, and Araldo delle Murge, formed the main bloodlines of the breed today. A
breed society Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members of ...
, the , was established in 1948. In 1990 the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry established the Anagraphic Register to record equine groups identifiable as individual breeds, which included the Murgese. As of 2005, the Murgese population numbers more than 1500 breeding animals, including 1080 mares, 107 stallions and 350 foals. Before registration, all animals are blood typed, and in 2004, an extensive study was performed to analyze the amount of inbreeding present in the Murgese breed and concluded that the amount of inbreeding was within acceptable levels.


Breed characteristics

The horses usually stand between at the
withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...
, and may be
black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
, or dark roan. The head is light, with a straight or slightly convex profile, a broad forehead, and sometimes a prominent jaw. The neck is sturdy and broad at the base, the withers pronounced, the chest well-developed, and the shoulders sloping. The croup is long and broad and can be either flat or sloping. The legs are strong with large joints. The hooves are black and extremely hard, a feature for which the breed is famous. Stallions are rarely gelded, since they are very docile and can be ridden without problems. They are quite similar to the
Friesian horse The Friesian (also Frizian) is a horse breed originating in Friesland, in the Netherlands. Although the conformation of the breed resembles that of a light draught horse, Friesians are graceful and nimble for their size. It is believed tha ...
or to modern breeds such as the Warlander, Georgian Grande Horse, or the Spanish-Norman horse .


Uses

Murgese horses are generally used for trekking and cross-country riding, although they have also traditionally been used for farm work and light draft work. They are still popular on small farms where they are sought for their multi-purpose usefulness. The ancestors of the Murgese influenced the
Lipizzaner The Lipizzan or Lipizzaner ( hr, Lipicanac, cz, Lipicán, hu, Lipicai, it, Lipizzano, sr, Lipicaner, sl, Lipicanec), is a European breed of riding horse developed in the Habsburg Empire in the sixteenth century. It is of Baroque type, and ...
, through the stallions Neapolitano and Conversano (two founding stallions of the Lipizzaner breed), and many were exported to Spain and to Northern Europe where they influenced the development of breeds such as Frederiksborg horse and
Kladruber The Kladruber (Czech ''Starokladrubský kůň'') is the oldest Czech horse breed and one of the world's oldest horse breeds. It is considered very rare. The chief breeder and the keeper of the studbook is the National Stud at Kladruby nad ...
.


References


External links


Cavallo delle MurgeGenetic study of Murgese horse from genealogical data and microsatellites
- Inbreeding Study {{Horse breeds of Italy Horse breeds Horse breeds originating in Italy