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Country Of Origin | Austria |
History and Background | The Abtenauer is a rare draft horse breed. It is the smallest variant of the Noriker horse, but is very strong despite its small size. Bred in the isolated valley of Abtenau, south of Salzburg in Austria, it is a consolidated population in itself. It is thought that the current population consists of less than one hundred individuals. The origin of these horses are thought to be in abandoned Greek military mounts that were left in the area. Their mountainous home has prevented them from growing much bigger than a pony. |
Use Today | Agriculture work, Pleasure horse |
Height | 14.2 to 15.1 hands high (57-60 inches, 144-155 centimeters) |
Colour | Black, chestnut. roan, Leopard spotting is not desirable |
Characteristics | The Abtenauer is of lighter bone than the Noriker, the Abtenauer breeds true to type and is well adapted to the poor soil on which it lives. The breed is known for its easy, flowing trotting action. The Abtenauer is elegantly built with a well-shaped head and strong legs. Mares and foals spend the summers in pasture high in the mountains and are fed salt once a week to prevent them from becoming feral. They spend the summer freely roaming the alpine meadows with cattle. Often foals are born with peculiar curly coats that are lost when the baby hair is shed. Because of its agility and good sense of balance, this breed is valuable for work in mountain forests. |
Personality and Temperament | The Abtenauer is docile, hard working, obedient, and undemanding, all of which make it an ideal draft horse. And because it is cold-blooded, the Abtenauer can withstand extremely cold temperatures, perfect for hauling loads up in the mountains. |
Other Considerations | However, hardy as it is, efforts must be made to save the Abtenauer breed from extinction. Otherwise, this hardy and extremely useful draft horse may become just another page in the history of horses. |