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Carpathian pony

Country Of Origin	Romania
History and Background	The Hucul or Carpathian is a pony or small horse breed originally from the Carpathian Mountains. It has a heavy build and possesses great endurance and hardiness. The breed is also referred to as the Carpathian pony, Huculska, Hutsul, Huţul, Huţan or Huzul. The breed gets its name from the Hutsul people, who live mostly in the Carpathians in Ukraine and in Romania, but also in an area in the East Carpathian Mountains north of the river Bistritz, officially named "Huzelei". The Hucul bears some resemblance to the now-extinct Tarpan. Said to have originated in the Carpathian Mountain range of Eastern Europe covered by present-day Poland, Slovakia and Romania, it is named after the small ethnic group of Hutsuls. However, the horse breed is much older than the Hutsul people. The Huculs are probably depicted on the monuments erected by Roman Emperors Domitian and Trajan, as Dacian draft horses. The breed was mentioned for the first time in written resources around 400 years ago (as the "Mountain Tarpan"). Unlike the Polish Konik, the Hucul has been only rarely cross-bred with domestic horses. In 1856, the first stud farm was established at Rădăuţi, Romania. Several bloodlines were established by the foundation stallions Goral, Hroby, Ouşor, Pietrousu and Prislop, and the horses were carefully bred to preserve the purity of these bloodlines. In 1922, thirty-three horses were sent to Czechoslovakia to establish a herd there which would become the Gurgul line. World War II caused a severe decline in the number of Hucul horses in Czechoslovakia. After the end of the war, only 300 Hucul horses remained there. Even though a stud-book was established in 1924 in the Huzelei after Michal Holländer encouraged it, it was not until the early 1970s that breeders established an organization, Hucul Club, to prevent the extinction there caused by the declining number. In 1982 they established a stud book with fifty purebred animals and the goal of increasing the numbers in that region. Thanks to the efforts of breeders, the world population of these horses now exceeds 1,000. Most of them live in Poland, Slovakia, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine. Many ponies in Europe also have Hucul blood. In recent years the popularity of this breed has spread as far as England.
Use Today	Therapy pony, Work pony, Trail pony, Endurance pony, General riding
Height	12.2 and 13.2 hands (50 and 54 inches, 127 and 137 cm) high
Colour	Bay, Black, Chestnut, Dun
Characteristics	The Hucul or Carpathian Pony is one of the oldest breeds of native ponies in Europe, resembling in appearance the wild Tarpan horse. The Hucul is heavily built with a compact body. The head is short, with expressive large eyes and lively ears. The neck is short and muscular and the back is strong. The chest is broad and the legs are short. The hooves are small and hard and do not require shoes. The coat is thick and coarse.
Personality and Temperament	The Hucul is docile pony with a trusting nature. It is sensible, willing to work, hardy and enduring of the harshest weather conditions. It is also very intelligent.