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History |
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The modern sire lines |
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The Slovenian cold-blooded horse |
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Horse of Carantania - (Karantanski konj) |
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by Dr. Jožko Šavli |
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September 15, 2010 |
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Why do I allow myself to call this breed the Carantanian horse? First, because until this very day these fine horses were spread throughout the Eastern Alps, i.e., in the territory of ancient Carantania (the later Austria). Secondly, because the roots of the breed go back to the period of Noricum, the Roman province in this territory, which was the predecessor of Carantania. Third, a war horse of this breed was used in the solemn installation ceremony of the Carantanian prince, symbolizing the defense of the state. |
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The historical records, referring to the Installation rite of the Duke of Carantania, mention a war horse as symbol of the army and a bull as symbol of agriculture, which the duke entrusted to the representative of the people. These animals symbolized the defense and the economy of the State structure. These activities represented a pillar of the existence of the nation. |
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The citation, concerning the war horse used in the Installation rite, has been found for the first time in the juridical book called Schwabenspiegel (Swabian Mirror) of ca. 1275, written in German language. Later, in a report written by the Chronist Otokar of ca. 1306 we read the following passage:... In the other hand the duke is leading a war horse (Feldpferd) which is not lacking of black and white patches... |
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Why black and white? These were the colours of Carantania taken over from the Carantanian coat of arms: a black panther on a white shield. In the sense of the principle valid at that time and preserved in heraldry until this very day, the colours of the banner must have corresponded to those of the coat of arms. Therefore, black and white became the colours of the land. |
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Black and white were the colours of the war horse, which was used in the Installation ceremony of the Carantanian duke. |
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Did the black and white colour of the Carantanian war horse have any symbolic meaning in the pre-Christian belief? I think, this is very credible... The first step of an indirect proof leads to the Vends (Abodrites, Lusatians)...who lived in the Elbe basin. Their pantheon was very similar to that of the Carantanians. In the 11th century they were still pagan, that is, not yet Christianized. It is known, that their pagan god Svetovid kept a white horse on the meadow around his temple, and a black horse pastured on the temple grounds of Triglav. Svetovid was the god of the visible world and was connected with light and sun. Triglav was the god of the universe and cosmos, which was eternal and unknown. Therefore, I think, the symbolic colour was black. |
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In this connection the question arises, from which breed of horse did the above mentioned war horses originate? We are probably not wrong in presuming that it has its roots in the very ancient breed, which prevailed in the area of the Eastern Alps, this is, in Noricum during the Roman period and in Carantania of the Middle Ages. The breed has been known as the Pinzgauer, named after a valley in the province of Salzburg (Austria). In modern times, this breed became known as the Noriker. |
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Over the years, the early history of the Noriker has always been linked to the Roman Empire. This view is kept obstinately up to nowadays by different authors. In contrary horse husbandry and the existence of an autochthonous Norican alpine horse type, which has been the precondition for trading and transport through the Alps, is proven by a series of artifacts from the 1st millennium BC. At that time Rome was not even founded. |
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In the letter of Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths, to the Provinciales Norici in 507, the Norican horses, compared with those of the Allemans, would have been: minores quidem membris, sed idonei ad laborem (Cassidorus var. III 50). Anyway, also race-horses were bred in Noricum, which is proven by the inscription: “Noricus r(ussus)” found on a Roman memorial (CIL VI 10056, 23) (Polaschek, 1044). |
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Mare and foal of the Noriker, in bay colour. |
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On the other hand, the existence of a landrace alpine horse type, a precondition for trading and transport via packhorses through the Alps, is proven by a series of artifacts from the 1st millennium BC, prior to the founding of the Roman Empire. In either case, from an early time up to the end of the 19th century, Noriker horses guaranteed the trading between central Europe and the Adriatic. |
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Thus, the breed played an important role in the transportation of goods through the Alps, carrying salt, gold and Norican iron from Salzburg to Italy, and on the return journey bringing back wine and spices. This use developed a powerful, long, deep-barreled and surefooted draught horse - an adaptation to the alpine terrain. The use of Noriker horses in agriculture started much later. |
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The Noriker horse, also historically known as the Pinzgauer horse, is an autochthonous, moderately heavy Austrian (Carantanian) draught horse breed. |
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History |
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The Noriker horse is considered indigenous to the central Alpine region of Europe, and is believed to have originated around the highest mountain of Austria, (the former Carantania), the Grossglockner. In early history, this region became known as the Roman province Noricum. At the end of 19th century the original name Pinzgauer horse was changed to Noriker horse, due in part to the Romanophile attitude in this time. |
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Face of a Noric silver coin from the pre-Roman period. It depicts a Norican horse with rider. |
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Very early in the breeding history of the Noriker horse, baroque horses played an important role. With the establishment of the stud farm Rief (near Salzburg) in the year 1565, the phase of the refinement by Neapolitan and Iberian stallions began, which exerted their influence on the Noriker horse until 1806. Down to the present day this influence is visible in the conformation of these horses: Roman heads with swung upper lines and long hair occur frequently in black horses or blue roans. |
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The name Mohrenkopf refers directly to the Italian expression "testa di moro" or "capo moro". Most apparently the baroque influence is visible on the coat colours. Besides Mohrenköpfe, the leopard spotted coat colour, named Tiger (from Spanish tigre), is still an active breeding objective of the breed, in contrary to nearly all other European horse breeds. |
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Mohrenkopf young mares |
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The oldest still received Stutbuch published 1903 the Pinzgauer horse breeding association. Since then Noriker horses are strictly pure bred. Salzburg was and remains the main breed area of the Noriker and may, according to the regulations of the European Union, the origin breed book lead. The years between the two wars were the glorious times of the Noriker horse, and the population grew constantly. After the second World War mechanization started to take over but in the poor mountainous regions of Austria this machinery was not affordable. So horses in the Alps have been part of everyday life up to the 1970's. |
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In the year 1968 (Noriker horse population 34.510 heads) the decline of this breed began. In our time almost all draught horse breeds of Europe are endangered. Also the Noriker horse belongs to the group of endangered horse breeds. The late 1970's were titled as the crisis of horse breeding in Europe. In nearly twenty years 80% of the Noriker horses disappeared, a fact that was directly connected to the 3rd wave of mechanization. In the year 1985 only 6,996 Noriker horses survived this development - nowadays 10.000 Noriker horses are living in the Austrian countryside. The Noriker horse population developed to one of the biggest draught horse population of Europe. |
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The modern sire lines |
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The breeding of Austrian Noric is currently based on five blood lines: Volcano, Nero, Diamand, Schaunitz, Elmar. In the post-war years, the goal was a heavy breed, not all too large, low set, and sturdy work horse with optimal fundament. Half of these horses were bay horses, although chestnuts were also abundant. The leopards markings that characterized earlier Norics became rare. |
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Vulkan-Line, since the foundation of the Noriker stud books this sire line has been the most popular one. More than 50% of all present Noriker horses belong to the Vulkan line. The line was founded by the brown stallion Vulkan, born 1887 in Pinzgau. The reason for the dominance of this line was the fact that the founder and their descendants represented the heavy draught horse type favoured in those times. |
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Nero-Line: The Nero-Line this is the second largest line in the Noriker breed, founded by the stallion Nero. The most famous Noriker stallion ever, the Stallion Stoissen-Nero, foaled in 1931, belonged to this line. He possessed all qualities which are also desirable in the present time. The reasons for the major influence of the Nero-line are the same as for the Vulkan-line. |
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Noriker, the Elmar line founded in the year 1896. It is a small sire line, but valued for its leopard spotting. |
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Diamant-Line started promisingly in the early 20th century. The founder of this line was Bravo, foaled in 1877. But after 1950, the line was surpassed by the Nero-line. |
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Schaunitz-Line was founded by the stallion Amor, born in 1888 in Tirol. |
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Elmar-Line, the stallions of the Elmar line are mostly leopard spotted. The line was founded in the year 1896 by the stallion Arnulf. For this line, the baroque influence is seen in the special coat colour, as well as a smaller size and lighter build. It is a small sire line, but valued for its leopard spotting. |
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Due to its colour varieties, the Noriker enjoys large popularity. Beside the basic coat colours bay, black and chestnut, there are leopard spotted horses, Mohrenköpfe (blue roan), and other roan colours, tobianos and overos. – The Noriker was a hit in Europe due to its hardiness and capacity for tough work. Several different strains of the breed came about, including the south German Cold Blood. Also, many colour strains found in the Noriker horse were traced back to the Andalusian and Neapolitan horses, proving that they were responsible for today’s Noriker's gorgeous colouring. |
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Perau (Perava) near Villach (Beljak), Carinthia (Austria): |
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a brooch of the so-called Köttlach Culture of Carantania (10th century AD). |
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Was the leopard (panther) spotted war horse also used in the Installation ceremony of the Carantanian duke? This possibility cannot be ruled out. I would like to draw your attention to the above picture which was found in Perau (Perava) near Villach (Beljak), in Carinthia. The brooch, which originated in the period of the Köttlach Culture (10th century AD), was typical for Carantania. It already depicts the panther figure, which at that time was not black but leopard spotted, like the horses of the Elmar line. There is a further possibility that such a war horse was used in the installation rite. |
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The Noriker, also historically known as the Pinzgauer horse, is a cold-blooded horse, an autochthonous, moderately heavy Austrian (Carantanian) draught horse breed. He developed from the heavy warm-blood horses. The Noriker is an autochthon moderately heavy mountain draught horse with a deep center of gravity, surefooted and with a good sense of balance. The height of withers averages between 156 and 163 cm. The head should be dry, typeful and should express a so-called harsh draught horse aristocracy. The neck is strong with visible musculature. The shoulder should be long and well positioned. The width of chest is broad and deep, the croup is very muscular. Special attention is put on a correct position of the legs with strong and clear joints. |
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The Noriker (Carantnian) is one of the most straight and elegant horses. |
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Here in chestnut and in brown colours. |
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The Slovenian cold-blooded horse |
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The Slovenian cold-blooded horse |
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The breed was formed mainly in north-eastern Slovenia and in the region of Gorenjska on the basis of domestic cold-blooded horses. The base population was made up of horses of the Medimurje (Murinsulaner) type, which does not exist nowadays. They were cross-bred with Noric stallions and less with Belgian stallions. The breed was ultimately formed with the cross-breeding of Noric stallions, which are still used. |
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The Slovenian cold-blooded horse is of a medium frame, it has a larger, often moderately convex head structure, well placed and long neck, longer but deep, wide and well connected body. Its croup is often low and split up. The horse has well formed legs and is thus a good walker. Their personality is friendly, with a calm temperament. It is a carrier horse of a medium frame, appropriate for all drawing disciplines and may even be used as a riding horse as well as for the production of slaughter foals. The Slovene cold-blooded horse has a strong constitution and may be characterized as persistent. It is also known to make good use of its food, achieve a good size and daily gains and have excellent fertility. |
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The pedigree status for the Slovene cold-blooded horse dates back to 1962. Today the breed is spread throughout Slovenia (being especially popular in the surrounding areas of Ptuj, Lenart, Ormol, Šentjur, Ialec, Kranj and Kamnik). It is our most numerous breed of horses and 2,700 meres are admitted yearly. In the past few years, however, the status has been suffering a decline because of the growing popularity of the warm-blooded sport horse breeds. - In the program of gene bank 231 mares are included. In the 1999 breeding season 95 foals and 115 stallions were approved. |
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Norics are increasingly becoming sport horses and are being used both as driving and riding horses. This is also reflected in the trend away from the original heavy breed to a horse with a good gait combined with sense of balance, sure step, and climbing ability. Increased ecological awareness has promoted the use of Norics as work animals in alpine regions. In tourist regions they have also gained popularity as carriage and sled horses. Unfortunately, the fertility of this cold-blooded race is somewhat disappointing. |
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Carriage driving courses, horse skidding courses, and the use of this breed as riding, driving, and work horses have increased the importance of Norics. The growing imports of spotted horses from the USA since the 1980s have rekindled interest in colorful Norics. These promising developments have increased the chances of preserving this cultural heritage in Austria. |
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Today, "Noriker" includes Pinzgauer, and there are four recognized strains: Carinthian (Kärntner), Steier, Tyrolean (Tiroler), and Bavarian or South German Cold-blood. There are distinct colour lines including dappled and brindle coat patterns; black-headed dapple-grey; brown; and shades of chestnut. |
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Another Noric silver coin: |
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On the reverse a Noric horse with rider and the inscription AR ECCAIO |
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It was the period after WW2. I remember that the farm next to my parent's house had a couple of horses. They were heavy draw horses and they have also been used for ploughing. One of them was of bay colour and was called Prama. The other one was of chestnut colour and was called Fuksa. Command was given to them in special words. Ghië meant forward and Uei (or a rather prolongated Ueei) meant stop. |
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In the modern Slovenia, as far I know, the Norican (Carantanian) breed was still prevailing after the WW2. Thereafter, it has been neglected, because agricultural machines replaced the horses. The stud farms, which offer riding sports for tourists, are mostly breeding “exotic” races. |
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Some Bibliography |
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Emil Polascek: Noricum, in: Pauly’s Realenciklopädie der klassischen Altertumswissenschaften, Stuttgart 1936 |
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Helmut Feuersänger: Der Pinzgauer Noriker. Landespferdezuchtverband Alpenland e.V. Salzburg, 1941 |
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Thomas Druml: Das Noriker Pferd. Vehling, Graz 2006 |
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Emil Suchanka: Das norische Pferd. Wien 1900 |
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Johann Schöfl: Das autochtone Kaltblutpferd der Alpen, der österreichische ‚Noriker’, mit den charakteristischen Merkmalen seiner Blutlinien. Dissertation, Wien 1960 |
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Peter Wiesflecker: Festschrift: 100 Jahre Pferdezuchtverein K 15 Feistritz an der Gail. Selbstverlag, Feistritz an der Gail 2004 |
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Please read also: National and Cultural Treasures of Slovenia Part II |
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Article: The Zila Horse, a Carantanian Breed with pre-Roman Roots |