Noriker horse
Encyclopedia
The Noriker horse, also called the Norico-Pinzgauer and historically known as the Pinzgauer horse, is a moderately heavy Austrian draught horse
breed. The Noriker is considered indigenous
to the central Alpine region of Europe, and is believed to have originated around the highest mountain of Austria, the Grossglockner. This region was once known as the Roman
province of 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.
The breed played an important role in the transportation of goods through the Alps, carrying salt, gold and Celtic 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, during the industrialization period in the 20th century.
The Pinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle
takes its name from this breed.
averages between . The head should be dry, typy and should express draught horse characteristics. 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 placed on correct position of the short legs having strong clean joints and little feathering. Circumference of cannon bones of mares has to be between 22 to 25 cm (8.7 to 9.8 ).
Due to its colour varieties, the Noriker enjoys large popularity. Beside the basic coat colours bay, black
and chestnut
, there are spotted Leopard complex
horses, Mohrenköpfe (blue roan), and other roan
colors, tobiano
s and overo
s. Gray
does not occur.
Celt
ic alpine horse type, a precondition for trading and transport via packhorse
s 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 antiquity up to the end of the 19th century, Noriker horses were an important link in the trade between central Europe and the Adriatic.
Very early in the breeding history of the Noriker horse, baroque horse
s also played an important role. With the establishment of the stud farm
Rif, near Salzburg
in 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 a powerful and compact topline, long manes and tails. Baroque influence is also visible in coat colours, with a large number of black horses as well as blue roans, called mohrenkopf referring directly to the Italian expression testa di moro or capo moro, meaning "dark head" or "Moor (dark) head". Besides Mohrenköpfen, the leopard spotted
coat colour, named tiger (reflecting the linguistic absence of a distinction between "tiger" and "leopard" cats), is still an active breeding objective of the breed as well, which is unusual for nearly all other European horse breeds.
In 1903, the stud book was closed. Since then, Noriker horses are strictly purebred
. The years between the two world wars were when the popularity of the Noriker horse peaked, and the population grew constantly. However, after the second World War
, mechanisation started to take over, though in the poorer mountainous regions of Austria the machinery was not affordable, so horses in the Alps
have continued to be part of everyday life until about 1968, when the Noriker horse population, then at 34,510 head, began to decline.
The late 1970s were called the crisis of horse breeding in Europe, and within about twenty years, 80% of the Noriker horses disappeared, a fact that was directly connected to the third wave of mechanisation. By 1985, only 6,996 Noriker horses survived. While today, many draught horse breeds of Europe are endangered, the Noriker has rebounded to some extent, and currently about 10,000 Noriker horses are living in the Austrian countryside. The Noriker is also bred in Italy, predominantly in the Puster Valley and the five Ladin valleys, areas formerly in Austria-Hungary
. Under the name Norico-Pinzgauer, it is one of the fifteen indigenous horse "breeds of limited distribution" recognised by the AIA, the Italian breeders' association, which also publishes the Italian breed standard
. The regional breeders' federation is the same as that for the Haflinger
, the Provincial Federation of South Tyrol Haflinger Horse Breeders. The Noriker breed now comprises one of the largest draught horse populations in Europe.
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 13 Vulkan 635; born 1887 in the Pinzgau
. The reason for the dominance of this line was the fact that the founder stallions
and their descendants represented the heavy draught horse type favoured in those times.
Nero-Line: The Nero line is the second largest line in the Noriker breed, founded by the stallion 554 liz. Nero. The famous Noriker stallion
1378 Stoissen-Nero V/977, foaled in 1931 belonged to this line. He possessed all qualities which are also desiderable in the present time. The reasons for the major influence of the Nero-line are the same as for the Vulkan-line.
Diamant-Line: The Diamant-line started promisingly in the early 20th century, but after 1950, it was surpassed by the Nero-line. The founder of this line was 367 Bravo 149, foaled in 1877. The name of this line origins from his great-grandson 216 Diamant 496, foaled 1903. Horses of this line are very typy and agile.
Schaunitz-Line: The Schaunitz-line was founded by the stallion Amor, born in 1888 in Tirol
. The line is named after one of his sons, 255 Schaunitz, who was born in 1896. In former times, Schaunitz horses were famous for their lively temperament and their durable constitution. Their sometimes difficult character could be the reason for the decline of this line in the 1980s. Nowadays, their smaller size and pleasing conformation, combined with good movement has led to a new era of this line.
Elmar-Line: The stallions of the Elmar line are mostly leopard spotted. The line was founded in the year 1896 by the stallion 80 Arnulf 55. 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.
Draft horse
A draft horse , draught horse or dray horse , less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour...
breed. The Noriker is considered indigenous
Landrace
A landrace is a local variety of a domesticated animal or plant species which has developed largely by natural processes, by adaptation to the natural and cultural environment in which it lives. It differs from a formal breed which has been bred deliberately to conform to a particular standard...
to the central Alpine region of Europe, and is believed to have originated around the highest mountain of Austria, the Grossglockner. This region was once known as the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
province of Noricum
Noricum
Noricum, in ancient geography, was a Celtic kingdom stretching over the area of today's Austria and a part of Slovenia. It became a province of the Roman Empire...
. 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.
The breed played an important role in the transportation of goods through the Alps, carrying salt, gold and Celtic iron from Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
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, during the industrialization period in the 20th century.
The Pinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle
Pinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle
The Pinzgauer is a family of high-mobility all-terrain 4WD and 6WD military utility vehicles. They were manufactured in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom, by BAE Systems Land & Armaments. The vehicle was originally developed in the late 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch of Graz, Austria, and was named...
takes its name from this breed.
Characteristics
The Noriker is a moderately heavy mountain draught horse with a low center of gravity, surefooted, and with a good sense of balance. The height of withersWithers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
averages between . The head should be dry, typy and should express draught horse characteristics. 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
Rump (animal)
The rump or croup, in the external morphology of an animal, is the portion of the posterior dorsum that is posterior to the loins and anterior to the tail. Anatomically, the rump corresponds to the sacrum....
is very muscular. Special attention is placed on correct position of the short legs having strong clean joints and little feathering. Circumference of cannon bones of mares has to be between 22 to 25 cm (8.7 to 9.8 ).
Due to its colour varieties, the Noriker enjoys large popularity. Beside the basic coat colours bay, black
Black (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
and chestnut
Chestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
, there are spotted Leopard complex
Leopard complex
The leopard complex is a group of genetically-related coat patterns in horses. These patterns range from progressive increases in interspersed white hair similar to graying or roan to distinctive, Dalmatian-like leopard spots on a white coat. Secondary characteristics associated with the leopard...
horses, Mohrenköpfe (blue roan), and other roan
Roan (horse)
Roan is a horse coat color pattern characterized by an even mixture of colored and white hairs on the body, while the head and "points"—lower legs, mane and tail—are more solid-colored. The roan pattern is dominantly-inherited, and is found in many horse breeds...
colors, tobiano
Tobiano
Tobiano is a spotted color pattern commonly seen in Pinto horses, produced by a dominant gene. The tobiano gene produces white-haired, pink-skinned patches on a base coat color. The coloration is present from birth and does not change throughout the horse's lifetime, unless the horse also carries...
s and overo
Overo
Overo refers to several genetically unrelated pinto coloration patterns of white-over-dark body markings in horses, and is a term used by the American Paint Horse Association to classify a set of pinto patterns that are not Tobiano...
s. Gray
Gray (horse)
Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...
does not occur.
History
The early history of the Noriker horse breed is often linked to the Roman empire by various scholars, though this theory is questioned. On the other hand, the existence of a landraceLandrace
A landrace is a local variety of a domesticated animal or plant species which has developed largely by natural processes, by adaptation to the natural and cultural environment in which it lives. It differs from a formal breed which has been bred deliberately to conform to a particular standard...
Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic alpine horse type, a precondition for trading and transport via packhorse
Packhorse
.A packhorse or pack horse refers generally to an equid such as a horse, mule, donkey or pony used for carrying goods on their backs, usually carried in sidebags or panniers. Typically packhorses are used to cross difficult terrain, where the absence of roads prevents the use of wheeled vehicles. ...
s through the Alps, is proven by a series of artifacts from the 1st millennium BC, prior to the founding of the Roman empire
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. In either case, from antiquity up to the end of the 19th century, Noriker horses were an important link in the trade between central Europe and the Adriatic.
Very early in the breeding history of the Noriker horse, baroque horse
Baroque horse
The Baroque horse is a term used to generally describe the type of agile but strong-bodied descendants of horses in the Middle Ages such as the destrier. Specific ancestors of this type include the Neapolitan horse, and the Iberian horse of Barb ancestry known in the Middle Ages as the Spanish...
s also played an important role. With the establishment of the stud farm
Stud farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the...
Rif, near Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
in 1565, the phase of the refinement by Neapolitan
Neapolitan horse
The Neapolitan Horse, , 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 Kingdom of Naples. The Neapolitan horse was frequently mentioned in literature from the 16th to...
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
Equine conformation
Equine conformation evaluates the degree of correctness of a horse's bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other. Undesirable conformation can limit the ability to perform a specific task. Although there are several universal "faults," a horse's conformation is...
of these horses: Roman heads with a powerful and compact topline, long manes and tails. Baroque influence is also visible in coat colours, with a large number of black horses as well as blue roans, called mohrenkopf referring directly to the Italian expression testa di moro or capo moro, meaning "dark head" or "Moor (dark) head". Besides Mohrenköpfen, the leopard spotted
Leopard complex
The leopard complex is a group of genetically-related coat patterns in horses. These patterns range from progressive increases in interspersed white hair similar to graying or roan to distinctive, Dalmatian-like leopard spots on a white coat. Secondary characteristics associated with the leopard...
coat colour, named tiger (reflecting the linguistic absence of a distinction between "tiger" and "leopard" cats), is still an active breeding objective of the breed as well, which is unusual for nearly all other European horse breeds.
In 1903, the stud book was closed. Since then, Noriker horses are strictly purebred
Purebred
Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
. The years between the two world wars were when the popularity of the Noriker horse peaked, and the population grew constantly. However, after the second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, mechanisation started to take over, though in the poorer mountainous regions of Austria the machinery was not affordable, so horses in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
have continued to be part of everyday life until about 1968, when the Noriker horse population, then at 34,510 head, began to decline.
The late 1970s were called the crisis of horse breeding in Europe, and within about twenty years, 80% of the Noriker horses disappeared, a fact that was directly connected to the third wave of mechanisation. By 1985, only 6,996 Noriker horses survived. While today, many draught horse breeds of Europe are endangered, the Noriker has rebounded to some extent, and currently about 10,000 Noriker horses are living in the Austrian countryside. The Noriker is also bred in Italy, predominantly in the Puster Valley and the five Ladin valleys, areas formerly in Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. Under the name Norico-Pinzgauer, it is one of the fifteen indigenous horse "breeds of limited distribution" recognised by the AIA, the Italian breeders' association, which also publishes the Italian breed standard
Breed standard
A breed standard in animal fancy and animal husbandry is a set of guidelines which is used to ensure that the animals produced by a breeder or breeding facility conform to the specifics of the breed....
. The regional breeders' federation is the same as that for the Haflinger
Haflinger (horse)
The Haflinger, also known as the Avelignese, is a breed of horse developed in Austria and northern Italy during the late 19th century. Haflinger horses are relatively small, are always chestnut in color, have distinctive gaits described as energetic but smooth, and are well-muscled yet elegant...
, the Provincial Federation of South Tyrol Haflinger Horse Breeders. The Noriker breed now comprises one of the largest draught horse populations in Europe.
Sire lines
There are five sire lines: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
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 , adopted in 1931 and the most familiar among all leather flight jackets, stated that it should be made of horsehide tanned to seal brown...
stallion 13 Vulkan 635; born 1887 in the Pinzgau
Pinzgau
The Bezirk Zell am See is an administrative district in the federal state of Salzburg, Austria, and congruent with the Pinzgau region....
. The reason for the dominance of this line was the fact that the founder stallions
Foundation bloodstock
Foundation bloodstock or foundation stock are horses that are the progenitor, or foundation, of a new horse breed or a given bloodline within a breed. The term is also used in a similar manner when discussing purebred dogs...
and their descendants represented the heavy draught horse type favoured in those times.
Nero-Line: The Nero line is the second largest line in the Noriker breed, founded by the stallion 554 liz. Nero. The famous Noriker stallion
Stallion
A Stallion is a male horse.Stallion may also refer to:* Stallion , an American pop rock group* Stallion , a figure in the Gobot toyline* Stallion , a character in the console role-playing game series...
1378 Stoissen-Nero V/977, foaled in 1931 belonged to this line. He possessed all qualities which are also desiderable in the present time. The reasons for the major influence of the Nero-line are the same as for the Vulkan-line.
Diamant-Line: The Diamant-line started promisingly in the early 20th century, but after 1950, it was surpassed by the Nero-line. The founder of this line was 367 Bravo 149, foaled in 1877. The name of this line origins from his great-grandson 216 Diamant 496, foaled 1903. Horses of this line are very typy and agile.
Schaunitz-Line: The Schaunitz-line was founded by the stallion Amor, born in 1888 in Tirol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
. The line is named after one of his sons, 255 Schaunitz, who was born in 1896. In former times, Schaunitz horses were famous for their lively temperament and their durable constitution. Their sometimes difficult character could be the reason for the decline of this line in the 1980s. Nowadays, their smaller size and pleasing conformation, combined with good movement has led to a new era of this line.
Elmar-Line: The stallions of the Elmar line are mostly leopard spotted. The line was founded in the year 1896 by the stallion 80 Arnulf 55. 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.