25:
223:, dun, brown or black. The small-bodied species of the Skyrian horse is one of the rarest horse breeds in the world. It is native to Greece, and in ancient times lived throughout the country, but now is only found in the wild in Skyros and in breeding and welfare farms on the island of Skyros. At the time of writing there are 220 Skyrian horses in Greece, of which 152 live in Skyros. The Skyrian horse is a protected species.
129:
254:
276:
They developed mainly as semi-feral horses in the mountainous area on the southern part of the island, although individuals were caught and tamed by farmers for agricultural uses. The advances in agricultural mechanisation during the 1960s threatened the survival of the breed, as they were no longer
226:
The
Skyrian horses are friendly, social, robust and intelligent animals. The head is very handsome. The mane is long and thick and usually a hue darker than the skin colour. Their legs are slim, strong and wiry, with strong joints. The tail is low set. The hooves are small, compact and strong,
244:
Also, another non-profit organisation
Hippolytus est. 2010 (ελληνικά Ιππόλυτος) based in Falani Larissa is making efforts towards promoting the breed culturally and at the same time helping with its preservation.
277:
needed for farm work and their numbers were already low. The prevalence of feral donkeys in the same area of Skyros is also a threat, as the two groups cross-breed and prevent pure breeding by the Skyros horses.
280:
During the 1970s, there was a short-lived breeding program focused on the Skyros breed. This program brought publicity to the breed and resulted in them being declared critically endangered in 1991.
237:
based in Skyros is running a highly successful breeding, conservation, education and welfare project with the
Skyrian horses. Another key organisation working to protect the Skyrian horse is the
453:
389:
227:
usually black, and do not need shoeing. It is preferred by the breed standard to have very limited white markings eg a small star is acceptable .
500:
413:
Many have complex or obscure histories, so inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively Greek.
427:
261:
The Skyros breed is believed to be descended from horses brought to the island of Skyros during the 5th to 8th centuries BCE by
288:
The horses are often kept semi-wild, ranging the mountainous interior of the island until they are needed at the harvest for
234:
is currently working to promote the foundation of Skyros herds elsewhere in Greece and abroad. The Skyros Island Horse Trust
382:
89:
61:
238:
108:
68:
375:
46:
75:
42:
57:
398:
347:
35:
485:
269:
in his conquests, and also possible that they are the horses depicted in the friezes of the
465:
8:
266:
82:
309:
241:, which has created a stud book and is setting up a pedigree for the Skyrian horse.
495:
490:
422:
193:
257:
Their legs are slim, strong and wiry, with strong joints. The tail is low set.
479:
432:
231:
292:
grain. Skyroi are also used as pack horses, harness horses, and for riding.
352:
443:
438:
408:
367:
220:
216:
362:
235:
337:
289:
270:
358:
Area of
Controlled Reproduction for the Preservation of Skyros Horse
24:
262:
342:
128:
357:
253:
204:
200:
175:
215:
The Skyros breed generally stands between 9.1 and 11
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
411:considered to be wholly or partly of Greek origin.
265:colonists. It is possible that they were used by
477:
383:
199:) is a breed of miniature horse found on the
397:
390:
376:
127:
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
252:
210:
478:
302:
371:
165:Very small stature, semi-domesticated
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
13:
501:Horse breeds originating in Greece
14:
512:
331:
219:(92 to 115 cm) high, and may be,
23:
34:needs additional citations for
338:www.skyrosislandhorsetrust.com
1:
295:
7:
10:
517:
248:
462:
418:
405:
363:The Skyrian Horse Society
169:
161:
156:
148:
138:
126:
283:
162:Distinguishing features
399:Horse breeds of Greece
343:Silva Project homepage
258:
256:
239:Skyrian horse society
211:Breed characteristics
466:List of horse breeds
176:Equus ferus caballus
133:Skyros mare and foal
43:improve this article
348:Hippolytus homepage
267:Alexander the Great
123:
259:
197:αλογάκι της Σκύρου
121:
473:
472:
314:The Silva Project
186:
185:
149:Country of origin
119:
118:
111:
93:
508:
392:
385:
378:
369:
368:
325:
324:
322:
320:
306:
178:
131:
124:
120:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
516:
515:
511:
510:
509:
507:
506:
505:
476:
475:
474:
469:
458:
414:
412:
401:
396:
353:Hippolytus blog
334:
329:
328:
318:
316:
308:
307:
303:
298:
286:
251:
213:
182:
174:
152:Greece (Skyros)
143:
134:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
514:
504:
503:
498:
493:
488:
471:
470:
463:
460:
459:
457:
456:
451:
446:
441:
436:
430:
425:
419:
416:
415:
407:These are the
406:
403:
402:
395:
394:
387:
380:
372:
366:
365:
360:
355:
350:
345:
340:
333:
332:External links
330:
327:
326:
300:
299:
297:
294:
285:
282:
250:
247:
212:
209:
184:
183:
181:
180:
170:
167:
166:
163:
159:
158:
154:
153:
150:
146:
145:
140:
136:
135:
132:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
16:Breed of horse
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
513:
502:
499:
497:
494:
492:
489:
487:
484:
483:
481:
468:
467:
461:
455:
452:
450:
447:
445:
442:
440:
437:
434:
431:
429:
426:
424:
421:
420:
417:
410:
404:
400:
393:
388:
386:
381:
379:
374:
373:
370:
364:
361:
359:
356:
354:
351:
349:
346:
344:
341:
339:
336:
335:
315:
311:
305:
301:
293:
291:
281:
278:
274:
272:
268:
264:
255:
246:
242:
240:
236:
233:
232:Silva Project
228:
224:
222:
218:
208:
206:
202:
198:
195:
191:
190:Skyrian Horse
179:
177:
172:
171:
168:
164:
160:
155:
151:
147:
142:Skyrian Horse
141:
137:
130:
125:
113:
110:
102:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
58:"Skyros Pony"
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
486:Horse breeds
464:
448:
409:horse breeds
319:December 29,
317:. Retrieved
313:
304:
287:
279:
275:
260:
243:
229:
225:
214:
196:
189:
187:
173:
144:Skyrian Pony
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
449:Skyros Pony
444:Pindos Pony
439:Peneia Pony
139:Other names
480:Categories
454:Thessalian
296:References
99:March 2012
69:newspapers
423:Andravida
310:"History"
290:threshing
271:Parthenon
435:(Cretan)
428:Arravani
263:Athenian
203:isle of
433:Messara
249:History
83:scholar
496:Skyros
491:Ponies
205:Skyros
157:Traits
122:Skyros
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
217:hands
201:Greek
194:Greek
90:JSTOR
76:books
321:2007
284:Uses
230:The
188:The
62:news
221:bay
45:by
482::
312:.
273:.
207:.
391:e
384:t
377:v
323:.
192:(
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
