Camargue horses
The Camargue horse belongs to an ancient race coming from Camargue, near the banks of the River Rodano, on the southern coast of France, where it is still used today to manage fighting bulls in pasture. It is a rustic and simple animal which, for its characteristics, has been able to survive an often hostile environment, lending it today a noteworthy strength. It is used to living in marshy areas and mainly eats ditch reed and marsh grasses
Its physical form also shows how it has adapted to living in damp areas: it is a rather small animal, with relatively short limbs and wide hooves: it moves with ease even in wet mud or in water.
The adult's coat is typically grey-white while newborns are dark and gradually get lighter over time. It is believed that this characteristic has been naturally selected over time as the light coat draws less attention from insects and allows the animal to cope in the sun.
They are balanced, agile and quick animals, used to using their energy in the best way possible: it is not unusual to see them slumbering or relaxing, but even the adults still enjoy playtime.
The horses were brought to the Isonzo Mouth Natural Reserve in 1991, thanks to funding from Friuli Venezia Giulia. The horses have an important role in the Reserve as they contribute to the conservation of the environment, carrying out an essential role in vegetation control: left alone, its natural evolution would cause the forming of thick reed thickets and little woods and would lead to the complete disappearance of the characteristic flora and fauna of the pastures, in which vegetation is kept low. The presence of these horses has allowed an increase in the diversity of the surroundings and has favoured the abundance of numerous vegetable and animal species, especially birds, which prefer damp and open areas with low levels of water.
The horses in the Reserve are divided into two groups: the first is made up of trained animals, used for work and also for the various horseriding activities, while the other lives in a natural state, free to move as they wish, except in those areas in which the developing reed thickets and woods are to be kept intact.
Its physical form also shows how it has adapted to living in damp areas: it is a rather small animal, with relatively short limbs and wide hooves: it moves with ease even in wet mud or in water.
The adult's coat is typically grey-white while newborns are dark and gradually get lighter over time. It is believed that this characteristic has been naturally selected over time as the light coat draws less attention from insects and allows the animal to cope in the sun.
They are balanced, agile and quick animals, used to using their energy in the best way possible: it is not unusual to see them slumbering or relaxing, but even the adults still enjoy playtime.
The horses were brought to the Isonzo Mouth Natural Reserve in 1991, thanks to funding from Friuli Venezia Giulia. The horses have an important role in the Reserve as they contribute to the conservation of the environment, carrying out an essential role in vegetation control: left alone, its natural evolution would cause the forming of thick reed thickets and little woods and would lead to the complete disappearance of the characteristic flora and fauna of the pastures, in which vegetation is kept low. The presence of these horses has allowed an increase in the diversity of the surroundings and has favoured the abundance of numerous vegetable and animal species, especially birds, which prefer damp and open areas with low levels of water.
The horses in the Reserve are divided into two groups: the first is made up of trained animals, used for work and also for the various horseriding activities, while the other lives in a natural state, free to move as they wish, except in those areas in which the developing reed thickets and woods are to be kept intact.
