Axios horse

Last updated

Axios horse
Axios Delta wild horses.jpg
Axios horses in the delta vegetation
Country of originGreece
UseFeral horse
Traits
ColorGray, bay, seal brown, black, chestnut, roan

The Axios is a breed of feral horses native to the Axios delta in Greek Macedonia, northern Greece. These robust, medium-sized animals, closely related to the Pindos and Thessalian breeds, originate from work horses released by local Greek farmers in the 1960s and 1970s. The rich wetland formed by the delta provides them with a favorable biotope, enabling them to survive as wild herds in the national park that has since been created. In 2010, there were less than a hundred individuals, which places the Axios among the critically endangered equine populations. These water-going horses are now a major attraction for tourists to Greece. However, the breed faces a number of threats, including competition for food from cattle and the capture of mares by farmers, and its long-term survival is not assured.

Contents

History

According to John Menegatos, professor of agriculture at the University of Athens, the Balkan pony, ancestor of today's Greek ponies, can be divided into two types: mountain and lowland. [1] Specific to the Axios delta, the Axios belongs to the second group.

These animals are the offspring of agricultural workhorses, abandoned by their owners in the late 1960s and early 1970s, [2] [3] due to the mechanization of this activity. [3] [4] The horses are released into the Axios delta, a wetland where they find an abundant source of food, and where they reproduce. [3] [4] However, their presence is sometimes a nuisance for local farmers, as they leave their biotope during periods of flooding, and seek out sources of food in the surrounding crops, which they damage. [4] In 1997, an official count revealed around 80 horses. [5]

In 2008, people in charge of the Axios, Loudias, Aliakmonas National Park carried out a study to characterize this equine population. [4] They counted five groups and a few isolated horses, all in good physical condition. [6] A project funded by the European Union from 2007-2013 will provide shelter for these horses and an observation post for ecotourism. [7] From 2008 to 2012, however, according to Amaltheia, the Greek association for the protection of small animal breeds, no specific management measures were implemented. [8]

Description

Considered ponies, they are closely related to the Pindos and Thessalian breeds. [2] [3] Some have probably been crossed with Thoroughbreds. [6] The conformation is uniform, with a medium size and robust trunk. [2] [6]

Like all horses in the wild, Axios ponies live in herds comprising a breeding stallion and several mares, [6] with stallions without a herd forming groups of single males. [9] They have no owner. [1] The main causes of mortality are wounds and anthracosis. [8]

Coats include gray, bay, seal brown, black, chestnut and roan. [10] [11]

Tourism

Herd near the Axios river Horses gefira.jpg
Herd near the Axios river

The characterization studies suggested that the presence of these horses could be used to develop equestrian tourism in Greece. [1] Indeed, the presence of wild horses contributes to the appeal of the region in which they live. [12]

The horses of Axios are now an important part of the region's fauna, attracting the attention of visiting tourists. [4] Websites dedicated to sightseeing in Greece mention their presence, [13] [14] as does a guide to birdwatching in Greece, emphasizing the "majestic" aspect of watching horses in the water. [15]

Distribution and threats

Horses are considered an integral part of the Axios delta ecosystem. [3] They compete with domestic cattle and sheep for access to food resources, [16] livestock being the main source of soil and environmental degradation. [17] [18] Despite the presence of wolves, these horses do not seem to suffer any significant predation. [16]

The main threats to them are the presence of illegal waste dumps, illegally erected fences and decomposing animal corpses on the ground, which are the cause of contamination. [19] The region is affected by West Nile fever, [20] and females are probably regularly captured by locals, also jeopardizing the survival of this population. [21]

In 2008, around 68 horses were counted, [21] meaning that the breed's numbers are stable or declining slightly. [5] Most live in the Axios delta, with a further 20 or so on an island off the river delta near Thessaloniki. [3] There are also some near the Aliakmon river. [22] In 2010, the population remained at around 90, [2] and the Delachaux guide also cites 90 individuals. [11] This places the Axios among the critically endangered horse breeds. [2] [17] Although the area has been declared a national park and is classified as Natura 2000, the breed's long-term survival is not assured.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eriskay Pony</span> Breed of horse

The Eriskay Pony is a breed of pony from Scotland. It is generally grey in colour, and has a dense, waterproof coat that protects it in harsh weather. The breed developed in ancient times in the Hebrides of Scotland, and a small population remained pure and protected from crossbreeding by the remoteness of the islands. It is used for light draught work, as a mount for children, in many equestrian disciplines, and for driving.

The Peneia Pony is a rare breed of pony from the Peloponnese in southern Greece, originating in the former prefecture of Elis, which included the village of Peneia (Pineia).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pindos Pony</span> Greek breed of small horse

The Pindos is breed of pony or small horse native to the Pindus mountain range in Thessaly and Epirus in Greece. It is also present in mountainous parts of Thrace and Macedonia. There is a feral herd near Neochori, Karditsa, close to Lake Plastiras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feral horse</span> Free horses of domesticated horse ancestry

A feral horse is a free-roaming horse of domesticated stock. As such, a feral horse is not a wild animal in the sense of an animal without domesticated ancestors. However, some populations of feral horses are managed as wildlife, and these horses often are popularly called "wild" horses. Feral horses are descended from domestic horses that strayed, escaped, or were deliberately released into the wild and remained to survive and reproduce there. Away from humans, over time, these animals' patterns of behavior revert to behavior more closely resembling that of wild horses. Some horses that live in a feral state but may be occasionally handled or managed by humans, particularly if privately owned, are referred to as "semi-feral".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lundy Pony</span> Breed of pony

The Lundy Pony is a British breed of pony bred on Lundy Island in the twentieth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banker horse</span> Breed of feral horse living on barrier islands in North Carolinas Outer Banks

The Banker horse is a breed of semi-feral or feral horse living on barrier islands in North Carolina's Outer Banks. It is small, hardy, and has a docile temperament, and is genetically related to the Carolina Marsh Tacky of South Carolina and Florida Cracker Horse breeds through their shared Colonial Spanish horse and Iberian horse descent. The current population of wild Banker horses is estimated to be about 400.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camargue cattle</span> French breed of cattle

The Camargue is a breed of domestic cattle native to the Camargue marshlands of the river delta of the Rhône in southern France. It is used for the traditional sport of course camarguaise, a kind of bloodless bull-fight, but not for the corrida, Iberian-style bull-fighting. It is one of two cattle breeds raised in semi-feral conditions in the Camargue; the other is the Brava or Race de Combat, a fighting breed. Since 1996, it has been officially known as the Provençal: Raço di Biòu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyprus donkey</span> Breed of donkey

The Cyprus donkey is the donkey breed of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. There are two principal strains: a large dark-coloured type with a pale belly, probably of European origin; and a small grey African type which represents about 20% of the total population, which in 2002 was estimated at 2200–2700.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balkan donkey</span> Breed of donkey

The Balkan donkey or mountain donkey, Serbian: Domaći balkanski magarac, is a breed or group of breeds of domestic donkey originating in the Balkan region. It is reported from Serbia and Montenegro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American donkeys</span>

North American donkeys constitute approximately 0.1% of the worldwide donkey population. Donkeys were first transported from Europe to the New World in the fifteenth century during the Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus, and subsequently spread south and west into the lands that would become México. They first reached the United States in the late seventeenth century. Donkeys arrived in large numbers in the western United States during the gold rushes of the nineteenth century, highly regarded as pack animals and for working in mines and ore-grinding mills. From about 1785, some select larger donkeys were imported from Europe to the eastern part of the continent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Majorera donkey</span> Spanish breed of donkey

The Majorera is an endangered breed of small domestic donkey indigenous to the Canary Islands, the Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic off the coast of southern Morocco. There are approximately 200 of the donkeys; almost all are on the island of Fuerteventura, with a small number on Lanzarote. The name derives from majorero, a demonym for the people of Fuerteventura. The Majorera is a small donkey of African origin, and is the only equine breed of the archipelago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burro da Ilha Graciosa</span> Portuguese breed of donkey

The Burro da Ilha Graciosa or Burro Anão da Graciosa is a breed of small domestic donkey endemic to the island of Graciosa, in the North Atlantic archipelago of the Azores, which are an autonomous region of Portugal. It is critically endangered, but is not officially recognised or reported to the DAD-IS database of the FAO. Efforts are being made to obtain official recognition and protection of the breed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brava cattle</span> Breed of cattle

The Brava or Race de Combat is a French breed of domestic cattle raised in the Camargue, the delta of the Rhône in southern France. It is bred specifically for bull-fighting, either Spanish-style or Portuguese-style. It is one of two cattle breeds raised in semi-feral conditions in the Camargue: the other is the Raço di Biòu or Camargue breed, which is not a fighting breed but is used in a bloodless bull-sport, the course camarguaise. The Brava derives from Iberian fighting cattle imported in the nineteenth century, and may also be known as the Espagnole Brava.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lac La Croix Pony</span> North American horse breed developed by the Ojibwe people

The Ojibwe Horse, also known as the Lac La Croix Indian Pony and Lac La Croix “Indian” or “Indigenous” pony is a semi-feral Canadian horse breed developed by the Ojibwe people. The population became critically low; and, by 1977, only four mares remained. To preserve the breed, these mares were crossed with Spanish Mustang stallions. The modern breed name derives from the Lac La Croix First Nation of Ontario, where the horses were last found in the wild. Historically, the breed was also found in Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lavradeiro</span> Horse breed from Roraima, Brazil

The Lavradeiro or Wild Horse of Roraima is a Brazilian breed or population of feral horses of Colonial Spanish type in the state of Roraima, in northern Brazil. The name derives from the lavrado or savannah terrain in that region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuva horse</span> Russian horse breed

The Tuva is a breed of small saddle horses native to the Tuva region of Russia. Classified among the "Siberian pony" family, it proves to be much closer to the Mongolian horse, having lived relatively isolated from other Asian and Eastern European horses. It has long been ridden by the nomadic horse riders of its region, for breeding and hunting. At the end of the 19th century, mineral extraction led to the import of draft horses and saddles, giving rise through crossbreeding to the Upper Yenisei horse, now very rare, and the Tuva carriage horse, now extinct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zakynthos horse</span> Greek equine breed

The Zakynthos is a breed of generally black saddle and combined driving horses originating from the island of Zante, one of the Ionian Islands, in Greece. The origin of this breed is very recent, dating back to the 20th century. This breed is of Anglo-Arabian type and is genetically close to the Andravida. Genetic analysis shows that it has been crossed with the Thoroughbred. The Zakynthos may also be descended from the Nivernais-type Percheron. Its type remains unstable, and the breed has no official standards or identification documents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horses in Greece</span> Equine culture in Greece

Horses have had a significant place in the history and culture of Greece since ancient times. They appear frequently in the literature, art and mythology of the Mycenaean and later civilisations of Ancient Greece.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Menegatos, John. The rare horse and pony breeds in Greece (PDF).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Kugler & Monitoring Institute (2009 , p. 79)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Porter et al. (2016 , p. 469)
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Konstantinidou & Kostaras (2008 , p. 3)
  5. 1 2 Konstantinidou & Kostaras (2008 , p. 34)
  6. 1 2 3 4 Konstantinidou & Kostaras (2008 , p. 20)
  7. "Project – Management of Riparian Habitats and Visitors, Dissemination of Knowledge and Public Awareness in the Protected Areas". www.keep.eu. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  8. 1 2 "The Axios Feral Horses (2008-2012)".
  9. Konstantinidou & Kostaras (2008 , p. 28)
  10. Konstantinidou & Kostaras (2008 , p. 4-15)
  11. 1 2 Rousseau (2016 , p. 157)
  12. Spanοs, I. A.; Efthimiou, G.; Spanos, K. A. (2004). "Two Islets of Axios River, Rare Natural Biotopes Which Need Special Protection". The Seventh International Conference on Protection and Restoration of the Environment: 1–8.
  13. "Visit Greece | Nearby destinations to Thessaloniki". www.visitgreece.gr. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  14. "Travel information National Park of Axios Delta | GreenTraveller". greentraveller.gr. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  15. Vlachos, Chris (2013). Birding in Greece. Hellenic ornithological society. p. 63. ISBN   978-960-6861-21-5.
  16. 1 2 Konstantinidou & Kostaras (2008 , p. 23)
  17. 1 2 Konstantinidou & Kostaras (2008 , p. 35)
  18. Smardon, Richard (2009). "The Axios River Delta – Mediterranean Wetland Under Siege". Sustaining the World's Wetlands. New York: Springer. pp. 57–92. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-49429-6_3. ISBN   978-0-387-49428-9.
  19. Konstantinidou & Kostaras (2008 , p. 23-27)
  20. Papa, A.; Xanthopoulou, K.; Gewehr, S.; Mourelatos, S. (2011). "Detection of West Nile virus lineage 2 in mosquitoes during a human outbreak in Greece". Clinical Microbiology and Infection. 17 (8): 1176–1180. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2010.03438.x . ISSN   1469-0691. PMID   21781205.
  21. 1 2 Konstantinidou & Kostaras (2008 , p. 33)
  22. Kugler & Broxham (2014 , p. 34)

Bibliography