HUCUL Ancient – Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic – Common

29 HUCUL ANCIENT – POLAND, ROMANIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, SLOVAK REPUBLIc – COMMON height muscular croup. Heavy through its quality, is thought to have developed directly from the Up to 14 h.h. the neck and front end, with a Tarpan (it is described in early accounts as the “mountain appearance broad, deep chest. Tarpan”), as well as through breeding with Oriental horses, Robust in build with a color rectangular body frame; Chestnut, bay, black, or grullo, Mongolian stock introduced to the area by nomadic tribes short, strong, clean limbs; often with a dorsal stripe and from Central Asia, and quite possibly even the Asiatic Wild and an attractive head zebra markings on the legs. Horse. Other than these relatively infrequent outside with large, kind eyes. Strong aptitude back, with a well-formed, Riding, light draft influences, the Hucul remained largely untouched until several attempts to improve the breed were made in the stretching in a steady arc across central and eastern late nineteenth century through the introduction of other Europe are the Carpathian Mountains, Europe’s largest blood. Despite this, the innate Hucul characteristics—its mountain range and home of the highly prized Hucul, or extreme and virtually unequaled hardiness, its strength Carpathian Pony. It was here among the rugged peaks and in relation to its size, and a certain air of quality not always diving valleys that the Hucul, a direct descendant of the seen in native mountain breeds—have perpetuated. wild Tarpan, developed. It is also a meeting point of several The Hucul is particularly prized in Poland and Romania, countries, as the borders of Romania, the Czech Republic, and it was in Romania that the first specialized stud farm Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia, and Slovakia come was established at Rădăuţi in 1856, the primary aim of together, and many of these countries either claim the which was to produce Huculs for use in the Austro- origin of the Hucul or raise and breed the hardy pony. The Hungarian army. After some years, the stud activities breed’s name derives from the Hutsuls, a Ukrainian culture floundered, but they were reactivated in 1876, and the of highlanders who rely heavily on their horses and whose program expanded to establish Pietrosul, Hroby, Ghoral, history goes back many centuries. Despite being their Gurgul, and Oushor bloodlines, with Ghoral being one namesake, however, the Hucul pony existed long before of the most important and prodigious. and was bred by the mountain tribes of Dacians, for whom In 1922, thirty-three Huculs were sent to the tough and enduring ponies were essential in everyday Czechoslovakia, where a new line of Gurgul horses was life, for transport, packing goods, and in warfare. Though established, with the breeding still focused on producing they were and are ridden, the Hucul was most widely used horses for use in the military. The breed suffered enormous in a draft capacity early in its history and was able to losses during both world wars, and after World War II, negotiate the forbidding, mountainous terrain where other in light of increasing mechanization, Hucul numbers horses failed. Bas-reliefs of Hucul-like ponies—showing dwindled rapidly. In the 1950s, the State Forest Directorate little difference in physicality from their present form— at Murán Plain National Park in Slovakia made efforts appear on Roman monuments depicting battles between to increase breed numbers, and then in 1972 the Czech the Romans and Dacians. Even when the Dacians fell to Republic’s Association for Protection of Nature and the Romans in the battle of Sarmizegetusa in 106 c.e. they Landscape founded the Hucul Club to implement a more continued to breed their indomitable Hucul ponies. effective preservation program. The initiative has been Once the breed was established, the inhospitable and a great success, and Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Hungary, inaccessible mountain habitat of the Hucul contributed and Austria have all joined in, while the Hucul continues to maintaining its purity. The Hucul, which is noted for to be bred in Russia. noble beginnings.

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