Horse
Pronunciation:
ˈdan-(ˌ)yüb 'del-tə
Breed Description:
The Danube Delta breed of horse is a population of feral horses found in and around Letea Forest in the Danube Delta, between the Sulina and Chilia branches of the Danube River. Of the 3600 feral horses living in the Danube Delta, 2000 live in the Letea nature reserve, where they are celebrated as the last remaining feral horses living free on the European continent, but also vilified as a threat to the plants of the Letea Forest. Efforts are underway either to remove and slaughter some or all of the Danube Delta breed of horse or to find a more suitable preserve for them. At present, however, the horses cannot be removed from the area because some of the animals carry equine infectious anemia, and Romanian regulations prohibit their removal from the quarantine area. The horses on Letea are black or bay, without white spots, and generally have long dark manes and tails. The bay colored members of the Danube Delta breed of horses often have darker, even black, legs. The Danube Delta horses have a strong, "working horse" build, with a short muscular neck and a long deep body. They have a relatively angular head with a slightly Roman profile.
Height:
The Danube Delta breed of horse stands between 14.1 and 14.3 hands high.
Origin:
The exact origin of the Danube Delta breed of horse is unknown. Feral horses have existed for hundreds of years in the Danube Delta region, but the number of the Danube Delta breed of horse increased significantly when the collective farms were closed down in 1990 and the horses living on those farms were freed. The Letea Forest population of Danube Delta horses is not regulated at present, raising concerns about the potential for overgrazing. 