Horse
Pronunciation:
sahr'-din-ee-ann
Breed Description:
The Sardinian breed of horse is a riding horse breed developed on the Italian island of Sardinia. Its origins trace back over 130 years of careful breeding combining Arabians with Thoroughbreds, making the Sardinian effectively a type of Anglo-Arab. Like many Arab-based riding breeds, the Sardinian was developed as a cavalry mount, the intention being to combine the endurance of the Arabian with the greater speed and weight carrying capacity of the Thoroughbred. The Sardinian comes in most solid colors, with bay occurring most frequently. Today's Sardinians are used mainly for eventing and racing, and are the most popular choice for racing in the historic Palio horse race in Siena, where their Arab influence gives them stronger legs and more surefootedness for racing on the city streets of Siena. Many Sardinians are bought or bred for police use..
Temperament:
The Sardinian breed of horse has a lively and spirited temperament, but is highly intelligent and trainable.
Height:
The Sardinian breed of horse stands around 15 hands.
Weight:
The Sardinian breed of horse weighs around 850 to 950 pounds.
Health Problems:
The Sardinian breed of horse has no significant health problems,
Living Conditions:
The Sardinian breed of horse is remarkably hardy despite its Arab and Thoroughbred ancestry, however it is a fine skinned riding horse from a temperate climate and prefers stabling in harsh weather.
Exercise:
The Sardinian breed of horse is a spirited breed and needs regular exercise.
Life Expectancy:
The Sardinian breed of horse lives into its late twenties.
Grooming:
The Sardinian breed of horse needs little regular care, but its fine coat benefits from regular grooming. The Sardinian should be shown according to the guidelines of its competitive discipline.
Origin:
The Sardinian breed of horse was established in the 1870s when the Italian Ozieri Army Remount Station began breeding horses to supply the Italian Army cavalry. Some local farm mares on Sardinia were used, but Arab and Thoroughbred horses were quickly added and form the majority of the Sardinian's ancestry. Anglo-Arabian horses from France were also added late in the 19th century.
In 1915, the best 600 mares at the remount station were selected, and crossed with Arabian stallion imported directly from desert tribes across the Mediterranean. Mares from these crosses were soon bred with Thoroughbred stallions, creating the Anglo-Arab type seen in today's Sardinian.
In 1967 the breed was officially named “Anglo-Arabo Sardo” (abbreviated in AAS). Lately the suffix "sardo" has been dropped and the breed is increasingly being promoted as an Anglo-Arabian horse, and pedigrees are analyzed to ensure that recognized Sardinians have at least 25% Arabian ancestry. 