What are Camargue horses used for?

Where are the Camargue horse herds in France?

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Southern France, be sure to take in the Camargue Natural Park. Located by the Mediterranean Sea, the park is full of wetlands and marshes. However, what draws the horse enthusiasts and photographers to the park are the Camargue horse herds.

What do Camargue horses eat?

Camargue horses are herbivores and have teeth adapted for the food habit. Their incisors prove helpful tearing the plants; while the premolars allow them to chew the food properly. During spring, these horses feed on samphire and new shoots of tall reeds. In winter, their staple food is dried grass and goosefoot.

What makes the Camargue horse so unique?

So, we decided to take a look at the history of these beautiful horses and what makes them so unique. Southern France was proven to be the home of prehistoric horses. The Camargue horse is thought to carry this lineage. Archaeological finds from the Burgundy area of France reinforce this fact.

What is there to do in Camargue Park?

The main draw for bird-watchers are the pink flamingos throughout the park. About the White Horses of Camargue. Reputedly one of the oldest breeds of horses in the world, the Camargue horse is said to have lived in the Camargue marshes and wetlands for thousands of years.

Where are the wild white horses in France?

Dramatically beautiful and historically famous for its wild white horses, Camargue is located in the south of France, in the Provence in the Alpes Côte d’Azur and the Languedoc between Arles and the mouth of the Rhône near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Photo by Jodie Willard

What is a Camargue horse?

The Camargue horse is the traditional mount of the “gardians,” the Camargue “cowboys” who herd the black Camargue bulls used in bullfighting in southern France. This breed has long standing historical ties to the community, where families have worked with the Camargue horse for generations.

Where to see wild white horses of Camargue?

Head to France to observe the beautiful white horses of Camargue in their habitat, or ride a domesticated one through the area’s stunning wetlands! People flock to the Mediterranean coast of France to see the herds of wild white horses of Camargue.

Where is Camargue located?

Dramatically beautiful and historically famous for its wild white horses, Camargue is located in the south of France, in the Provence in the Alpes Côte d’Azur and the Languedoc between Arles and the mouth of the Rhône near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.

What is a gardian horse used for?

Being used as the traditional mount of the herdsmen of the Camargue region (also known as Gardians) herding the Camargue bulls used for bull fighting in the Southern parts of France, these horses have become immensely popular in the present times due to their pleasing temperament and hardy nature.

How much does a Camargue horse weigh?

Considered among the small horses in the world, they typically stand at 13.1 – 14.3 hands from the perspective of the withers. Weighing in at 350 – 500 kg, they are light but robust. Their bodies look compact. What Breeds Make Up The Camargue Horse?

How long do Camargue horses graze?

They might graze for about 22 hours in a single day when their food is scarce, whereas if they have their feed in abundance, their grazing time is fixed to dawn and dusk. These horses as well as the Camargue region had been portrayed in the children’s film Crinc-Blanc having the English title ‘White Mane’.

Where do Camargue horses come from?

An ancient horse breed, native to the area of France called Camargue, the Camargue Horse belongs to Southern France. Although its origins are somewhat dubious, it is considered among the oldest breeds in the world. They are also known as “horses of the sea”.

How are Camargue horses adapted to their habit?

Camargue horses are herbivores and have teeth adapted for the food habit. Their incisors prove helpful tearing the plants; while the premolars allow them to chew the food properly. During spring, these horses feed on samphire and new shoots of tall reeds.

What is the Camargue famous for?

While the flamingos are the Camargue’s most emblematic birds, the area is more historically famous for its white horses. The Camargue’s horses are a special breed, reputedly one of the oldest breeds of horses in the world, and they have lived in the very particular environment of the Camargues saline wetlands for thousands of years.

What to do in the Camargue Natural Parc?

The Camargue Natural Parc and the coast here together offer a large choice of activities to visitors. These include horseback riding, mountain biking, bull fights in Sainte-Maries de la Mer, various water sports, and for those with energy at the end of the day there are also theatres, nightclubs and other spectacles. Where to stay?

How to see Camargue in Arles?

A very good way to see the Camargue is to go horseback riding. There are tons of horse stables along the street from Arles to Saintes Maries de la Mer and the neighboring areas.

Can you ride a horse in the Camargue?

There are plenty of opportunities for horse riding in the Camargue, with riding stables beside many roads, particularly around Les Saintes Marie de la Mer. Most of these stables cater largely for tourists, and will take anyone out on a trek across the fields or the salt marshes – no experience needed.

Why is the white mane horse so popular in France?

Their calm temperament, agility, intelligence and stamina has resulted in these horses being used for equestrian games, dressage, and long-distance riding, which is growing in popularity in France. The 1953 children’s film Crin-Blanc, English title White Mane, portrayed the horses and the region.

Did a herd of white horses gallop through a French Lake?

A herd of white horses galloping through a coastal lake in the south of France have been caught on camera. The 12 Camargue horses were seen running through the water as the sun set behind them. They sent water splashing into the air while speeding through the lake near the French town of Sainte Marie de La Mer, near Montpellier, France.

What breed of horse do the gardians ride?

Conventionally, living in semi-feral surroundings, this horse breed is the official mount belonging to the Gardians. The Camargue “cowboys” (Gardians) herd black Camargue bulls in Southern France. A famous image created over the years is that of the Camargue Horse galloping through marshy water.

Are there wild horses in Camargue?

There are still wild herds, but some horses have been domesticated and are used for many different riding disciplines. Additionally, these horses are semi-protected in Camargue National Park. Brown at birth, the Camargue horse changes to the traditional white color around the age of four.

What do Camargue horses look like?

Their skin then turns grey, and the white hairs make them look like white horses. You can see and ride the Camargue horses at different horse riding stables, or in the (semi-) wild in for example the Parc Ornithologique.

How do I get to the Camargue?

Route via A 26 > Lyon > A7, then via Arles or Nimes. Few areas of France are as distictive as the Camargue; and apart from dramatic mountain areas, few are as interesting and offer such a range of ourdoor activities.

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Why is the Camargue called the horse of the sea?

The Camargue is also known as “the horse of the sea” due to its native environment, the Rhone delta in southern France. The horse is said to be a primitive breed, but there is little documented evidence to back up this claim.

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