Section of the Giara Horse

The history, videos and photos of the Giara Horse

In the section dedicated to the Giara horse pictures of the horse’s life during the course of a calendar year are displayed, marking the different moments and highlighting the main ones. The photos were taken by photographer Alessio Orrù, who worked for an entire year on the Giara collecting insights and singular moments of the environment and the horse. In addition to the horse, one room is dedicated to the Giara Park and the anthropization of “Sa Jara Manna” with photos of the breeders and the environments used to care for the animals.

The Giara horse section describes the horse’s origin, the fossils found and the habitat where it lives. In the same environment it is possible to see the tools for taming, shoeing and branding the horse.

The Horse of Giara

The Giara horse is certainly one of Sardinia’s most famous wild animals. It is a small horse. The hostile and pristine environment of the Giara di Gesturi has, over time, selected rustic, hardy and neurotic animals with a proud and indomitable character.

Where the Giara horses live

The Giara horse lives wild on the plateau known as Sa Jara Manna (the great Giara) or even more famous as Giara di Gesturi. Wild horses live grouped in herds, harems, where one male dominates over fewer than ten mares and foals. Foals are born between March and May, rarely during the summer or fall; as soon as the foals are born, the mating season begins. At this time of year, which coincides with spring, stallions protect the herd and young males struggle to gain their own harem.

When to visit the Giara Park

Hikes on the Giara in spring are particularly impressive, among a myriad of flowers it is possible to admire the newly born Giara horses, the females in heat and the stallions in full vigor. But each season has its own peculiarities, if spring is the best time for excursions among flowers and foals, winter allows you to see the Giara horses with long hair and as a frame the snow-capped mountains of the Gennargentu, summer the horses cool off in the waters of the last paulis. Every time of the year allows for pleasant excursions and long treks to discover a magical environment and a strong and vigorous animal such as the Giara horse.

The Giara horse card

The Giara horse is mesomorphic type, ellipometric format with live weight fluctuating between 170 and 220 kg; height at withers between m 1.28 and m 1.32 for males, between m 1.25 and m 1.27 for females; morello or bay coat of wild or burnt saurian type, fixed-seat peculiarities rare. Trunk gathered close to the ground with slightly depressed back; croup short and narrow, tail attached low covered with thick manes. Square head laden with jaws adorned with abundant topknot; strong neck with rich mane often drooping on two sides; poorly muscled thighs; thin limbs; long shins; long fetlocks; small but sound and sure foot. Appearance defects, often referable to rickets, are frequent, especially concerning the region of the hocks, which often appear cowed and mowed” (L. Gratani’s file).

The Activity of Agris in the Protection and Preservation of the Giara Horse

L’Agris Agency operates in the protection of the Cavallino della Giara through the Department of Research for Equestrian Increase. The Department, which has taken over these activities from the former Equestrian Augmentation Institute, has the availability of an important area in the plateau, about 700 ha, belonging to the municipality of Genoni. The area, which is a kind of naturalistic oasis, has at its center the “Casa Lavra,” a characteristic rustic Giara farmhouse, and is equipped with wooden signs for trails to be walked for about 25 km.

There are currently about 180 specimens in the area, which should not exceed 200 in order not to incur excessive environmental competition. All the activity insisting on these individuals is aimed at preserving the breed, a very important source of genetic variability, and restoring its original morphological characteristics. For this purpose, the facility includes fencing, compulsory passages to convey the horses to the control areas, watering troughs and foraging points, all under the close control of the Cooperative’s staff who, under the technical guidance of the Department, operate in the dedicated area.

The animals in question, moreover, are under the health control of Agris through the assistance of a dedicated veterinarian, who is in charge of group and individual health monitoring, any capture of affected individuals and their treatment.

Therefore, the operations that are normally carried out are attributable to group management activities in livestock experimental farms, namely:

• Applications of electronic recognition devices (microchips), which supplanted tagging, for obvious animal welfare reasons;
• Daily monitoring of individuals;
• Any captures for sanitary or experimental purposes;
• Feeding at dedicated points during times of forage shortage.

To these should be added occasional experimental activities of the Department, possibly in collaboration with third-party organizations.

There are insights, pictures and interesting documents on the animal’s origin and life in the museum.