The Esperia pony is an all-Italian horse that has origins and lives mainly in the province of Frosinone, near the Ausoni Mountains, in Lazio . This animal has very particular characteristics and its history also has original features that are interesting to know to understand how some types of animals reach us and what type of relationship they manage to establish with man, especially when the relationship between people and animals was very close, daily.
Pony of Esperia: Origins
To find the origins of this breed of horses we must move to Lazio, in the slice of land between the Ausoni Mountains and the Aurunci Mountains, between the provinces of Frosinone and Latina . The Esperia Pony also has very ancient origins and what we know from documents that have come down to us is that it has always lived in the wild, in the lands we have just mentioned.
Since there is no reference to the geographical area of origin, why is it called Esperia? Nothing to do with geography, more than anything we must remember the baron Ambrogio Roselli of Esperia who had the merit of breeding and selecting it by making several crosses with some Arabian horses at the beginning of the nineteenth century in order to obtain an animal with unique characteristics, unmistakable, precise, so much so that it was impossible not to declare it a breed in its own right. Since it has cohabited with man it has been used to carry light goods or it was slaughtered but at that time it was not even recognized as a breed.
We have to wait until the Sixties, to be precise 1962 for it to become one and then another thirty to see the registry established at the Provincial Breeders Association of Frosinone . This reality is carrying out various projects, for example it has started a selection of subjects for use as mounts for children from the Pony Breeders Association of Esperia and the Provincial Breeders Association of Frosinone. It may seem strange because up to now we have spoken of rather wild horses but we learn that when the Ponies of this breed are trained, they can become very docile and available, therefore also perfect for their size to introduce children and scared beginners to horse riding.
It still has a wild trait which is what makes it able to use extremely poor forage resources, thus living well even in particularly arid, barren environments, ignoring the lack of water for very long periods.
Esperia Pony: Characteristics
Let’s start from the coat of this horse that is always uniformly black, there are not many possible variations even if in its standard the presence of traces of bald spots and traces of star is allowed. The hair is short but the Pony of Esperia has both the tail and the mane really very abundant . Now let’s admire its rather muscular and robust physique even if not completely slender since it measures a maximum of 138 centimeters at the withers , for males, and about 132, for females.
The head is small but fits harmoniously into the rest of the body, has a conical shape and a straight profile, while the neck is not very muscular and ends towards a rather robust shoulder and well attached to the trunk. The back may have a saddle, the withers are evident and the croup is a little sloping and not too robust.
The chest is very developed, the thorax is shallow and then the limbs start which are robust but at the same time thin and full of muscles. The joints support the weight of this horse well in all gaits that are agile, elastic and at the same time energetic.
Pony of Esperia: character
As we have previously anticipated, despite being a horse accustomed to living in the wild, this Pony has a good character and knows how to relate to people. It can be very attentive to its owner and while maintaining a certain vivacity, it is docile and tame. Given its origins, it is and remains a very sober and frugal horse, with a determined nature and very resistant to adversity.
Pony of Esperia: attitude
Since its origins, this type of horse has always been used as a pack animal because with its physique and temperament, it was perfect for this type of task. Today, when horses are no longer used for transportation, it is bred as a saddle pony.
Esperia Pony: breeding
In Italy, if we want to know more about this exciting horse and maybe try to ride one, we can contact the Esperia Pony Breeders Association, founded in 2002 and which counts among its members the most far-sighted and innovative breeders. It is located in Frosinone and its purpose is to promote the breed by selecting the subjects most suitable for use as a mount for children.