Murgese
frugal, sure-footed, even-tempered
Origin
Murgia, Apulia (Italy)
Withers height
150–168 cm
Trail ridingWorking EquitationDrivingLeisure
Traits & strengths
- ✦uniformly black or blue roan — a very closed breed picture
- ✦exceptionally frugal and sure-footed in karst terrain
- ✦hard hooves, low need for shoeing
- ✦robust in extensive keeping, including in heat
Breed-typical predispositions
Easy keeper
Disease →developed on barren karst ground — on fertilised pasture the laminitis risk equals that of hardy breeds; energy management is the lever
Few breed-specific hereditary defects documented
the population is small and little researched — an absence of findings is not a statement about freedom from risk
Latest findings
Conserving a small regional breed
ongoingThe Murgese population is managed through a closed studbook and regional conservation programmes; genetic breadth is the limiting factor.
Source · AIA — Registro Anagrafico Murgese