Granduca da Martina, Nerone and Araldo delle Murge are the founder stallions of the Murgese breed and the three bloodlines named after them. Murge are the founder stallions of the Murgese breed and the three bloodlines named after them. Yes The current specimens were arrived at through a long and painstaking selection process, taking into account the following morphological traits:
the coat: s raven black without any particular markings. There is, however, a small percentage of specimens (about 2%) with a roan or dark iron grey coat;
the neck: is muscular, with a wide base of attachment and an abundant mane;
the shoulder: is muscular and slightly sloping
the withers: are well attached to the shoulder and of good conformation;
the loins: are short and muscular
the croup: is muscular and well-proportioned, slightly sloping and generally higher than the withers at the cross
the chest: the chest
the limbs: are firm, the joints wide and thick, while the forearm is averagely wide and long
the feet: are well regular and direct, with compact black nails
the gait: is loose, the trot cadenced and the gait sure-footed.
The male of the Murgese horse breed is between 155 and 170 cm tall, while the female is between 150 and 164 cm.
The climate of the Murge, where winters are harsh and summers hot, has given the horse great rusticity and remarkable resistance to disease. The Apulian specimen is distinguished by its robust constitution both skeletally and muscularly. The epidermis is strong, thick and plays an important protective role against thorny vegetation and insect bites.
The temperament of the
Murgese horse breed
The Murgese horse is a very gentle, rarely aggressive specimen that hardly makes use of defences. It is very obedient and easily gets used to the harness and saddle. It has a great capacity for learning, which makes it suitable for many purposes, from farm work to sporting competitions to equestrian tourism.
Its lively, docile and obedient temperament makes it the perfect protagonist in activities with children and in hippotherapy.
Breeding in the
wild
The Murgese horse has always been bred in the wild, in particularly harsh environments that enhance its temperament. Precisely for this reason, the breeders of the Murge are well aware that a successful reproduction of this magnificent specimen is obtained with brood mares born and raised free in the wooded pastures
of the Murgia territory, amidst bushes, oak groves and on terrain that is difficult to exploit by other species in the zootechnical field.