History of the Skyrian Small HorseTo the best of our knowledge, the Skyrian horses' ancestors originated in North America around 100,000 years ago. They migrated over the frozen Bering Strait and dispersed into Asia and Europe. This ancestor, known as the Type 1 or the Mountain Pony, all have retained certain characteristics. They lived in small family groups, not large herds. Preferring open mountains and rough ground as its habitat these ponies were generally found in high places. The relation of the Skyrian small horse and other equine breeds is still a hotly debated subject. Further research will need to be done to say for sure. Skyros During the 5th-8th centuries BCE, Athenian colonists introduced horses to the island of Skyros. Since then during the winter months, when food and water were plentiful, the horses lived in the southern, mountainous part of the island commonly referred to as the "vouno." At the onset of summer, they migrated north in search of water and food. Their non-aggressive demeanour enabled farmers to use them for agricultural work, mainly threshing. When modern threshing equipment was introduced on the island in the mid 1960s, this symbiosis came under threat and the survival of the Skyros horse has since been, for the most part, dubious at best. One of the largest threats facing the breed is the prevalence of donkeys on the "vouno" that breed with the Skyrian horses and prevent propagation of the breed.  A Herd of Skyrian Horses on the "vouno" in Skyros Breed Protection In the 1970s people of Skyros took notice of the Skyros horse and started a breeding program that lasted for less than 10 years due to insufficient funding. Although the effort was short-lived, it nonetheless played a crucial role in improving the chances of survival of the breed. The slight increase in numbers allowed the FAO to define the Skyros horses' risk status as critical-maintained. This assessment was made in 1991 and it still stands today, since there are over 100 Skyrian horses remaining and since people are actively and conciously breeding. However, without the formation of Silva in 1996, their critical-maintained status would have been in jeopardy. The horses, however still need your help. Please visit our Support section to find out what you can do to aid these noble horses. Legends There exists a legend that maintains that Alexander the Great took Skyrian horses with him when he left Macedonia to conquer the world. Another claims that the magnificent horses depicted in the great friezes of the Parthenon are Skyrians.
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© The Silva Project 2006 - Legal remarks on photographs Updated on 14-January-2008