Merens horse, Pyrenean horse

From prehistory to the present day

If you see herds of small black horses on our roads and paths, you’ve come across the Mérens horse. These hardy Ariegeois ponies are pure Pyrenean products. Traditionally from Mérens-les-Vals, this horse is a historic inhabitant of our Cathar Pyrenees. From its depiction in the Grotte de Niaux to our current breedings, it has been present at every stage in the history of the Pyrenees.

The local horse

This draught and saddle horse is remarkable for its small size, sturdiness and jet-black coat. It has much in common with the Magdalenian horse painted on the walls of the Niaux cave. Perhaps of Iberian origin, unless descended from oriental horses, it has been roaming our mountains and mountain pastures for over 13,000 years.

From Antiquity to modern times, we find it under the pen of Julius Caesar and under the saddle of the Romans, then in the Middle Ages, most probably under the saddle of Charlemagne. The Mérens horse is a hallmark of Cathar legend: the Cathars gave the horse pride of place, notably through their belief in the transmigration of souls. In nearby Pamiers, dead knights were believed to take their mounts with them into the Other World. Esclarmonde de Foix, the Cathar princess, is said to have climbed the pog of Montségur on the back of a Mérens. Later, the hardy Mérens horse was used by Napoleon’s armies. Particularly used for field work, industrialization led to its near extinction in the 20th century.

Summer and leisure horses

By the early 70s, only around 40 Merens remained. But the breed stood up to all odds, and breeding was revived. Its small size is particularly appealing to leisure riders. As a pony or small horse, elegant, solid, reliable, hardy, with a calm temperament and (generally) a good disposition, it’s the ideal companion for young riders.

Today, the Mérens breed is doing well: it can be found in all equestrian disciplines, from acrobatics to eventing, from carriage driving to endurance. But it is also making a comeback in various fields: logging, horse therapy or milk production… and the breed is spreading to Belgium, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.

Above all, the Mérens is perfectly adapted to the mountains, and every summer from June onwards, the local herds of equines head off to the summer pastures, only to return in autumn. In the middle of the mountains, in a semi-wild state, the Mérens has nothing to fear: climatic conditions, uneven terrain, no difficulty at all.

Transhumance

Merens in summer pastures

Mérens horse breeders perpetuate the transhumance of their herds. In spring, the herds of horses leave the valley for the high meadows of the estives.

Nowhere else in France will you find such an experience… Herds of horses ride through towns and villages, accompanied by modern-day cowboys and cowgirls!

They only come down in autumn, the mares accompanied by their foals, born in the mountains. This semi-wild life in total freedom contributes to making Mérens horses solid, sure-footed and reliable in temperament.

Pyrenean tradition