Did you know that the Danube Delta in Romania is home to a large population of wild horses?
These beautiful creatures can be seen grazing in the meadows and fields near the river, and they are a popular tourist attraction.
If you’re interested in learning more about these animals, keep reading.
This blog post will provide you with all the info you need to know about Danube Delta horses.
Danube Delta Horse Breed Info
Here are some of the key things you need to know about the Danube Delta horse:
| Height (size) | 13.4 – 14.7 hands high |
| Colors | Black, bay, dun |
| Country of Origin | Romania |
| Common Uses | Riding, as a work horse |
Danube Delta Horse Facts & Information (Breed Profile)
Romania’s Letea Forest is home to a feral breed of horses known as the Danube Delta horse.
It is known that the Tatars introduced the ancestors of these horses to the northern part of the Danube delta about 300 – 400 years ago.
Because of the economic and political turmoil that followed the fall of communism in 1989, numerous farms had to close and the horses were released into the wild, drastically increasing the number of the original feral population in the area.
As a direct consequence of this, around 3600 of these horses call the Danube Delta home, while the Letea natural reserve is home to 500 of them.
The horses quickly started trampling rare and endangered flora and flowers in the forest.
A great number of people started to worry about the impact the horses were having on the environment.
What to do with the horses has been a contentious issue ever since.
In 2000, a number of the horses were captured and shipped to Italy to be slaughtered for meat.
Due to the presence of equine infectious anemia, which was detected in 2008, it is currently impossible to evacuate horses from the region.
Around 500 horses were living in and around the Forest of Letea in the Danube Delta as of 2013.
If you’re interested in learning more about this fascinating breed, keep reading!
Alternative Names
n/a
Temperament/Personality
Even though they are difficult to tame, once they are domesticated, they are rather docile
Physical Characteristics
They have a nice head with a straight profile.
The body is robust and muscular with long legs.
They are not built like a riding horse, but more like the Nonius and other Hungarian working horses.
Colors
Black, bay, dun
Height (size)
13.4 – 14.7 hands high
Stallions
n/a
Mares
na
Weight
Around 1100 lbs (500 kg)
Blood Type
Warm
Common Uses
Riding, as a work horse
Health
Equine infectious anemia (EIA) – a bloodborne viral disease limited to relatively short distances that is transmitted primarily through insects, particularly horse and deer flies
Popular Traits
Feral horses
Feeding/Diet
n/a
Country of Origin
Romania
Ancestors
Tatar horses, local horses