Camargue
The Camargue horse lives in the wetlands of the Rhône delta in southern France and is one of the oldest breeds in the world, with a presence in the region documented for well over a thousand years.
Herds run semi-feral in the marshes, managed rather than kept.
It stands 13.1 to 14.3 hands and is always grey as an adult — but foals are born black or dark brown and lighten over several years, so a dark Camargue foal is not an anomaly. It is compact, short-legged and heavy-boned for its height, with wide hard feet suited to marsh ground. The gardians of the Camargue use them to work the black bulls of the region, which is the job the breed was shaped by.
- Origin
- Rhône delta, Camargue, southern France
- Height
- 13.1–14.3 hands
- Lifespan
- 25–30 years
- Coat
- Always grey as an adult; foals are born dark and lighten
- Best known for
- Working the bulls of the Camargue; trail and endurance
- Build
- Compact and heavy-boned with wide, hard feet
3 camargue photos, newest first
Living with a camargue
Grey coat means melanoma risk. Every adult is grey, so the whole breed carries the elevated risk that goes with it — check under the tail, around the anus and on the sheath regularly from middle age, and have new lumps looked at early.
They are extremely hardy and evolved on poor, salty marsh grazing. On good pasture they gain weight fast, and laminitis is a real risk; restricted grazing suits them.
The feet are a genuine breed strength — wide, tough and usually sound unshod.
They tolerate wet conditions better than most breeds, which is unsurprising, but mud fever still needs watching in a muddy paddock.
They are late to mature and traditionally not started under saddle until three or four, which is worth respecting rather than rushing.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual horses vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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