Ancient peoples universally preferred amblers, but after the last quarter of the 18th century, and especially after Napoleon’s rejection of ambler-gallopers for warfare, they fell completely out of fashion in Europe and were no longer seen in government-sponsored breeding programs or in the stables of the wealthy. They survive today, however, in all the mountainous and backcountry regions that surround the Bay of Biscay, in northern Italy, and in the British Isles. There they are valued, as they continue to be throughout the Americas, for sure-footedness over rocky and hilly terrain.
The horse bred in Navarre on the northern coast of Spain is called “Navarreno” or “Basque pony.” The Basque name for it is Pottock. Never taller than 14 hands, like its cousins in Asturia, Galicia, Italy, Ireland and Iceland, fanciers insist that it is...
A Scottish Galway. This is the horse used from time immemorial by Pictish warriors and
cattle raiders. Now an endangered breed, some still show the tendency to amble.
The Italian horse breeders’ association (AIA) recognizes the Tolfetano, pictured here, as one of 15 old and now rare breeds that survive in the hilly and mountainous country of northern Italy and on its offshore islands. They are consistently described...
The Mérens horse is an ancient breed of southern France which represents very well what the ancient Breton ambler or “Aubin” looked like. Black is a color common in both Bretonnaise and Italian horses related to the Hobby.
The Kerry Bog horses of Ireland are probably the last population in the world of nearly pure Hobby extraction— indeed, the country people of Ireland refer to them as “old hobbies.” This 19th century photo shows why they are considered horses, not...
The Kerry Bog today rarely exceeds 12 hands in height and resembles its cousin the Icelandic horse. Recent genetic work has proven that the Kerry Bog is distinct from other Irish breeds such as the Connemara. This young stallion is shown ambling....