by Rena Sherwood

Created on: August 13, 2009   Last Updated: August 14, 2009

The Abtenauer of Austria is a very rare breed of light draft horse. Some people have argued that the Abtenauer is another variety of Noriker or Pinzgauer, but they do breed true to type. They also have a peculiar quirk that Norikers don't - when born, the foals are covered in curly hair. By the time the foal is a yearling, the curly hair is shed for a more normal coat.

Not much is known about the Abtenauer. It has never been in demand outside of Austria. It is also unknown how many Abtenauers are left in the world, although this site estimates 100 still exist. A couple of websites have even stated that the breed is now extinct. Unfortunately, the breed does not seem to have any sort of registry to champion it and the web is full of conflicting information about this breed.

Brief History

It is known that the Abtenauer gets its name from the valley in which it originated in the Abtenau province, which is south of Salzburg. According to "International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds (Bonnie Hendricks, 1995), this was an isolated area that did not come into contact with many other breeds of horse. The first known record of an Abtenauer was in 1898.

So, the Abtenauer has been free from outside influence of other breeds. However, other breeds may not have been hearty enough to withstand the harsh climate of Abtenau. The Abtenau valley is filled with steep hills and deep snow in winter. Even if bred to Abtenauers, the offspring probably did not survive.

It is unknown just how old this breed is, but it probably originated after the Noriker was established about 400 years ago. The ancestors of the Noriker were thought to have come from the area of Thessaly in Greece. The theory is that the Greek horses were brought by conquering Roman forces to the Alps. When the Romans left, the horses stayed.

General Appearance

The Abtenauer is usually lighter in build than a Noriker and usually lacks the spotted coats that many Norikers come in. They average 14 - 15 hands in height, are lightly muscled, have straight profiles, short, level backs, deep chests and thick legs. Their manes and tails are usually thick and they often grow feathering on the lower legs.

Common colors include grey, bay, black, chestnut and roan. They also can come in a dappled dark chestnut with a very pale mane and tail, but this coloration is quite rare. The horses are one of the most powerful of all draft breeds, even though they lack bulk and height. Perhaps it's being raised in the mountains that helps strengthen them.

Abtenauers were bred to work in harness, although they certainly have the intelligence and docility to work under saddle. They have been known to work in Austria's forestry industry along with many other draft horse breeds. The best Abtenauers have a natural smooth trot that is beautiful to watch.

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