Messara Horse

The Messara (including Crete Consulate horse) is a horse race, which has been based on the Greek island of Crete. The main distribution area lies in the province of Heraklion, the Messara lies in the plane, which explains the name of the breed.

The Messara has a dry body, a straight head and a medium back. It has fine long hair, an overestimated tail and a height from 120 to 140cm. The Messara horses are mainly brown, dark brown or black and white horses.

Interior

Messara are comfortable, reliable, quick and sure-footed even on uneven terrain. They serve as a light riding and driving horse and are used for light field work and transportation. The stallions are also used for the mule-breeding.

Breeding History

The breed has existed since the year 1000 or longer, in the time of the siege of Crete by the Ottomans where they were crossed with Arabian stallions. Since 1994, there has been a stud book. In Crete, there are 100 specimens of the race recorded.