The Bardigiano Pony, also known as the Bardi Horse, has the same ancestors as the Aveligense Pony and the Haflinger of Italy and Austria respectively. They have the same general body type and conformation, but are a completely different color. The chestnut body and flaxen mane and tail coloration of the Avelignese and Haflinger are not acceptable in the Bardigiano Pony.
The first ancestors of the Bardigiano Pony were brought to Italy with the Gauls. This occurred with invasion that occurred sometime between 390-387 BC, depending on which account is considered accurate. The Gauls rode very strong and hardy smaller sized horses that were prized as military horses both on and off the battlefield.
The Bardigiano Pony has developed into the breed now seen today by living in the rugged and rather isolated areas of the Northern Appenine region. They had to survive with little human care and attention and were able to live off of what they could paw and find to eat during the harsh winter months.
In both World Wars, Bardigiano Pony mares were crossed with donkeys to produce military mules that could be used for moving supplies and mounted cavalry through areas that could not be traveled using machines or vehicles. This high demand for the strong and sure footed mares caused a serious concern of extinction in the breed.
In attempting to rebuild the stocks of the Bardigiano Pony in Italy, several different breeds were allowed in the breeding program. Since there was no concentrated effort to preserve the characteristics, the resulting generations of Bardigiano Ponies had conformation and temperament problems that almost caused the extinction of the breed.
The Mostra del Cavallo Bardiago has a month long exhibit of the Bardi Horse and how has been used both historically and in modern times. The emphasis on the show is to highlight the versatility of the breed.
Trekking and pony tours are very popular throughout Italy for people that live in the country as well as international visitors. The Bardigiano Pony is a very popular pony for these tours as it is strong, very calm and gentle with novice riders, plus extremely surefooted.
In the Municipality of Farini in Italy the Bardi's Horse Fair is held the third Sunday in May on an annual basis. Many local breeders and owners bring their horses in for competitions, a parade and an exhibition. While many horse breeds are represented, it is also a great chance to get to see a Bardigiano Pony used in many different events and activities.
The Bardigiano Pony is very muscular in appearance and many people choose to refer to the breed as a horse rather than a pony. The only reason that the Bardigiano Pony is official classified as a pony is it height, which is under 14 hands on average.
The Bardigiano Pony is considered to be very similar in appearance to the Exmoor and Dales pony as well as the Austurian Pony, which is also known as the Asturcon. As the Asturcon was first noted by the Romans, which leads some breeders to believe there may be a common ancestor between the two.
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