The Noric Horse breed is over two thousand years old and both strong and stunning. The shoulders, or withers, of a Noric, or Noriker Horse as it is sometimes called, are nicely sloped. The chest is deep and broad and the back is muscular. It all leads down to the long limbs that give the Noric its height. The legs are muscular, large, and powerful with clean joints and sound hooves.

As for color and decoration, the Noric Horse is commonly found in chestnut, brown, gray, brindle, and black. There should be no white markings on the body, but small spots are allowed on the head and extremities. The Noric Mane is curly and thick and the leg feathering is light, but silky.

Having evolved over centuries in the mountains of Austria, the Noric breed is perfectly suited for working in the Alpine forests. They are being utilized as work horses because they are more ecologically friendly than conventional machinery and can be transported to areas where using machinery would be almost impossible.

Another benefit of their mountain heritage is the horse's sure footing, climbing skills, and steady nature on steep mountain paths. Subsequently, they are used in the tourism trade as mounts, sled horses, and carriage pullers. This can also be credited to the Noric's noted calm and patient demeanor. This same manageability has also propelled them into competitive driving and carriage work.

The roots of the Noriker can be found in the pre-Roman era in Thessalonica. They were first developed to be strong warhorses. Their name is derived from the ancient land of Noricum, which is now part of the nation of Austria. It wasn’t until approximately four hundred years ago that the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg began documenting studs and implementing a regulated breed standard.

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Noric - Horses for Sale