Abtenauer horse

Of lighter bone than the Noriker, the Abtenauer breeds true to type and is well adapted to the poor soil on which it lives. The breed is known for its easy, flowing trotting action. The Abtenauer is elegantly built with a well-shaped head and strong legs. Abtenauers are usually black, chestnut, or blue roan; black is the most common color but all colors are accepted, except leopard spotting. Mares and foals spend the summers in pasture high in the mountains and are fed salt once a week to prevent them from becoming feral. They spend the summer freely roaming the alpine meadows with cattle. Often foals are born with peculiar curly coats that are lost when the baby hair is shed.