The Mérens, Cheval de Mérens or Caballo de Merens (French pronunciation: [meʁɛ̃s] ⓘ), still occasionally referred to by the older name of Ariégeois pony, is a small, rustic horse native to the Pyrenees and Ariégeois mountains of southern France, where the river Ariège flows, and northern Spain, near Andorra.

Small black horses from the area of Ariège have been recorded as early as the time of Julius Caesar, as well as being associated with Charlemagne.

They pulled artillery for Napoleon's Grand Army, as well as being used by farmers, dock workers, miners and smugglers moving goods through the Pyrenees mountains.

At the same time, however, uncontrolled crossbreeding led to a decline in the purebred population, and in 1908 the local agricultural society was put in charge of the breed.

The herd size remains relatively small, however, and one genetic study considers the traditional type of the breed to be endangered and recommends that efforts should be focused on its preservation.

[4] Jean-Louis Savignol, a traditionalist breeder, prefers the name "Méringais", saying that "Mérens" refers to the village and the valley in which it is located, not the horse breed.

[10] They show increased resistance to the anticoagulant properties of some varieties of fern, the consumption of which can cause bloody sweats and blood in the urine in other horses.

It promotes the Mérens at fairs, national shows and international exhibitions, as well as publishing newsletters and breeder lists.

The first is traditional breeders seeking to preserve the original type, that of a light draft horse living high in the mountains year-round and retaining the hardiness for which the breed is known.

Mérens are found mostly in northwestern Italy,[22] in the provinces of Cuneo and Turin, but has spread to other mountain regions such as the valleys of Bergamo and Trento.

[14] The department of Ariège is known for the annual transhumance (seasonal migration) of cattle, sheep and horses, including many members of the Mérens breed.

Each year, in June, hundreds of horses are moved to summer pastures at around 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) in altitude, where they live in a semi-feral state, traveling on steep mountain paths and weathering storms and other climatic variations.

[32] The physical characteristics of the Mérens are the result of the harsh mountain environment where they live,[33] and they are reminiscent of the horses in the cave drawings at Niaux, made some 13,000 years ago.

[2][7] These images depict animals with dense coats and a skull shaped like the modern Mérens, with a beard-like protrusion of hair under the jawbone.

[13] Julius Caesar mentions small black horses that resemble the Mérens in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Commentaries on the Gallic War), when discussing the defeat of Crassus by the Sotiates and their cavalry.

[42] The legend of the founding of L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre depicts a traveler who, exhausted by the cold, kills his horse and buries himself in the steaming bowels, swearing that he will build a small hospital in the place if he survives.

[45] In the 12th century, the Cathar princess Esclarmonde of Foix climbed to the fortress of Château de Montségur on the back of a small, sure-footed black horse.

[46] In the 14th century, the same small black horses are mentioned as accompanying the armies of Gaston III, Count of Foix.

[7][32] It was used by smugglers moving goods through the mountains between France and Spain, mainly carrying wood and minerals, and was known for its endurance and sense of direction.

The breed was sometimes called "Tarasconnais", after the town, and was famous for the high quality of its legs and the ability to survive on poor food.

[51] By the early 20th century, some breeders in L'Hospitalet and Mérens-les-Vals began to work against these crossings with outside breeds and bred only horses with conformation similar to the original Mérens.

The use of the Mérens in agriculture continued into the 1970s,[2] and like many French draft breeds, it was also bred for slaughter to produce horse meat.

[26][55] The mountains of Ariège acted as a sanctuary, preventing the Mérens, as well as other breeds such as Gascon cattle and Tarasconnaise sheep, from disappearing completely.

[57] As part of the hippie movement, people wanting to live on the fringe of society settled in the small villages of Ariège.

[63] The breed is also used for equestrian tourism on the mountains of the island,[64] where it is particularly well suited for the steep terrain and climate,[65] taking tourists into volcanic regions covered in ash.

The horses are fed a natural diet, dewormed with a mixture of garlic and clay, treated using a combination of homeopathy and osteopathy, and moved high into the mountains during the transhumance each year.

[68][69][neutrality is disputed] Today, Mérens closest to the original type and lifestyle are found in the valleys of the high mountains of the Pyrenees, near Andorra.

The author suggested that the Mérens should be a conservation priority in order to maintain the maximum genetic diversity among French horse breeds.

Today, following breeding selection towards a slightly taller and livelier type, they are used principally as saddle horses, especially for trekking in mountainous areas; but have also proved successful in carriage driving.

[14] Many tourist facilities now offer guided trail rides through the mountains of Ariège on Mérens horses,[71] with some centers having a stable consisting entirely of members of the breed.