Welcome to our Noriker Ranch!

We are a small private stable in Bavaria with great love for Noriker horses. Our goal is to provide an insight into the lives of our horses and make the breed Noriker known all over the world. Following you will find a summary of all important information concerning Noriker.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. You can also follow us on facebook, twitter, youtube or instagram.

About the Noriker breed

The Noriker is a medium-heavy, strong, persevering but also quite sporty mountain horse. The breeding area is primarily in Austria. The name Noriker goes back to the Roman province „Noricum“, which explains the long dissemination history of this horse breed until the times of the Romans in the Alps.

Noriker are incredibly versatile and character-strong horses, which are ideally suited for the hobby horseback riders but also for tournament-ambitious riders. Today the main goal of breeding is a correct and powerful building and a balanced character. Particularly interesting is the color variety of the Noriker horses. You can find roan, leopard spotted as well as black, bay, sorrel and different paints.

Here you can find an overview of the current Noriker stallions.

There are five different breedings lines for stallions:

The second name of male Noriker shows the origin of the fathers`s breeding line

Vulkan

Vulkan has been the most widely used line since its beginnings. More than 50% of the Noriker today belong to the Vulkan line. Very typified, heavy horses with noble, a lot of frame and strong foundation with good courses. The Vulkan Noriker have a balanced character.

Nero

Nero is the second popular breeding line. Particularly its dry, noble expressive head correspond to the desired cold blood needle. The reasons for the proliferation of the Nero line are comparable to those of the Vulkan line.

Diamant

These horses are very typical cold-blooded horses with temperament, nobility and with a lot of power. Slightly lighter, very typed blow, dry and wiry, with strict headlines and good proportions.

Schaunitz

Noriker from the Schaunitz line were known in their time for their temperament and their ability to move as well as their lively character. The lively temperament, upright necks and forward thrust in the movement are today very popular for the breed.

Elmar

Here you will finde the most leopard spotted Noriker horses. In addition to color, typical Elmar horses tend to be square-shaped, lighter in caliber, ram-headed profiles. The proportion of the Noriker from the Elmar line is small, beautifully drawn tigers are very coveted.

FAQs

Why are there so many Noriker foals for rescue?

In Austria the Noriker horse has a long tradition as strong working horse. But also horse meat has a long tradition in the Austrian kitchen. Similar to livestock like calfs, a lot of especially male foals will be slaughtered after a summer in the Alpes. These horses are not ill or have defects. Often they may have the wrong colour, gender or are surplus. In autumn there are several auctions where mainly foals but also older mares are for sale. If the demand for Noriker could be increased besides meat or breeding, something could be changed. Consequently we want to show how beautiful and great these horses are in order to give them a different image. However we will never change the demand for horse meat. But maybe we can minimize the number of great horses who have to die senseless.

What is a realistic price for a Noriker horse?

Like for other horses it depends on gender, age and training status. You can buy a foal for about 600 – 1000 €. An adult mare with a good breeding paper and training can be for about  5.000 €. Leopard spotted, roans etc. are slightly more expensive. It all depends on demand. Additionally to the price you have to calculate export papers and transportation out of Austria or Germany.

Buying a Noriker from outside Europe?

This is surely possible but expensive. Depending on regulations of your country the horse has to be in quarantine prior and after transport. You have to calculate about 8.000 – 10.000 € for the whole export process.

Regulations for export of horses to Canada
Regulations for export of horses to the USA

What about PSSM?

PSSM = polysaccharide-storage myopathy is a genetic defect that can be symptomatic or can even go without symptoms. In case of symptoms multiple sugars are not metabolised (completely), but are stored in the muscle cells: amylase-resistant inclusions are formed.
In the end, the affected horses are suffering from a lack of adequate feeding (with food). This can result in cross-like symptoms and stiffness and tremor of the muscles. It is therefore a carbohydrate metabolism disorder. PSSM1 can be detected by a genetic test with a hair sample or blood.