Neapolitan horse

Neapolitan horse
17th-century engraving of a Neapolitan horse
Other namesNeapolitan Horse, Cavallo Napoletano
Country of originItaly, native to Campania
Breed standards

The Neapolitan Horse, Italian: (Cavallo) Napoletano, Neapolitano or Napolitano, is a horse breed that originated in the plains between Naples and Caserta, in the Campania region of Italy,[1] but which may have been bred throughout the Kingdom of Naples.[2] The Neapolitan horse was frequently mentioned in literature from the 16th to the 19th centuries, and is noted for its quality. Corte wrote in 1562: "in Italy the horses of the Kingdom of Naples are greatly esteemed; [there] many fine coursers are born ... suitable for use in war and in the manège and for every service that the rider may require".[3] The decline of the breed was noted in the early 20th century by Mascheroni (1903) and Fogliata (1908).[1] Some sources state that by 1950,[4] the original Neapolitan horse was deemed extinct, but its lines were incorporated into other breeds, most notably the Lipizzaner.[5][6] An attempt to recreate this breed resulted in the modern breed called Napolitano.

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