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Rescuing Greece's Ancient Equines: The Skyros Small-Horse First published by The Ultimate Horse Site, www.ultimatehorsesite.com Photos courtesy Aliki
Steen Preserving the endangered “Skyros Small-Horse” or Hellenic Hipparion, a small family project that developed into a worldwide Scientific and Art endeavour.
Kanoni, Corfu, Greece, 6/20/07 - The Northern Greek island of Corfu is the location of The SILVA Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and breeding of the Hellenic Hipparion or “Skyros Small- Horse". This horse has played a major role in Greek history and is now in desperate need for a new future. It all started roughly twelve years ago, when Mrs Sylvia Dimitriadis-Steen was approached in Corfu and asked to provide lodgings for four Skyros (pronounced Skeer-roos) small-horses, two stallions and two mares. By visiting the Greek island of Skyros - the largest and most remote of the Sporades islands in the Aegian Sea - Steen became aware of the horses' shocking low population, the rapid degradation of their natural habitat and their imminent danger of becoming extinct. Having survived for the last two centuries primarily on the island of Skyros, the horse was used in agriculture for threshing wheat or just as a means of transport for goods. But within just a few decades it has become virtually redundant. As many believe, the fate of man kind may be linked to the horse and it became Steen's life commitment to help this gentle and amazing small-horse with a monumental history.
The Hipparion (small-horse) of Skyros has played a major role in Ancient Greece and in Greek history as a whole. Like other horses, it has experienced until the mid-1960's a close, ongoing partnership with man. As depicted in iconographies on vases, funeral stelai and statues, the Hipparion has determined the fate of communities and nations, been decisive in victory or defeat, in wealth and poverty, indeed even in life and death. The Hellenic army of Alexander the Great used thousands of small horses. The horses were yoked in threes or fours, making a very quick and flexible vehicle led by just one soldier. The soldiers preferred these little horses, because they were - and still are - easy to train, don't need much food and water and because they don't need shoeing. There are a number of ancient sculptures and amphora paintings in Greece, Cyprus and the Middle East, which illustrate how these little horses were used during the Archaic period.
Today, people take different approaches when making the case for endangered species. Some argue that endangered species are important to ensure access to new medications, while others emphasize the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems for recreational purposes. Preserving endangered species is considered by many scientists to be the key to preserving biodiversity, or the variety of life. Biodiversity is important
not only because we enjoy having many different types of plants
and animals, but also because all living things play important
roles in the "ecoregions" in which they live. Ecoregions
are what world wildlife funds call places characterized by distinct
climates, ecological features, and plant and animal communities. Dr. E. Gus Cothran from the Equine Genetics laboratory, Texas A&M University, just completed a paper on his research with the Skyros Small-Horses relating the degree of genetic diversity in their DNA and where they fit in the domestic horses gene-pool. "The Skyros small-horse shows no close relationship to any modern breed,” reports Dr. Cothran. Indeed, its micro-somatic nature, as in other breeds - Shetland, Caspian, Chinese, et al – proves that the horse managed to survive for hundreds of years in the island’s ecoregion, adapting successfully to the hard environmental and climatic conditions. More tangibly, the Skyros
small-horse is valued today for the pleasure and inspiration it
provides. Its mild character, stamina, intelligence, as well as
other unique characteristics, such as friendliness towards people,
adults or children, are legendary. This makes the horse ideal
for interaction with children and the elderly as a form of therapy
- and it is mutual relationship. Besides breeding, the SILVA Project
provides riding facilities for children with special needs and
eldercare. It also provides an ongoing program for college
students, from the USA, Canada, Africa, An ongoing Art event
in aid of the Skyros Small-Horse, entitled HORSE ART,
is produced and organized by Sylvia Steen's daughter, Aliki. Twenty
European artists, and one American, Cherry Sweig, are exhibiting
their art in aid of the endangered breed, with proceeds
going to The SILVA Project. The upcoming September-October exhibition
(09/27 – 10/14) at the Athens Olympic Equestrian Centre,
is the tenth showing of its kind - more details may be viewed
on website www.horseart.org.
Sweig was captivated by these horses as imagery for her artworks during a visit to both the Parthenon and Corfu in 2005. Since then, she has returned to the SILVA estate twice in order to sketch and paint them in their native habitat and observe their interactions. These works feature life-sized artworks that the viewers will be invited to touch. The backgrounds depict the rough stone imagery of the equestrian relief of the Parthenon and horses themselves are painted in a soft velvety effect - an art experience to help the viewer gain a better understanding of the Skyros small-horse and its ties to ancient history. Her current Horse Art exhibition schedule: Premier Open Studio: November 2 & 3, 2007 2-8pm Cedros Gallery Show: Visions of Gold July 26- December 30, 2007 'Art of the Equine Show' Fallbrook Art Center Sept 9- Oct 28, 2007 Through communication and education about these ancient horses, we can help to save their lineage and heritage. They also can give back in a big way, through their invaluable interaction with the special needs children and elderly.
------------------------ CONTACT: USA: Cherry Sweig
Fine Artist: (619) 871-7162 FAX: (858) 748-9494 Email: ciaocherry@cox.net
www.cherrysweig.com
Dr E. Gus Cothran, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Argyrokastrou 51
Elisabeth Bömcke First thesis: "Conservation of animal genetic resources: the case of the Skyros small-horse breed". Now completing a second
thesis on the genetics of the Skyros small-horse. Elisabeth Bömcke
Unité de Zootechnie ~~~ The ROSLIN Institute in Scotland, currently doing the DNA analysis for the Small-Horses in Skyros and Corfu. Website: http://www.roslin.ac.uk/ ~~~~~ Books: HORSE, How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations, by J. Edward Chamberlin Organizations to explore in the US: The International
Museum of the Horse, Lexington, Kentucky To be provided in E-Press Release: Hand-painted Greek Map in Jpeg format, Rights-released photos, DVD available upon request. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cherry Sweig “Saving
Ancient Hellenic Horses Through Art"
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The
SILVA Project would of course support any archaeological research
that could provide more evidence that the little horse was used
and preferred to bigger horses by Ancient Greeks. Archaeologists
found small-horses skeletons in Marathon, a village near Athens,
proving that during the Archaic period, the horses used by the
population were of a species smaller than the horses of today.
Some of these horses were undoubtedly sacrificed as part of the
funeral rites. 
Australia
and Europe, who volunteer in the areas of Publicity, Horse Care
and Construction. Most recently, the Project acquired 20 acres
of kiwi fruit farmland on Corfu, where architectural plans are
being completed for a new state-of-the-art Equestrian and Therapeutic
Riding Centre. It will have Equine facilities as well as a Special
Educational Needs and Disability Division for children, housing
for Eldercare and exhibition space –cf. 
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