The Franches-Montagnes breed of horse has Swiss origins going back to 1800.

Thoroughbred English and Anglo-Norman stallions were used for the breeding, and they reproduced very well with indigenous Swiss mares.

It is a breed that was selected in response to the need for a precocious, sober and expressive horse for agriculture in areas with uneven ground, to exploit marginal land in the hills and mountains, and for the pastime of equestrian tourism.

The breed was introduced into Sicily in the late seventies by the Regional Horse Development Institute, and then by the Forestry Department of Agrigento, which introduced the breed into the area at the “Pizzo dell’Apa” estate in Cammarata.

Because of its adaptability, versatility and extremely docile nature, the Franches-Montagnes horse was recognised with a special Council Decree as being particularly suitable for the activities of the regional forestry sector, which has been using them for years.

Our farm started breeding Franches-Montagnes in 1985, exclusively in a wild state, and has reached excellent levels of selectivity with careful pairing with PSA stallions, authorised by the Regional Horse Development Institute of Sicily. In addition to the stouter individuals, this allowed us to obtain a lighter horse, well adapted to Equestrian Tourism and the various sporting activities promoted by the EOS ASD (teams, horse-ball, endurance, vaulting, jumping and dressage), whose equestrian centres use Franches-Montagnes horses almost exclusively. Their young people have had considerable success in various F.I.S.E (Italian Federation of Equestrian Sports) events at both Regional and National level.