The posse

Today I went down to Villefranche to witness the annual nine day transhumance of the Merens ponies. My very first photo on Blipfoto was of the local transhumance of the cows but this was altogether on a different scale. Each summer the ponies are taken on this long trek to the high mountain pastures of Porté-Puymorens. This famous Ariège mountain breed, similar to horses depicted in prehistoric cave paintings in the Dordogne, almost died out in the 1970's but was rescued by groups of hippies who built the stock back up. The breed is sure footed and ideal for mountain trails or for light work. More information about the breed can be found here and some more photos I took of these beautiful creatures and this special event here.