Origins

These are the famous white horses from the Rhone Delta in Southern France. An ancient breed of horse that has remained relatively unchanged over the centuries.
Valley Farm was home the only breeding herd of Camargue Horses in Great Britain for many years. The three fillies from the Tour Du Valat and one colt from Le Caylar which formed the original herd were brought here as foals in 1991. In 1992 four more mares were imported to enlarge the herd. 1993 saw the birth of the first Camargue foals in the UK.

Pure bred and part bred mares, foals and geldings are occasionally available for sale or loan from the riding centre.

If you would like to see the Camargue Horses here at Valley Farm you can visit at any time during the summer months between 10am and 4pm.

They are a tough, hardy, agile and highly intellegent breed.  The Camargue Horses at Valley Farm are trained for, Western Riding, Carriage Driving, Horseball, Polocrosse, Circus, High School, Side Saddle, Dressage, Working equitation, Show Jumping and they participate in all the other riding school activities. 

Please note that Camargue horses seldom mature to be more than 14.2 hands high even though they are known as horses.  They usually range between 13.2 and 14.2hh so are most suitable for smaller adults or children. This is why we also have a number of partbreds at the centre who still retain the hardiness, stamina and intelligence of the pure bred Camargue but are slightly taller.

For identification purposes all Camargue foals are branded with the mark of the 'manade' where they were born and a letter which changes each year. (1990 = C 1991 = D etc.) In addition a number identifies the first born in the herd to the last.

Our Camargues Horses feel just as much at home on our marshes here, as they would on the salt marshes in the Camargue.

For more information about Camargue Horses see British Camargue Horse Society 

or if you speak french you can learn lots more about them from the Association des Eleveurs de Chevaux de Race Camargue