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Between the Highest Mountains of the Bavarian Forest
Austrian mountains. It is said the breed is 2,000 years old, being bred for timber work, hauling of goods and even as heavy draft horses of war by the Romans. As time passed, the breed evolved to suit the needs of the Alpine dwellers of the Bavarian forests. Work in the forested Alps undoubtedly sustained the breed through eras of desperate declines in horses, as industrialization took hold.
Regardless of the time's mechanization and declining use of horses as a crucial way of life, the Noriker continued to work in the mountainous forests where heavy machinery was difficult to use. Sadly, the breed is not yet available in North America. The Association for Italian breeders’ AIA, recognizes it in the category of “breeds of limited distribution”, under the name of “Norico Pinzgauer.