Also Known By: Skogsruss, Russ, Gotlandsruss, Skogsbaggar,
Skogshäst The herd of ponies at Lojsta moor on the island of
Gotland is unique. The Gotland pony, or Russ, as it is called in
Sweden, has been called a living relic of the past, and that is
precisely what it is. Thanks to decisive intervention on the
part of the local inhabitants, Sweden's most primordial horses
still live as they have for thousands of years on the wooded
moors of Gotland. The Gotland Pony horses have lived in the
forest regions of the island of Gotland from time immemorial.
Their history is mysterious and fascinating. Discoveries from
the Stone Age show that horses have been present on Gotland for
4,000 - 5,000 years, and perhaps longer. It is not known whether
these horses were Gotland Ponies, nor is it known how the first
horses came to the island. Russ is the Gutnish word for horse.
Gotlanders themselves often call the ponies skogsbaggar, which
means "forest rams". It is commonly thought that the Gotland
Pony, as other European ho