The Mérens or Cheval de Mérens still occasionally referred to by the older name of Ariegeois pony is a small rustic horse native to the Pyrenees and Ariègeois mountains of Spain and southern France where the Ariège River flows. Thought to have originated in prehistoric times it was in the past used for work in mines and for hauling timber; today it is mainly used as a saddle horse and for driving.