Berber (horse)
| Berber | |
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| Important data | |
| Origin: | Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia |
| Main breeding area: | North Africa, France, Germany |
| Distribution: | North Africa, Europe |
| Stick measure : | 142–152 cm, Berber-Arab crosses also larger |
| Colors : | Mostly gray, also brown and foxes, originally also black horses |
| Main application area: | Riding horse |
Berber ( Berber ⴰⵢⵉⵙ ⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖ Ayis Amaziɣ ) are one of the oldest cultivated horse breeds in the Mediterranean.
Background information on horse evaluation and breeding can be found under: Exterior , interior and horse breeding .
Exterior
The Berber is closely related to the Arab and, like them, is quite small. As a desert horse, the Berber has fine skin and great endurance.
The head is medium-sized, often with a convex nose line (Ramskopf) and sits on a strong, rather short neck that rises from a flat and steep shoulder. The withers of the Berber are pronounced. The load-bearing back is short, the trunk of good depth, but usually not very broad. The croup is sloping and round and has a deep tail. The legs of this extremely resilient horse are hard and the hooves of excellent quality, so that it almost never lapses. Occasionally, there are slight misalignments in the legs in the form of saber-leggedness or cowhocking , but these do not affect the general health of the legs.
Berbers show fluid movements with knee action and are sure-footed in all gaits. Some representatives of the Berber breed are natural tölter .
Breeding history
The origin of the Berber lies in North Africa and goes well into the early history of the domestication of the horse by humans in the second millennium BC. BC back. Already in ancient Greece, later with the Romans and through the entire Middle Ages, horses from North Africa ( e.g. from Carthage , Phenicia , Numidia ) and North African mercenaries were the most sought-after tribute goods, spoils of war and diplomatic leverage.
Pure breeding
Nomads like the Touareg bred Berbers, and they probably even practiced pure breeding. In contrast to other peoples who farmed horses, the mares were the most valuable animals for them, so that they even slept in the main tent and were (almost) not for sale.
During the colonization by France, the breeding of purer-blooded Berbers was only continued in insurgents' remote areas of retreat, which is why the most unadulterated breed types can still be found in the hinterland far away from the state studs.
The population of pure Berbers is very small today, binding figures are not available. Optimistic estimates assume a total of 2500 horses worldwide.
In 1988, the World Organization of the Berber Horse Association ( Organization mondiale du cheval Barbe (OMCB)) was founded with the aim of preserving the remainder of the Berber horse and increasing the number of the breed again. This endeavor was initially supported by the countries of origin (Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia), as well as by France. Since 1992 Germany has also been a member of the OMCB with the Association of Friends and Breeders of Berber Horses (VFZB)
Influence on other races
All war horse breeds in the Mediterranean are directly descended from Berber horses. The close relationship between the Berber and the other Iberian races (especially the Andalusian ) is historically due to the close cultural and economic ties between the Maghreb and the Iberian Peninsula . Genetically, Berbers and Iberians are closely related. After the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors (from 711 AD) and in the following centuries, in which horse breeding flourished in Al-Andalus , in addition to countless Berber horses, a few Arab horses came to the region, which, however, had little influence on the practiced Iberian horse breeding.
The first horses to be brought to the New World after 1492 were also Berbers and Iberians. All American horse breeds were based on their genes, such as B. the Mustang , Criollo , Paso Peruano .
Neapolitan z. B. (one of the founding breeds of the Lipizzaner ) was created around 1220 in the southern Italian studs of Frederick II from initially 12 black Berber stallions and Berber mares of an unspecified number.
Because of the great distance, it was an expensive, laborious and dangerous undertaking to import Berber horses into northern Europe, which is why they were the horses of the highest rank. Louis XIII. learned the riding skills of the Renaissance from écuyer de sa majesté Antoine de Pluvinel on a Berber stallion named " le Bonite ".
In the 17th century, Berber horses were increasingly used in England to breed faster and faster racehorses.
The Berber was and is considered a noble horse and so stallions of this breed were used throughout Europe to refine the breeds there. Probably the best known representative is the stallion Godolphin Barb , the most important of the three breed founders of the English thoroughbred . The Mediterranean ports on the North African coast, from which the horses have been shipped for centuries , contributed to the spread of the Berber throughout the world .
The Berber was significantly involved in the development of the Camargue horses, which look amazingly similar to him. He was also involved in the creation of the Irish Connemara horses.
Berber-Arab crossbreeds
During the French colonization of North Africa, state studs and a stud bookkeeping system were set up everywhere near the coast, which has been preserved to this day. During this epoch, the locals' Berber horses underwent significant changes because the French military preferred the Arab Berber horse for their cavalry and North Africa required high tribute payments for such horses. Arab stallions were set up in the state studs and the entire population was forced to crossbreed their horses. Arab-Berbers have been listed as a separate breed in the studbook since 1948 and are valued as leisure and sport horses because of their willingness to perform and rideability. In the state studs of Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia, these crosses called "Barbarabe" are bred.
They are considered tough and persistent and show a clear Arab influence. This is particularly evident in the profile and fine physique.
use
All riding masters from the 16th to 19th centuries, whose books have come down to us, praise the Berber horse for its hardness, courage, beautiful movements and its particular aptitude for romping around .
Berber horses are used in North Africa today as riding horses for the different regional interpretations of the popular sport Fantasia . They are seldom used as endurance and jumping horses or as agricultural helpers. In Europe they are mainly used as recreational horses, but occasionally they can be found in western or endurance sports.
Especially in North Africa, the owners of the Berbers show their prosperity with the animals' saddles and bridles, often decorated with precious stones.
Temperament and characteristics
The strength of this spirited and courageous animal lies in its great endurance and willingness to perform. He is an extremely frugal and tough riding and work horse that is agile and very fast over short distances (according to some sources even faster than an Arab). The Berber horse is known for great loyalty and social bonding.
See also
Web links
literature
- Gabriele Metz: Horses AZ. Kosmos-Verlag, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-440-11515-2 , pp. 21-22.
- Tamsin Pickeral: Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies. Krone-Verlag, Leichlingen 2004, ISBN 3-933241-89-8 , pp. 286-287.