this month
Horse Search
Navigation
Popular Breeds
More About ...
Sorraias
Sorraia Horses
The Sorraia is nearly extinct. A few herds are maintained in a half
dozen places in Spain and a few in Germany. The Sorraia Horse has no
history as a domestic breed, but old documents show that these horses
were brought to the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors.
The Sorraia coloring is always dun or grullo with a
dark muzzle area, black dorsal stripe, black-tipped ears, usually zebra
stripes on the legs, and occasionally a stripe across the shoulders,
neck and back. The black mane and tail are fringed by lighter-colored
hair. Sorraia foals are born with a zebra-like pattern all over.
Sorraia blood in the Americas is evident, as several breeds in both
North and South America bear the dun and grullo coloration and other
physical characteristics of this ancient horse.
The Sorraia generally stands at about14 hands high.
Domesticated Sorraias have been broken to ride and used for herding
livestock.
The Sorraia is noted for its ability to withstand extremes
of climate, particularly dry, hot climates, and to survive on very
little forage while at the same time maintaining its health. The
Sorraia is too long-legged to be seriously considered a pony
type.
Their head is somewhat long, with an outcurved
profile. The ears are long, the eyes are set high. The neck is long and
slim, the withers are prominent and noticeably well defined; the back
is of medium length and straight; the croup is sloping, but not steeply
dropping. The legs are straight with rather long, round cannon
bones, well defined tendons, long, sloped pasterns, and hard hooves of
dark color. The Sorraia is found portrayed faithfully
in prehistoric cave art, displaying the classic Iberian convex profile,
also found in the old-time North African Barb. When the Portuguese
scientist, Ruy D’ Andrade, discovered these horses in 1920 in the
lowlands of the Portuguese River Sorraia, few could believe that a wild
horse subspecies could have survived that long in Europe. Scientist Ruy
D’ Andrade tried in vain to relocate the herd, but found horses
of the same phenotype in several places in the general area of the
Sorraia river.
As a zoologist and paleontologist, he finally decided he had stumbled
on an ancestral type of horse, and that it needed to be preserved. He
acquired seven mares that possessed the characteristics he considered
typical according to his studies, and left them to fend for themselves
on his property, which fortunately was large enough for such a project.
He tried four different stallions on them. His theory was that living
wild, without the help of man, in their own habitat, would result in
Mother Nature's purifying the small population, and bringing out and
consolidating their original characteristics and abilities.
Why is the Sorraia threatened to become
extinct? A population that numbers around 200 is extremely
threatened by any biologist's standard. At least half of these are
non-breeding animals - older horses, stallions that aren't being used
as studs, or youngsters. The population in Portugal is divided
basically into a few groups: four D' Andrade family members
(grandchildren of the late Ruy D' Andrade), each has a band of
Sorraias; the Portuguese National Stud; and a few private breeders with
just one or two mares. All these horses stem from D' Andrade’s
herd. None of these breeders seem to invest a lot in the preservation
of the horses.
The horse-related public is slowly becoming aware of
the Sorraia. In Germany, there are a small number of parties now that
own breeding stock, including a zoological garden with a small breeding
group. Some feel the Sorraia's chance for survival lies in promoting
them as mounts and carriage horses. This entails risks, however, as it
could become counterproductive in the long run. People who are using
them in the way other horses are being used will inevitably change them
in type and disposition, while Mother Nature selects strictly, and
differently. A wild horse doesn't have to be pretty, it doesn't have to
be cooperative, and it doesn't have to possess a comfortable. All it
needs to be able to do is survive: find food, recognize and avoid
potential danger, withstand heat, cold, and bad weather. It needs to
have qualities different from what humans perceive as desirable in a
horse.
Wild horses are admired for their soundness and
surefootedness. Whenever man intervenes and starts breeding for his
goals, the soundness and other qualities which enable wild horses to
survive tend to disappear. In an ideal situation, a preserve would be
created where a group of Sorraias could live wild and unmolested, with
as little human interference as possible. Where stallions again could
fight about their harems, where the weak would be eliminated by Mother
Nature, and where ethologists and scientists could do meaningful
studies. Such an operation would ideally be in Portugal, or Spain, but
it could be almost anywhere where there is enough land. I t should be
possible to also do something for the Sorraia—before it is
too late!
Because Sorraias are so few in number, you will
likely not find any Sorraias for sale. Sorraias for sale would be
an amazing find, especially if you were looking to mate and expand the
breed. Unfortunately, until there are more Sorraias in existence,
it is unlikely that you will find any Sorraias for sale any time
soon.
Conchos Special Run 
