The SORRAIA and the similar GARRANOS of Iberia are regarded as indigenous Iberian horses, , Akita or Akita Inu probably thousands of years ago their forebears were the first horses , Weimaraner to be domesticated in Europe. Both contributed directly to the evolution of the Spanish Horse, , Standardbred s which had a major influence in the evolution of the equine races in Europe and America from the 16th century onwards. That is a measure of the importance of this ancient stock. Inevitably, the Garranos and Sorraia ponies have been improved by human intervention; the Garranos, which has received infusions of Arab stock, is the most affected.
INFLUENCES
Both the Sorraia and the Garranos must be seen as stemming from the same primitive stock, principally represented by the Tarpan with possible traces of the Asiatic Wild Horse , Poodles (see pp.18-19). At the time of their domestication the indigenous stock would have been distributed over the whole region, with groups being concentrated in the areas that provided water, , King Charles Spaniel adequate plant growth, and the best climatic conditions. Differences in size and type would have been related to the environment and the dominance of particular strains.
This "primitive" Iberian stock had also been influenced by the horses , Tegus in North Africa because of the land bridge that existed between Spain and Africa until just before the last Ice Age, thousands of years ago. It provided the genetic base for the emergence of the Iberian horse breeds, , Catfish which are known variously as Andalucian, Lusitano, and Alter-Real but which are really no more than branches of the same family , Four-eyed fishes tree.
The history of Iberia – long before its division into the kingdoms of Leon and Castile, Portugal, Navarre, Aragon, and Granada in the period between 1212 and 1402 – was a continuing saga of invasion and occupation. Carthaginians, Vandals, and Visigoths, together with their horses, , Miniature Schnauzer moved into, and sometimes through, the area that was to become so important in terms of the development of the equine races.
The Vandals who had settled in Andalucia migrated to Africa, leaving what remained of the Visigoths to be conquered by the Moors, who were followers of Islam and came from
Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.
The influence of the Moors was decisive on both the human and equine populations of Spain. They invaded between 311 and 312 when over 25,000 men and their horses, , Akita or Akita Inu predominantly Barbs from North Africa , crossed into Spain, and their empire did not begin to decline until 1212 when its armies were defeated at Las Navas de Tolosa by the combined forces of the kings of Aragon and Castile. Granada, the last Moorish state, did not fall until 1492
To this day, the indelible imprint of the Moorish Empire remains apparent in the art, architecture, people, and horses , EINSIEDLER and FREIBERGER s of Iberia. As well as Barbs, many Arab horses , White-Capped Pionus of pure desert descent entered Spain; an early Caliph of Cordoba, for example, kept no fewer than 2,000 Arab horses , Standardbred s in his stables by the River Guadalquivir. Nonetheless, the overriding impression is that the evolution of the Iberian Horse , Soft Bills resulted from an ongoing cross-fertilization between the indigenous stock and the Barbs of North Africa.
THE SORRAIA AND GARRANOS
It is the Sorraia Pony that represents the connection between the indigenous stock of prehistory and the present-day horses , CASPIAN of the Peninsula. Only in comparatively recent times has its habitat been fixed as being between the rivers Sor and Raia (running through both Spain and Portugal), from which the pony's name is derived.
The habitat of the Garranos, or Minho, is in the more fertile mountain valleys of Garranos do Minho and Traz dos Montes, north of the Sor in Portugal. There is no doubt about the antiquity of the breed, , Maremma Sheepdog but continued infusions of Arab blood made by the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture have created a pony that, while being strong and hardy, is far removed from its primitive ancestors in appearance. , Green Aracari It is a quality pony with a small, pretty head that – because of the Arab outcross, it has to be assumed – has a noticeably concave profile.
Although the Sorraia also betrays the improving hand of man, it still retains notable characteristics inherited from its early ancestors. Many of the ponies bear an
extraordinary resemblance to the Tarpan in conformation and in the colour , RHINELANDER and WURTTEMBERGER Horses and texture of the coat. , Hackney As little as 50 years ago the resemblance was even closer.The shoulder was upright, the back was straight, the tail , Brumby was set low in sloping quarters, and the head was large and convex in profile.
The modern Sorraia is far more attractive, and standing between 1.22 and 1.32 m (12-13 hh) it is virtually a miniature Iberian Horse, , Four-eyed fishes like the Andalucian or Lusitano. As with its ancestors, it is a hardy animal, resistant to both heat and cold and able to thrive on poor soils and sparse forage. The "deer-grey" coat colour , Four-eyed fishes is still apparent, along with the typically primitive dun and a muddy palomino yellow. Dark points, eel stripes along the back, and frequently barred (zebra) leg markings are not unusual in the breed. , Poodles The manes and tails , Standardbred horses are black and the long ears, , Hackney set high or the head as in the primitive horse, , Silken Windhound are also tipped with black.
For centuries the Sorraia was used by local "cowboys" to perform a variety of light agricultural tasks. The stock then degenerated rapidly with the onset of mechanization and was only preserved through the efforts of Dr Ruy d'Andrade and his son Fernando. They kept a small Sorraia herd in the natural state, and it was this that encouraged the conservation and improvement of the breed. , RHINELANDER and WURTTEMBERGER Horses
