Barb horse

"Barb (horse)" redirects here. For the particular individual racehorse, see The Barb. For other uses, see Barb (disambiguation).
Barb
Harnessed for a traditional fantasia performance in Tozeur, Tunisia
Berber riders in Agadir, in Morocco
Other names
  • Barbary
  • Berber
Country of origin
  • Algeria
  • Mauritania
  • Morocco
  • Mali
  • Senegal
  • Tunisia[1]
DistributionAfrica, Europe[1]
Traits
Colour

The Barb or Berber[a] is a North African breed of riding horse with great hardiness and stamina. It is closely associated with the history of Berber or Amazigh peoples of the Maghreb. It has influenced a number of modern breeds, including many in northern and western Africa.[3]: 182 

Etymology

The first recorded use of the name "Barb" appears in the translation of the work Description of Africa by Hassan al-Wazzan (better known as Leo Africanus), which predates its adoption across Europe.[4]: 23 [5]: 118 [6]: 31 . The Barb horse breed derives its name from the Barbary Coast states, according to French historian Jean-Marie Lassère, who attributes the name to the tradition of naming animals based on their geographical origin.[7]: 1  Jean-Louis Gouraud, on the other hand, connects the Barb to the Berbers (the European name for the Imazighen), stating that "their histories and fates are inseparable"[8]. European sources also referred to this regional horse as "Berber," in reference to a region known under Roman rule as "Berberia" or "Barbaria"[9]: 30 [10]: 137 [11]: 2 . The term "Berber" is rooted in the ancient Greek word barbaros, a label the Romans used for non-Romans, especially the Numidians[4]: 59 . Before this distinction, the term "Barb horse" was often synonymous with the Spanish Jennet or Zenata horse, referring to horses bred by the Moors (the European term for the conquerors of Al-Andalus) in the Iberian Peninsula[4]: 23 [6]: 27 .

History

The Godolphin Arabian, one of the foundation sires of the Thoroughbred, was often referred to as the "Godolphin Barb" due to his origins in Tunisia, though his actual breed remains debated.[12] Some sources argue that his conformation more closely resembled a high-quality Barb horse rather than an Arabian.[13][14]

In 2014, the International Equestrian Federation recognized the Barb horse as its Horse of Honor at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy.[15]

Influence on other breeds

The Barb may have had more influence on the racing breeds throughout the world than any other horse except the Arabian.[16] Berber invaders from North Africa took their horses, the forerunners of today's Barbs, to Europe from the early eighth century onwards. Once established with settlers on the Iberian Peninsula, the Barb horse was bred with Spanish stock under 300 years of Umayyad patronage to develop the Andalusian (and the Lusitano).[16]

The Barb horses were valued by other Europeans, including the Italians, whose noble families established large racing stables.[16] During the sixteenth century, Henry VIII purchased a number of Barbary horses from Federico Gonzaga of Mantua, importing seven mares and a stallion.[16] He continued to buy other Barbs and Andalusians. After the Royal Stables were sold off under Cromwell, private owners in England continued to value the Barbs and used them to develop the Thoroughbred.[16]

The Barb also was valued for its "strong, short-coupled body, perfect for collection — the posture that makes weight-bearing easiest for the horse — its eagerness to learn and its gentle nature."[16] Because of these characteristics, beginning in the sixteenth century, the horses were also trained for dressage, in Paris and other European capitals. Sixteenth-century and later portraits of royalty on horses frequently portrayed the latter in dressage positions.[16]

The large West African Barb group of breeds derives from this horse. Among the breeds in the group are: the Bélédoughou, Hodh and Sahel of Mali; the Bhirum Pony and Sulebawa of Nigeria; the Bobo of Burkina Faso; the Fleuve, Foutanké, M'Bayar and M'Par of Senegal; the Koto-Koli of Benin and Togo; the Poney du Logone of Cameroon and Chad; and the Torodi of western Niger.[2]: 442 [3]: 182 

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In Berber: ⴰⴳⵎⴰⵔ ⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖ, romanized: agmar amaziɣ; in Arabic: حصان بربري

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barb Horse.
  1. ^ a b Transboundary breed: Barb. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed May 2026.
  2. ^ a b Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
  3. ^ a b Valerie Porter, Ian Lauder Mason (2020). Mason's World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties (sixth edition). Wallingford; Boston: CABI. ISBN 9781789241532.
  4. ^ a b c Jamali, Yassine Hervé (February 2020). Le Cheval barbe. Arts équestres (in French). Arles: Actes Sud. ISBN 978-2-330-13111-1.
  5. ^ Husser, Blandine (2018). "Le cheval Barbe entre France et Algérie: lumières et paradoxes d'une « race-fossile » (1542-1914)". Bulletin de l'Académie Vétérinaire de France. 171 (2): 117–123. doi:10.4267/2042/68964. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  6. ^ a b Bogros, Denis, ed. (1987). Le Cheval barbe. Caracole (in French). Lausanne/Paris: Favre. ISBN 978-2-8289-0293-3. OCLC 462087614.
  7. ^ Lassère, Jean-Marie (1 April 1991). "Barbe". Encyclopédie berbère (9): 1348–1360. doi:10.4000/encyclopedieberbere.1292. ISSN 1015-7344. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  8. ^ Gouraud, Jean-Louis (2014). Le Tour du monde en 80 chevaux: Petit abécédaire insolite. Actes Sud Nature. p. Chapter "Barb". ISBN 978-2-330-10203-6.
  9. ^ Edwards (1992). "Barbe". Les Chevaux (in French). Translated by Philippe Sabathé. Illustrator: Bob Langrish. Solar (published April 1992). pp. 30–31. ISBN 2-263-01821-2. OL 42988008M. Wikidata Q81394872.
  10. ^ Ravazzi; Siméon (2010). "Berbère". L'Encyclopédie mondiale des chevaux de race: Plus de 150 races de chevaux de selle et poneys (in French). Translated by Cécile Breffort. De Vecchi Editore (published 20 September 2010). p. 137. ISBN 978-2-7328-9546-8. Wikidata Q105104417.
  11. ^ Bongianni (1987). "Berbère". Les chevaux (in Italian). Vol. 1503. Translated by Elisabeth de Lavigne. Paris: Solar. p. 2. ISBN 978-2-263-01202-0. Wikidata Q105945453.
  12. ^ Blunt-Lytton, Judith (1979). The Authentic Arabian Horse (3rd ed.). George Allen & Unwin Ltd. ISBN 0932748007.
  13. ^ Whyte, James Christie (1840). History of the British Turf, from the Earliest Times to the Present Day. Vol. 1. H. Colburn. p. 64.
  14. ^ Whyte, James Christie (1840). History of the British Turf, from the Earliest Times to the Present Day. Vol. 1. H. Colburn. p. 84.
  15. ^ "The Moroccan Barb Horse in the spotlight". Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy. 14 April 2014. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Grutz, Jane Waldron (January–February 2007). "The Barb". Saudi Aramco World. Vol. 58, no. 1. Archived from the original on 6 June 2007. Retrieved 23 February 2011.


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