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The Barb horse breed comes from the costal belt of
Northwest Africa, countries such as Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia and, like the
Arabian, have had a tremendous effect on many of the horse breeds we see today.
They are an extremely ancient breed, and little is known about their exact
origins, although they do bear some similarities to the postulated primitive
horse type 3. It has been the subject of great debate as to whether the Barb or
the Arabian came first. It is likely that the Barb contains some Arabian blood,
and it is a testament to the dominance of the Barb's genes that they have
maintained their characteristics. That said, however, the Barb has been
extensively crossbred in recent years and exists in slightly varying types
across North Africa.
The Barb and the Arabian horses are both typical desert
horses with fine skin and great endurance. However, the two breeds should not be
confused, because the Barb has very distinctive characteristics, such as their
convex or Roman profile that is seen in many of the Iberian horses influenced by
the Barb.
In appearance, the Barb has a fairly narrow head that
tapers from the forehead to fine nostrils. They have curved ears, which are also
seen in the Arab, and very expressive Oriental type eyes. The Barb tends to have
a muscular neck that curves gently from prominent withers to the poll. Often the
shoulders are rather flat and straight, which is somewhat strange considering
their speed and agility. They have deep chests that are often quite narrow, tend
to be slender through the frame and have a good depth of girth, and also have
sloping quarters with a low-set tail. their legs are slender but extremely tough
and strong, and their feet, although somewhat boxy, are very hard and rarely
prone to lameness.
Conformational faults appearing in the legs are sometimes
cow-hocks, and their forelegs are sometimes too close together, although neither
of these defects seems to affect their soundness. Typically they are fairly
small, like the Arabian, and their height ranges from 14 to 15 hh. They are
generally gray, although they are also bay, brown, and chestnut, and were
probably originally dark colors. They are incredibly hardy little horses that
have great powers of endurance and stamina as well as being resistant to extreme
climate conditions. They lack the natural grace of the Arabian and do not move
as freely but are equally fast, if not faster, over short distances. Barbs today
are still very much in evidence in North Africa, especially in Tunisia, Algeria,
and Morocco, and are often clothed in decorative tack with semiprecious jewels
as a demonstration of the owner's wealth.
The Barb had a considerable effect on the Spanish horses,
and is believed to be a direct ancestor of the Spanish horse. Barbs were
introduced to Spain during the Moorish invasions and influenced the Andalusian
and Spanish horse. Through them, many other breeds of horse in Europe and
America were established. Perhaps, however, the singularly most important effect
of the Barb horse was in the development of the English Thoroughbred horse. One
of the three founding stallions of the Thoroughbred was a Barb horse called the
Godolphin Arabian. The Godolphin Arabian has a fascinating history: a small 15
hh bay with a beautiful head, but unnaturally high crest, he was spotted pulling
a cart in Paris by a Mr. Coke. Mr. Coke purchased the horse, took him to
England, and gave him to Mr. Williams, who passed him on to the Earl of
Godolphin. In 1731, he was being used as a teaser on a mare called Roxana, who
was to be mated by a stallion called Hobgoblin. When the time came, Hobgoblin
would have nothing to do with Roxana, and so the Godolphin Arabian was allowed
to mate her instead. The resulting foal, Lath, became one of the most famous
racehorses of the day, second only to Flying Childers, and founded one of the
most successful dynasties of racing. However, the history of the Barb in England
is one that far preceded the Godolphin Arabian, and it is a well known fact that
Barbs were being imported to England for use in the royal studs as long ago as
the reign of King Richard 11 (1377-99) and were at that time being used for
racing too.
As well as the Thoroughbred, the Barb is also credited
with having had a profound influence on the development of the Camargue horse of
France to which it bears a striking resemblance, the Irish Connemara, and
various French breeds including the Limousin.
Click here to solve a quiz about the
Barb
Take a look at these links for more info
about the Barb horse breed:
http://www.maxpages.com/equistuff/Breed_info_B_page
http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/sbarb.html
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/
http://horsestallmall.com/Spanish%20Barb.htm
http://afcb.9online.fr/standard2.htm
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