Any Sorraia fans over there?

[suebingham]

Look at this lil cutie up for for adoption at the US Bureau of Land Management nearest to me. I am SO bidding -- this herd was only verified to exist in 1999 (and has been DNA tested to establish a clear link to the Iberian Horse)
[image]https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/images/imageprint.php?f=3610d.JPG&h=1931&q=85[/image]

 

[suebingham]

Dang it! The link didn't work. He's a yearling stud colt from Painted Rock with a dorsal stripe 3 inches wide.

 

[suebingham]

 

[ticobay831]

Yeah they are lovely looking ponies, i had the pleasure of meeting some when i visited Golega last November at the horse fair.
They generally very kind natured and make good riding ponies. There colour is quite amazing, there also quite rare.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pljtvFfFb5c

Debs x

 

[suebingham]

Ahh... Thank you so much for sharing the video.

We call the color of those ponies Grullo/a over here. The yellow dun like the lil fella I'm looking at, is more common -- but even so there are only three or four mustang herds isolated enough here where the original Sorraia characteristics are repeatedly expressed. I am SO excited and am totally hoping other folks just see a scrubby little yearling and not the diamond in the rough that I think I am seeing.

 

[ticobay831]

I wish you the very best of luck in your bidding, he is a real cutie

Let me know if you get him

Debs x

 

[MotherOfChickens]

hi, they are lovely wee horses, very trainable and hardy so good luck in your bidding and keep us updated. I couldnt follow the lkink-is he a purebred? he looks quite chunky for a pure sorraia and even when crossed the characteristics such as dorsal stripe, zebra markings etc are prominant. the ones in Portugal are very inbred and I'm not sure of the future plans for them. I know a couple of lusos x sorraia that are lovely.

 

[suebingham]

Thank you for your good wishes, Sonnysunshine!

Dutch_Viscount -- The question of him being a purebred is highly problematic to say the least (LOL!) -- he's a wild horse; albeit from an extremely tiny, isolated herd located in the western part of Arizona. He and his dam both have the typical roman head and she is quite rafter-hipped (still very long from point of hip to hock). I expect his chunkiness is largely due to still being with mama (he's really only about 4-5 months old -- I would guess) and a full wooly winter coat. His band has been genetically linked to another small Spanish band in the Cerbat mountains and both to the Sorraia in Spain and Portugal with no infusions of "modern blood". (Unlike my current mustang baby who is from a herd utilized by the US Cavalry remount program. She is basically a smallish Morgan horse). This lil fella is likely a "true" piece of living history left over from Spanish colonial times. Pretty obvious that I am excited, huh?
The most prominent strain of "Spanish Mustangs" in the US are the Kiger horses from Oregon -- most of them sell for upwards of $20,000. People use them for everything from Endurance to Dressage. If this lil guy grows up as nice as I think he might, I may start breeding them. (Of course -- that is all contingent on my successful bidding... and DNA testing...and acceptance into the Spanish Mustang Registry...and etc...and etc...and etc... LOL!)