Berber Horse

The Berber ( Barb) is a noble horse of medium size and is similar in type to the Iberian horse more than the Oriental, which established itself by the close relationship between the races.
The head is medium in size, and sits on a hard, straight neck, consisting of a long, sloping shoulder.

The solid back is short, the body of good depth, but usually not very wide. The croup is cut off and has a deep tail approach, which is a typical feature of the Berbers.

The legs of this extremely strong horse hooves are hard and of excellent quality. Occasionally, represented by the legs slight misalignment in the form of bow-legged or cow hocks. The mechanics of the Berbers is ground covering, for fluid motion with knee action, sure-footed in all gaits and very fast.

Breeding History
The origin of the Berbers in North Africa and is found far back in the early history of the domestication of the horse by the people.

The close relationship between the Berbers, the (still partly living feral Portuguese Sorraia horse and the other Iberian breeds especially the Andalusian) is historically due to the early spread of North African horses on the Iberian Peninsula.

There Berbers were present long before about 700 AD appeared the first Arabian horse, so that had taken place before the appearance of a strong mixing of the races. After the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors (from 711 AD) and in the following centuries, in which bloomed the horse in Al-Andalus, were once numerous in addition to Arabs, Berbers horses in the region and exerted their influence on the Iberian horse.

Genetic studies have now demonstrated that the Berbers a very strong influence on the Iberian horse has exercised. However, the Tuareg nomads in North Africa used to have then a pure culture of the Berbers.

The Berber was and is regarded as noble horse, and stallions of this breed were used early on in Europe for the refinement of the local races. The most famous representative is the Godolphin Arabian stallion, who is one of the best of the English thoroughbreds.

For the dissemination of the Berbers and the Mediterranean ports were on the North African coast near, were shipped from where the horses for centuries. It is, indeed, today Berber blood in virtually all the North African country blows, but the propagation is restricted mainly to the state studs. A cross between Arabs and Berbers, the Arab-Berber, enjoys great popularity as a sport horse.

The population of pure Berber is still very low. Through frequent Crossbreeding there was a mixing of the race, which was partly heavily Arabized. Founded in 1988, therefore, the association World Organization of the Berber horse (OMCB), obtained with the aim of the remnants of the Berbers and to strengthen the breed again numerically too.

This effort was supported primarily by the countries of origin (Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia) and by France, the effort is a pure culture of the Berber race establish itself again.

In the 17th Century Berber horses were used more in England to achieve ever-faster race horses. It is also used as distance and terrain riding horse. Leisure riders will appreciate the Berbers as a dressage horse.

The strength of this spirited and courageous animal is its virtually unlimited endurance, and willingness to perform. He is an extremely frugal and tough riding and working horse, the nimble and operates over short distances with great speed.