Sorraia - horses for sale

Origin and history of breeding Sorraia Horses

There has been a great deal of speculation about the ancestry of the Sorraia horses. Locals in the region had been aware of them for centuries, but they were not investigated scientifically until zoologist Dr Ruy d'Andrade began to study them in the 1920s. The remote marshy area they lived in had mainly been used as a hunting reserve for Portuguese kings. Like other European semi-feral breeds such as the Skyros and Exmoor ponies, they were occasionally herded and used for agricultural activities and then released again. Most theories regarding the origin of the Sorraia suggest that they may represent the survival of an ancient type of horse, possibly being relatives of the extinct Tarpan. Recent DNA work indicates that they do represent a separate group from other similar Iberian small semi-feral breeds. However, they share a maternal lineage with the Portuguese Lusitano, as well as with some American Mustangs, since horses of Sorraia type were taken to North America at an early stage in the European settlement of the continent. There’s now a project devoted to studying and preserving the American Sorraia Mustang in the USA. The survival of the Sorraia in Portugal is mainly due to the efforts of Ruy d’Andrade, who set up a breeding herd in 1937. More people joined the conservation work later in the twentieth century and a sub-population now exists in Germany. A sanctuary was created for them in the Vale de Zebro in Portugal. In fact, Sorraia horses are the original zebras! They were called “zebro” and “zebra” in Portuguese, which may ultimately derive from the Latin “equiferus”, meaning wild horse or ass.

Sorraia Horses in equestrianism

Sadly, Sorraia Horses are critically at risk. Their studbook was set up as recently as 2004. With interest now in the USA and Canada, as well as Germany and in their homeland, there is hope for the future. Being relatively tall and long-legged, there is no reason the Sorraia horses cannot participate in many equestrian activities.