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Four Southern African Horse Breeds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2011

F.J. van der Merwe  and
J. Martin
F.J. van der Merwe
Affiliation:
P.O. Box 664, Kleinmond 7195, Republic of South Africa
J. Martin
Affiliation:
P.O. Box 11, Clarens 9707, Republic of South Africa
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Summary

The history and development of the four Southern African horse breeds, i.e. Basutho Pony, Nooitgedacht, South African (SA) Boerperd and Cape Boerperd, are traced from their common ancestor, the Cape Horse, to the present day. Recent blood-typing studies of the first three have shown them to be closer related to each other than to any other world breed. At the beginning of the twentieth century the Southern African horse industry was devastated after the Anglo Boer War (1899–1902). Indiscriminate crossbreeding and intentional importation of other specialized breeds led to the near extinction of the descendants of the Cape Horse in South Africa. Fortunately, the efforts of the Government Department of Agriculture and a number of private breeders to identify, conserve and develop the then existing genetic material over the past half century, resulted in the existence today of three small, but viable, registered breeds of locally adapted and versatile horses viz. Nooitgedacht, SA Boerperd and Cape Boerperd. The recent history and apparent present situation of the Basutho Pony in the neighbouring country of Lesotho was also described.

Résumé

L'histoire et développement de quatre races d'Afrique Australe, c'est-à-dire Basutho Pony, Nooitgedacht, SA Boerperd et Boerperd du Cap, sont establis à partir de leurs ancestres en commun jusqu'a présent. L'études ressentes sur l'examen du sang (étiquetage) ont montré que les trois premières races sont plus étroitement consanguines que n'importe quelle autre race mondiale. Au début du vingtième siècle l'industrie chevaline sudafricaine avait été dévastée après la guerre Boer (1899–1902). L’élevage en croisement peu judicieux et l'importation délibérée d'autres races specialisées ont failli l'extinction de la progéniture du Cap Horse en Afrique du Sud. Heureusement l'eclipse a été sauvé par l'effort du Ministère de l'agriculture et un nombre d’éleveurs privés qui avaient identifié, conservé et amelioré le pool génique existant pendant le dernier demi siècle, se terminant par l'existance aujour'hui de deux petits mais viables races inscrites de trois chevaux versatiles adaptés au pays, c'est-a-dire Nooitgedacht, Cape Boerperd et SA Boerperd. On a fait la description de l'histoire récente et situation présente du Basutho Pony du pays viosin, le Royaume du Lesotho.

Keywords

Basutho PonyBoerperdLesothoNooitgedachtSouth Africa
Type
Research Articles
Information
Animal Genetic Resources/Resources génétiques animales/Recursos genéticos animales , Volume 32 , April 2002 , pp. 57 - 72
Copyright
Copyright © Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2002

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