“They are the most critically endangered breed on the planet.”
“On the sun swept stage of a small island 150 miles off Florida’s Gold Coast, a threatened herd of rare and endangered horses have made their official debut to the world.
Work begun in 1992…. resulted in August 2002, in having the horses designated breed.
Based on three separate DNA analyses, photo and video records, the horses were accepted by the Horse of The America’s Registry as the Abaco Barbs, (a new strain of the critically endangered Spanish Barb)
They are descendents of horses brought over at the time of Columbus’s explorations.”
“Initial DNA studies show the Abacos show a high degree of Spanish Barb traits, including the very unusual splash white gene. Abacos, perhaps even more so than the other Spanish Colonial breeds, are very significant as it relates to conservation because they represent a time capsule of genetics of the first area Iberian horses to reach the New World – genetics that were present during the Golden Age of Spain at the time the New World was being settled. More funds for studies are needed to better understand how the Abacos fit into the general Colonial Spanish family and what unique traits they alone may be able to contribute back to the world.”
“Throughout the world Barbs are recognized as critically endangered. The Abaco Barbs nearly went extinct in the early 1970’s. Today they are once again fighting for survival. The horses have been returned to a preseve in their ancestral forest home.”
“The 8 remaining Abaco Barbs, on the island of Abaco in the Bahamas, are fighting for their lives as inappropriate human intervention and a drastic change in habitat have taken a severe toll. The struggling remnants of a once mighty herd of 200 are facing extinction for the second time in their recently turbulent history. The Government of the Bahamas designated a preserve area for the horses and the four remaining mares and one stallion are now back in their normal habitat. The other three stallions are waiting for the next expansion of the protected area.”
If you would like to give a dollar to these wild horses you can go to www.arkwild.org it is tax deductable and would be greatly appreciated.
These horses are a site to see in their natural habitat and all their glory.
All the pictures were taken by me!
It was a magical adventure!
Congratulations to Cat6!
You have won the $10 Gift card to Kroger.
Please email me at CouponContessa@yahoo.com with your info!
Although, many people were able to guess Bay, Paso Fino, Warm Bloods and Pinto, I was looking for the Spanish Barbary breed, or more specifically, Abaco Barb!
And Cat6 beat everyone to the puch!
Even faster than what I had expected!
Darn GOOGLE!!!!
Thanks for supporting this cause!
