The Sorraia
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(Pronounced "sor - EYE - uh") Sorraias, named for the valley where they were running
wild in Portugal, are, to me, "the guardian angels of dun". They are an
extremely endangered breed, and are being conserved now.
They are believed by some scientists to be the few remaining descendants of
one of the original four (wild) horse types. They're now cared for in a semi
wild state in Portugal, with a small number in Germany, and two in the USA.
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 Extreme Sorraia type stallion. Photo received, with permission, from Hardy
Oelke. Also seen on page 62 of his book,
Born
Survivors on the Eve of Extinction. Hardy believes this is one
of the finest examples of the primitive horse alive. He was
later gelded. |
 The Sorraia in America:
This is Sovina, the first Sorraia to set foot on American soil. He's
owned by Erin Gray of
Nature's
Mustangs in Oregon (south of Portland). Photo at left is him as a
yearling. He has filled out a lot now! Click thumbnail pics to see full size. I visited Sovina in November 2003 and took photos, but he was
getting wooly, and was out at pasture, so I'll leave these, taken by
others, to represent him. Sovina's brother is also in America. I hope to add info about
him, some day.
  Sovino (alternate spelling) at Festival of Andalusians 2002 .
(His tail was broken, and it didn't heal properly, and had to be
amputated. It was long and full before that.) To
see more of him and his progeny, check out
http://www.sorraias.com/
and click on his name, etc. |
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