The Sorraia Horse

Sometimes misnamed the Sorraia Pony, the Sorraia based on its conformation is actually a horse and represents the "indigenous wild horse of Southern Iberia".

According to the writings of Hardy Oelke, the Sorraia represents the most important ancestor to such breeds as the Lusitano and Andalusian. Characteristics such as the ability to flex at the poll, to collect and work off the hindquarters came to all modern warmblood breeds from the Sorraia through the Lusitano.

The horse was named by Dr. Ruy d'Andrade after the Sorraia river where he discovered the last survivors earlier this century. He documented the link between the Sorraia and the modern Lusitano and Andalusian.

The Sorraia tends toward 14 hands and European experts believe the original coloring is dun (dull, grayish brown). The breed can be found in many of the descendents of the American mustang though much cross breeding has occurred over the centuries.

According to Oelke, "Today, Sorraias are bred by a handful of private breeders. Most are still owned by the d'Andrade family, with José Luis Sommer d'Andrade, grandson of Dr. Ruy d'Andrade and president of the Sorraia association, managing the family estate. His siblings own some and a few more are in other private hands outside the d'Andrade family. The Portuguese state breeding farm also has a small herd of these horses and several more are owned privately in Germany, France and Switzerland. The total number may not exceed 150 head, and they all stem from the original group of 7 mares and 4 stallions."