Sorraia horses

In times of antiquity, when technological innovations and scientific discoveries were yet to see the light of the day, human beings used animals for serving their manifold purposes. While the domestic animals aided them in agriculture, they played an equally significant role in transporting people and their wares from one place to another traveling long distance. An important function of horses was in times of battles and warfare when the soldiers fought mounting on their horses. These can be regarded as the first evidences of horse riding which has now evolved in the form of various sports like equestrian, polo etc. where riders on horsebacks play the sport. In Portugal, equestrian has a long and distinct history and there are various traditional horse breeds and attires which are vital for the sport even today.

The premier horse breeds which are prevalent in Portugal are the Lusitano, Garrano and Sorraia. It is this trio which dominates the equestrian activities in the country where this sport has emerged as a good means of spending spare time. The origin of the Sorraia horses can be associated with the ancient Iberian horses, more specifically the Iberian ponies residing in the Iberian Peninsula having convex or u-shaped heads. There are various historical evidences that go to prove the similarities between the primitive Iberian horses and the Sorraias. In fact there are numerous rock carvings which are evidence to the fact that the Iberian horses had various characteristic features in common with the Sorraia horses. The very name 'Sorraia' given to this breed of horses has a legend attached to it. This breed was discovered by the banks of the river Sorraia, which is a river formed by the union of the 'Sor' river and the river 'Raia' by Dr. Ruy D' Andrade in 1945. However it is significant to point out here that this breed of horses are very low in number and therefore they have very high proportions of inbreeding.