M'Par
| Conservation status | not recognized |
|---|---|
| Other names |
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| Country of origin | Senegal |
| Traits | |
| Distinguishing features |
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The M'Par or Mpar is a breed of small horse from the historic region of Cayor in Senegal, in West Africa.[2]: 253 It may for that reason be called the French: Cheval de Cayor. It is the smallest of the four Senegalese horse breeds,[3]: 263 the others being the M'Bayar, the Fleuve and the Foutanké.[4]: 23
History
[edit]The origins of the horse in Senegal are not documented.[3]: 261 According to some authors, including Georges Doutressoulle, the M'Par may be an autochthonous breed with ancient origins in the area;[1]: 4 others such as René Larrat see the horses of Senegal as descendants of Barb horses from the Maghreb countries to the north.[3]: 261
In 1996, Senegal had a horse population of about 400,000 head, the largest of any West African country.[5]: 36 This was a substantial increase from the 216,000 reported in 1978,[1]: 10 and a much greater increase from the population after the Second World War, estimated at barely 30,000.[3]: 260 Population numbers for the M'Par are not reported.[6] In 2007 the FAO did not have data from which to estimate the conservation status of the M'Par breed.[7]: 101
The M'Par is gradually being assimilated into the much larger M'Bayar population, and is at risk of extinction.[5]: 37
Characteristics
[edit]The M'Par is a small horse or pony. It is generally of poor conformation, heavy-headed, too long in the back, thin-legged, flat-chested and often with defective conformation of the legs. In compensation for these defects, it has exceptional qualities of endurance and rusticity.[3]: 263
Use
[edit]Horses play an important part in the social and economic life in Senegal. The M'Par is used as a light draught horse. Because of its small size it is able to pull only light carts and fiacres.[1]: 16
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Magatte Ndiaye (1978). Contribution à l'étude de l'élevage du cheval au Sénégal (doctoral thesis, in French). Ecole Inter-Etats des Sciences et Médecine Vétérinaires de Dakar. Accessed March 2016.
- ^ Georges Doutressoulle (1947). L'élevage en Afrique occidentale française (in French). Paris: Larose.
- ^ a b c d e René Larrat (1947). L'élevage du cheval au Sénégal (in French). Revue d'élevage et de médecine vétérinaire des pays tropicaux 1 (4): 257–265.
- ^ [Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles] (2003). Rapport national sur l'état des ressources zoogénétiques au Sénégal[dead link] (in French); annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Accessed March 2016.
- ^ a b J.-P. Dehoux, A. Dieng, A. Buldgen (1996). Le cheval Mbayar dans la partie centrale du bassin arachidier sénégalais[dead link] (in French). Animal Genetic Resources Information 20: 35–54.
- ^ Breed data sheet: M'Par/Senegal. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed March 2016.
- ^ Rischkowsky, Barbara; Pilling, Dafydd, eds. (2007). "Annex: Breeds currently recorded in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources" (PDF). The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-105762-9.