Abaco Barbs
The Abaco Barb is an endangered strain of the Spanish Barb horse breed found on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. The Abaco Barb is said to be descended from horses that were shipwrecked on the island during the Spanish colonization of the Americas and the Caribbean. The population of wild Abaco Barbs that run free on Great Abaco once numbered over 200 horses. The Abaco Barb is found in different colors than the European/African Barb, including pinto (including the relatively uncommon splashed white), roan, chestnut, black and other colors. They range between 1.32 to 1.47 m (13.0 to 14.2 h).
Beginning in the 1960s, several events led to a decline of the breed to just three horses: the paving of new roads through or near their territory, which caused more conflict with humans; wild dog attacks on foals; and, most fatally, natives killing off the horses because of an accident involving a child.
Some Abaconians intervened and brought the three surviving horses to a farm near Treasure Cay. The herd increased to 35. Since 1992, however, over half the horses have died. No foals have been born since 1998. (There was one spontaneous abortion and one fetus aborted for unknown reasons.) By early 2010, the herd has diminished to six. As of October 2010, only five remain: three mares living inside the preserve, and two stallions living outside.
Recently the government joined the renewed effort to preserve the breed. No Abaco Barb horses will be sold on the commercial market; the remaining herd will run free on the 3,800-acre (15 km2) preserve on Abaco.
An Abaco Barb stallion, Capella, was the model for a 2005 sculpture honoring the breed, as part of a broad-based publicity campaign to build support for preservation.
Read more about this topic: Barb Horse