The Balearic Horse

The Balearic Horse is still pretty much a mystery to many people. There is not much written information available from this breed originated on the Majorca Island in Spain. There is a debate from it's origin, many believe that the Balearic Horse originated from the horses from the ancient Greece. It has been said that they resemble the horses shown in old Greek illustrations and coins. Genetic studies done to the breed do not point to that direction, they show that the Balearic Horse would be rather related to the Iberian Horse and the other horse breeds living in the Balearic Islands.

Spanish government has shown little interest recording anything about the history or origins of this rare breed so lot is still unknown to the public around the world. I could not find any estimated numbers of these horses alive, except that the breed is called extremely rare today.

This breed is about 14 hands tall and is considered as a pony breed by some people. The Balearic Horse has upright mane which is a primitive feature in today's horse. When trying to figure out the other features you will find different reports of the breed, some state that this breed is attractive, when others call it "scrubby".

These horses carry themselves well and and have refined bone structure. Neck is short and thick but arched, head with a convex profile (roman nose). The Balearic Horse comes with slender legs. Colors of the breed include a bay and a chestnut, and rarely a gray horse.

These horses have been used for agricultural work and as harness horses as well as for riding purposes. Summerhays' Encyclopedia for Horsemen states that they are most common in the Palma district in Majorca and do not look like any other horse breeds in the Balearic Islands. Today Majorca is a popular tourist destination so it would be pretty safe to assume that some of these horses today are used for riding purposes for the tourists.

Name Balearic comes from the Balearic Islands, witch are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea. Majorca is the largest island of the Balearic Islands, other bigger ones include Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Even the origin of the name Balearic has been open to some debate, some say that it comes from the ancient Greek word 'ballo' which means 'to launch". This believe is supported by the fact that many Majorcan people were skilled slingers at the time. Another maybe more accurate believe is that the name Balearic comes from the Greek god Baal, showing that these islands are sacred to the god.

Whatever the origin or the history of this little Spanish horse is, one thing is for sure, it keeps serving the people in the Majorca Island like it has done for the centuries.

You can view some photos of these horses here: www.theequinest.com/breeds/balearic/