M'Par

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

M'Par
Conservation status[not recognized
Other names
  • Mpar
  • Cayor
  • Cheval du Cayor
Country of originSenegal
Traits
Distinguishing features
  • Height: 1.25–1.35 m[1]:16

History

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

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

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
  1. 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.
  2. Georges Doutressoulle (1947). L'élevage en Afrique occidentale française (in French). Paris: Larose.
  3. 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.
  4. [Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles] (2003). Rapport national sur l'état des ressources zoogénétiques au Sénégal (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.
  5. J.-P. Dehoux, A. Dieng, A. Buldgen (1996). Le cheval Mbayar dans la partie centrale du bassin arachidier sénégalais (in French). Animal Genetic Resources Information 20: 35–54.
  6. Breed data sheet: M'Par/Senegal. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed March 2016.
  7. Barbara Rischkowsky, D. Pilling (eds.) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, 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.
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