Pónei da Terceira
Portuguese breed of horse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Pónei da Terceira is a Portuguese breed of small horse native to the Atlantic island of Terceira, in the Azores archipelago. It was formally recognised as breed in 2014, after a period of research and recovery lasting some fifteen years.[5]
It is one of four Portuguese breeds, the others being the Garrano, the Lusitano and the Sorraia.
History
The Pónei da Terceira was formally recognised as breed in 2014, after a period of research and recovery lasting some fifteen years; it is the fourth horse breed to receive official recognition in Portugal.[5] A breed association, the Associação dos Criadores e Amigos do Pónei da Terceira, was constituted in 2010.[6] The programme of recovery and conservation of the remaining population of the horses was overseen by the University of the Azores, which is also the principal breeder[7] – in 2014 it had a breeding herd of over fifty head.[5] The university also manages the conservation programme for the endangered Burro da Ilha Graciosa breed of small donkey.[8]: 36
In 2024 the registered population consisted of 36 stallions and 68 breeding mares, in the hands of 20 breeders.[3]
Characteristics
The Pónei da Terceira is small, with a maximum height of 148 cm and maximum weight of 350 kg;[4]: 188 [3] average height at the withers is 130 cm for stallions and a few centimetres less for mares.[3] Its morphology is that of a horse rather than a pony, with an appearance comparable to that of the Lusitano.[6] The coat may be of any colour; horses with blue eyes are not eligible for registration.[4]: 188