Spanish Trotter
 | |
| Other names | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin |  Spain |
| Distribution | Balearic Islands, principally Mallorca |
| Use | Trotting racing |
| Traits | |
| Height | |
| Colour | Any colour, usually chestnut[3] |
| Breed standards | |
The Spanish Trotter, Spanish: Trotador Español, is the national breed of trotting horse of Spain. It is reared almost exclusively in the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, predominantly in the island of Mallorca, but also in Menorca and Ibiza.[4]: 101
History[edit]
Trotting races were held in the Balearic Islands from the latter part of the nineteenth century.[5]: 483 Trotting horses were bred by putting local Mallorquín and Menorquín mares to imported stallions, usually of French Trotter or Orlov Trotter origin.[4]: 101 Some Anglo-Norman mares and stallions were imported from France in about 1920.[1] Breeding is now usually by artificial insemination with semen from French Trotter or American Standardbred stallions.[6]: 37
A breeders' association, the Asociación de Criadores y Propietarios de Caballos Trotadores, was formed in 1970.[7] A stud-book was started in 1980,[6]: 37 and an official breed standard was approved in 2011.[3]
In 2005 there were approximately 15,500 horses recorded in the stud-book.[6]: 37 About 85% of all Spanish Trotters are in the island of Mallorca.[6]: 40
Genetic study has found little recent influence of the Mallorquín and Menorquín on the Spanish Trotter,.despite their contribution to its early development.[6]: 41
Use[edit]
The Spanish Trotter is bred for performance in trotting races.[6]: 40 There are three hippodromes in the islands.[5]: 483 Races are almost invariably in harness to a sulky, with the horse performing an ordinary diagonal trot; occasionally the horses may instead be raced under saddle.[3] The fastest time for the breed over 1 kilometre is 69.15 seconds.[5]: 483 The horses are obedient and manageable, and are also suitable for recreational riding.[4]: 101
References[edit]
- ^ a b Raza equino caballar Trotador Español: Datos Generales (in Spanish). Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Accessed July 2019.
- ^ a b Raza equino caballar Trotador Español: Datos Morfológicos (in Spanish). Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. Accessed July 2019.
- ^ a b c Resolución de la Dirección General de Recursos Agrícolas y Ganaderos, por la que se aprueba la reglamentación del libro genealógico y del programa de mejora, y el programa de difusión de la mejora de la raza equina Trotador Español (in Spanish). Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino, Dirección General de Recursos Agrícolas y Ganaderos. Accessed July 2019.
- ^ a b c Élise Rousseau, Yann Le Bris, Teresa Lavender Fagan (2017). Horses of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691167206.
- ^ a b c Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
- ^ a b c d e f Pedro Javier Azor, Mercedes Valera, María Dolores Gómez, Félix Goyache, Antonio Molina (2007). Genetic characterization of the Spanish Trotter horse breed using microsatellite markers. Genetics and Molecular Biology 30 (1): 37–42. doi:10.1590/s1415-47572007000100009.
- ^ Asociacion (in Spanish). Palma de Mallorca: Asociación de Criadores y Propietarios de Caballos Trotadores. Accessed July 2019.