Poney du Logone
The Poney du Logone is a breed of small horse or pony from the area of the Logone River in Chad and Cameroon, in west central Africa.[2] It is particularly associated with the Musey or Moussey people of that region, and may also be known as the Poney Musey or Poney Mousseye.[3]
| Conservation status | [not recognized |
|---|---|
| Other names | |
| Country of origin | |
| Traits | |
| Distinguishing features | Height: up to 125 cm[1] |
History
There are many descriptions of the small horses of the Marba-Musey people of the flood-plain of the middle reaches of the Logone River in south-western Chad and northern Cameroon; among them are those of Dixon Denham in 1826 and Gustav Nachtigal in 1880.[3]: 233 Horse-breeding in the area remained relatively unchanged until the 1980s; in 1985 the horse population there was estimated at 6000–6500 head.[3]: 233
In 2007 the Poney du Logone population in Chad was listed as "not at risk" by the FAO.[4]: 17 In Cameroon the breed is considered a relic of the past, and to be at risk of extinction.[5]: 49
Characteristics
The head of the Poney du Logone is not heavy, as is sometimes reported, but is well proportioned, with a slightly convex profile and wide nostrils. The principal coat colour is bay, followed by bay roan, chestnut and chestnut roan.[3]: 234
The Poney du Logone is one of two horse breeds reported to show tolerance of, or resistance to, tsetse-borne trypanosomosis, or "sleeping sickness". The other horse breed reported to be tolerant or resistant is the Bandiagara of Mali and Niger.[6]: 93
References
- [Laboratoire de Recherches Vétérinaires et Zootechniques de Farcha, Ministère de l’Elevage] (2003). Rapport National sur les Ressources Zoogénétiques du Tchad (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. Archived 17 May 2018.
- Breed data sheet: Poney du Logone/Chad. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed March 2016.
- Christian Seignobos (1995). Les poneys du Logone à l'Adamawa, du XVIIème siècle à nos jours (in French); in: Gigi Pezzoli (editor) (1995). Cavalieri dell'Africa: storia, iconografia, simbolismo = Cavaliers d'Afrique: histoire, iconographie, symbolisme = Horsemen of Africa: history, iconography, symbolism: atti del Ciclo di incontri organizzato dal Centro studi archeologia africana di Milano, febbraio-giugno 1994. Milano: Centro Studi Archeologia Africana. p. 233-253.
- 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. Archived 23 June 2020.
- [Comite Consultatif National Du Cameroun] (2003). Rapport national sur les ressources zoo génétiques des animaux d'élevage du Cameroun (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. Archived 19 September 2020.
- Beate Scherf (editor) (2016). The Second Report on the State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251088203.
Further reading
- Igor de Garine (1975). Contribution à l'ethnozoologie du cheval chez les Moussey (Tchad et Cameroun); in: Raymond Pujol (editor) (1975). L'Homme et l'animal: [actes du] premier colloque d'ethnozoologie [Paris, 28-30 Novembre 1973] (in French). Paris: Institut international d'ethnosciences. ISBN 9782857620006. pages 505–20.
- Christian Seignobos (1987). Le poney du Logone et les derniers peuples cavaliers: essai d'approche historique (in French). Maisons-Alfort: Institut d'élevage et de médecine vétérinaire des pays tropicaux, Dép. du Centre de coopération internationale et recherche agronomique pour le développement. ISBN 9782859851422.