In 1978, Jean Deveaux, a veterinarian and
former Spahi, began to take record of the Barb stock still on French soil. That
is how the Barb Association was born. It later took on the name of Association Française du Cheval Barbe
(French Barb Horse Association) and now manages the Barb stud book with the
approval of the National Stud. This stud book was opened in January 1989
following the formation of the World Barb Horse Organisation (Organisation Mondiale du Cheval Barbe – OMCB)
in Algiers in
1987.
The European Barb Horse Organisation was
established on February 20, 2000, bringing together the German, Swiss and
French Associations. The Belgium
association will shortly be joining too.
Its purpose, defined under the aegis of
OMCB, is to harmonise the various rules on a European scale, to develop
cooperation between the associations, to protect and develop the Barb breed and
the mutual recognition of the various European stud books. In addition, the
establishment of a European organisation has enabled European championships to
be organised starting at the end of 2000.
THE BARB HORSE
Khandjar de Céor (Barb Stallion) 
One of the most ancient breeds in the
world
Until now, it was well-established that no
horses were present during prehistoric times in the Saharan area. It was
thought that horses were not introduced until the second millenium B.C.
Research conducted in Algeria
however confirms that bones from an equine species dating back more than 4000
years were found in excavations. In any case, horses have been part of everyday
life in North Africa throughout history. Cave
paintings depicting horses have been found in Algeria.
A breed with exceptional qualities
In Roman times, emperors would send for the
famous warriors of the kingdom of Carthage with their horses to strengthen the ranks of
their cavalry and invade the Gauls and Europe.
The Barb was already famous for its sturdiness, stamina, hardiness, frugality
and athletic capability. But already at that time, what truly made the
difference between the Barb breed and others was its temperament, its
exceptional learning capability and capacity to understand what is wanted from
it.
Strabon (58 BC, 25 AD) in his writings
describes how the Numidian horsemen from North Africa
rode their horses « without any restraint », i.e. with no tack, no
bridle or bit, which is remarkable. Sometimes just a fine string around the
horse’s neck was used to slow or guide it.
The Arabs who came in from the east
bringing Islam to the Maghreb in the 7th century used them,
sometimes leaving behind the few Arabian horses that remained after having gone
through Libya, Tunisia and then Algeria and Morocco before invading Spain.
The kings of France, the famous equestrian
masters Antoine de Pluvinel, Robichon de Guérinière in the following century
sung the praises of the Barb horse and considered it the best dressage horse of
all.
The Napoleonic armies also used the Barb
hose. The French Spahi regiments, were mounted on Barb horses only. During the
last world war, a German regiment mounted on Barb horses that had been
requisitioned by Rommel in Tunisia
was even able to reach Moscow
against all odds. No other breed performed comparably with the Barb horse
during that attack.
The Barb horse in France
In France, when the Spahi regiments
were disbanded, their horses were shared out between the various riding
establishments. All riders now aged between 45 and 70 years started out on
these horses. They were used not only for instruction but also to compete with
very good results.
In 1962, after Algeria’s
independence, the Barb stud book in France was simply done away with, leaving
the breed with no official existence. The best mares – those that achieved the
best show jumping results or had the greatest potential for dressage - were
entered into the selle français stud
book by way of initial registration or registered as “selle français vehicles”. The Barb horse gradually fell into
oblivion except in the minds of dealers who imported many from North Africa via the ports of Marseille and Sète, often
to supply meat butchers or to sell them as trail horses. They performed their thankless
tasks incognito.
A handful of devoted enthusiasts who longed
to restore the Barb to its former grandeur gathered around the veterinarian,
Jean Devaux, a former Spahi, and worked on establishing their own Barb horse
registry in France.
They contributed to forming the World Barb Horse Organisation (Organisation Mondiale du Cheval Barbe -
OMCB) and in 1989 were successful in convincing the National Stud to open a
Barb Stud Book in France, after having formed the Association du Cheval Barbe. This association was soon renamed Association Française du Cheval Barbe
(AFCB) which in cooperation with the National Stud manages the Barb’s registry,
its breed shows and stallion licensing. The association also strives to promote
the Barb breed in France
and bring together enthusiasts and users of the breed, together with breeders.
The various Barb types
Quamr Leil (Barb Stallion)
Distinguishing between different types on
the basis of country of origin (Algeria,
Morocco, Tunisia, or Libya
and Mali)
would be questionable. It is more reasonable to speak of morphology in
connection with regions. A horse’s size and conformation differs depending on
whether it has evolved for generations in the coastal plains or in the
mountains, the high tablelands or in the areas bordering on the desert in the
south. Clearly, temperature and rainfall have an impact on the vegetation and
an animal’s development depends on its feeding patterns over the generations.
In the fertile, coastal plains of Algeria
and Morocco
that receive plentiful rainfall, the horse is heavier, taller and perhaps less
true to breed type. In the Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian mountains, the horse
is stockier and perhaps less elegant. In the Algerian tablelands, at Tunisia’s western border, in Morocco, the
Barb horse is well developed, well-proportioned and well fed. This is probably
the conformation most to the taste of knowledgeable enthusiasts. In the areas
bordering with the desert in the south, the Barb is of a slightly lighter
build, longer-legged and very elegant. 3 head types can be distinguished: a
convex profile, straight profile or straight brow.
In the case of the Arab-Barb, the variable
influence of the Arabian’s typically dished profile on the 3 above-mentioned
profiles allows for all possible combinations.
Nonetheless, these conformations all have a
great deal in common. The Barb horse’s legendary qualities, as described above
– an exceptional temperament, extraordinary frugality and staying power.
Uses of the Barb horse
O'Zenko de la Forêt (Barb Stallion at Uzes race) 
Still today throughout North Africa, most
horses, apart from their use as riding horses and for demonstrations (group
Fantasias and individual Fouroussias), are also used as draught animals both
for ploughing and to draw vehicles. In Europe,
this use is unusual although the Barb is an excellent harness horse. It is high
time for drivers to make use of this breed and present it at manoeuvrability,
cross-country and other driving competitions.
In Europe,
the Barb’s well-deserved popularity for pleasure, endurance, equestrian
demonstrations, dressage and soon show jumping is being restored. It is a
suitable horse for any family who wishes to have a companion which is both
athletic and sociable, a combination that does not always hold true in other
breeds.
Any reference to Barb horses in France
naturally also covers Arab-Barbs which are registered in the same stud book.
The Arab-Barb is the quintessential sports horse – a horse for all disciplines.
The particular choice of discipline for the individual horse will often depend
on the percentage of Arabian blood it has in its ancestry.
