Menorca, Where Horses Reign Supreme


by Alex Abella, MHC Member Imagine an island fi lled with all-black stal-


lions and mares, dotted with quaint white villages, surrounded by turquoise waters and kissed by soft Mediterranean breezes, in a re- nowned ecological refuge, where there are more horses per capita than anywhere around… “Well, that’s our claim anyway,” says Ma-


teu Pons, owner of Algendar Rutes, a horse- back excursions outfi t in the Spanish island of Menorca, located in the western Mediter- ranean. “Other people from Europe have come to ride here and made the same claim about their town or region, but none have so many of such a unique breed as we have here.” Indeed, the Purebred Menorca Horse and its island of birth make the most beautiful of cou- ples. It is nothing short of a marriage, a marriage of centuries, an historical marriage, and the stuff that equestrian dreams are made of. T is became my unexpected dream vacation this summer. Dark, handsome, brave and kind, the Menor-


ca Horse is said to be descended from various Spanish island and mainland breeds, as well as from the breeds of the many invaders the cen- turies brought to this land. To ride the Menor- can Horse through his magical island is to live history, from the crystalline beaches that beck- oned Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, through the still existing cobblestone routes of the Romans, past the infl uences of Moorish in- vasions, the kingdoms of Mallorca and Aragon, and beyond the remnants of French and Eng- lish occupations. T e signifi cance of the names of farm estates, the stone walls along the paths, the castles in the distance, and the archaeologi- cal wonders, is laid out before you as you ride through on your majestic black stallion. And no, none of this is exaggeration or literary license. T e Menorcan Horse breed as it is today is


thought to be 200 years old, as it has been at the center of the island´s holidays and festivi- ties for that long at least. T e Feast of St. John, held in June in the castle-topped city of Ciut- adella, is the best known, but a stay in Menorca quickly divulges the true connection of the horse to its people: everybody and their cousin reports rearing on a Menorca stallion through the streets during summer festivities in their town! In fact, the traditional and spectacular ¨bots,” in which the horses rear and walk or jump several feet on their hind legs while peo- ple reach out to touch them for good luck, is the pride and joy of every Menorcan´s memory bank. “Look, this is me riding in the town of Ferreries’ festivities, and this is my daughter´s girlfriend doing the bot among the people as well,” exclaims Biel Febrer, as he shows me vid- eos and pictures on his phone, readily available at the touch of one button. Febrer works in Menorca´s renowned shoe


industry and his memories are just as generous and ready and joyful as the original moments. T e pride over the horses and the traditions of the island is palpable and infectious in every- one you meet; even our taxi ride to the airport divulged another ¨bot¨ rider. Sometimes even children ride in the festivities. “Everyone in Menorca is either from the sea and has a ¨llaut¨ (the typical Menorcan boat), or is from the land and has a Menorcan horse. Some families do both!” Mateu Pons proudly exclaimed. T at passion for the heritage of Menorca is


how its endangered breed has evolved through- out the centuries, bred by the island´s people for battle, for farming, for carriage driving, for fes- tivities and for any task required, with colts kept as studs whenever possible to ensure its future. A breed association was formed in 1988 and a stud book in 2008, and the breed standard today is for an elegant and agile black horse that starts


at about 15.1 hands. T e average height I saw on the island was closer to 16 hands and slightly above, and I even got to ride a 17-hand, four- year old stallion that might as well have been a rocking horse he was so safe. Only those that have been to an auction without their trailer or checkbook will know the relief I felt at having neither handy at that moment, but I cannot deny I´m still dreaming of that horse! Incredibly sure-footed, they move like agile


goats through the frequently rocky Menorcan landscape. Most of the stallions and geldings are worked in Menorcan dressage in traditional Menorcan tack - including a slightly high- cantle saddle to hold you in while you do the ¨bot¨ - and all are extensively trail ridden. T e breed is also starting to enter classical dressage in Spain and throughout Europe, with their incredibly docile and cooperative temperament being one of their most beloved traits. Today, several of the island´s breeders are


working to grow beyond the estimated 3,000 registered horses and there are several trail-rid- ing outfi ts on the island to familiarize tourists with the breed and the island´s history. T ere is also an exhibition hall, Son Martorellet, that hosts a wonderful weekly show with live music, lights, classical dressage routines, work at lib- erty, and several demonstrations of Menorcan dressage with the traditional ¨bots.¨ If being on a beautiful island is not enough of a magical experience and opportunity to dis- connect, imagine being a horseperson on such an island where horses are at the center of life there, to top it all off . Everywhere you drive, fi elds dot- ted with black horses. Everyone you speak to, a lover of horses. One cannot possibly live through such a unique experience without dreaming of return, so I´m already planning for an even deep- er look into this unique island and its horses next summer. Who´s coming with me?!


Biel Febrer doing the “bot” at the Ferreries’ Annual Festivities


Alex Abella on a four-year-old stal- lion in Menorcan tack riding on the Camí Cavalls, the historic horse route that traverses Menorca.


www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580


The horses at the Son Mar- torellet show.


THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | OCTOBER 2021 | 15


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68