Kundido Feral Horse

Intro

Kundido feral horses are named for the Ethiopian mountain on which they are found and one of the few known feral horses of the African continent. This hardy mountain animal has been said to have roamed the mountain plateau for centuries.

Origins

Their origins are a mystery and there are no written records about them. Anecdotally they are said to be the ancestors of animals used in the Ethiopian Muslim–Christian war in the 14th century. This is a critically endangered breed, as of 2012 there were only 18 of them left. As the locals realized how critical their situation was, they created an unofficial breeding program. This involved the capture of the small herd, where they were shared among a few households and an attempt has been made to domesticate them. Technically the ‘feral’ in their name is probably inaccurate these days.

Unfortunately as this was solely a community effort in a part of the country that doesn’t have much experience with horses, the outcome has been moderate. While the community deserves applause for their attempt, poor management and breeding practices paired with a very limited number of animals threatens their future.

Features

Poor conformation

Physique

Short back
Paunchy stomach
Dipped topline

Traditional Colors

All colors

Temperament

Strong and willing, these are hot weather animals bred as workhorses

Use

Transportation
Farming
Light draft
Pack animal

More Images

Kundido Feral Horse

Image from Marco Vigano under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license

Video

Top image from Marcoetio under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license