| Conservation status |
|
|---|---|
| Other names |
|
| Country of origin | Sudan |
| Distribution |
|
| Traits | |
| Weight |
Female:
400 kg[2] |
| Height |
Female:
140 cm[2] |
| Colour |
|
Western Sudan Pony is an exonym for a Sudanese breed or group of breeds or ecotypes of small horse or pony. These are distributed principally in southern Darfur and south-western Kordofan, extending into southern Chad,[3]: 408 and are known generically as Gharbaui ("western")[a] or by a variety of regional names including Darfur Pony and Kordofani.[4]: 8 [2]
The Western Sudan Pony is one of four recognised horse breeds in Sudan, the others being the Dongola or Dongolawi, the Sudanese Country-Bred and the Tawleed.[5]: 505 [2]
The Gharbaui is originally of Barb type. In the twentieth century a government programme of "improvement" was instituted at the stud farmofNyalainSouth Darfur, and local mares were put to stallions of Arab and Thoroughbred stock, with consequent degradation of the local types; what the cross-bred animals gained in size they lost in hardiness and type.[3]: 408 [6]: 245 By the 1950s or 1960s few of the horses remained unaffected by this process.[3]: 408 [2]
In 1994 the total number of the horses was reported to be 8000–10000.[2] The conservation status of the breed was listed as "not at risk" by the FAO in 2007, and also by the DAD-IS database in 2023.[1]: 111 [2]
The Gharbaui is a small horse, with an average height at the withers of some 140 cm[2]or145 cm.[6]: 245 It resembles the Barb and has many of its good qualities, particularly its hardiness and endurance.[3]: 408 [6]: 245 The neck and shoulders are strong and the back and croup well formed; the legs tend to be poorly conformed.[6]: 245 The profile is convex.[3]: 408 The coat is most commonly grey, but may also be bayorchestnut.[3]: 408 [6]: 245 [2]
The horses are used for riding and as draught animals.[3]: 408
