Mangalarga Marchador
Encyclopedia
The Mangalarga Marchador is a breed of horse. There are over 350,000 registered Mangalarga Marchador horses in Brazil
and others registered in countries outside its Brazilian homeland. As an Iberia
n breed, descending from the Andalusian horse
stallions of Portugal
and Barb
mares, supporters of the breed value them for their carriage, beauty and intelligence, good disposition and consider them easily trained for almost any discipline. The Marchador horses are known for having a smooth stable walk, canter and gallop
as well as two natural ambling
gaits: the diagonal batida and the lateral picada. They are valued for their endurance, versatility as stock horse
s, trail and pleasure riding
animals as well as their ability to be trained in dressage or jumping.
Junqueira then sold some of the Sublimes to a friend who had a farm in Paty do Alferes in Rio de Janeiro
state. The farm name was Mangalarga, and the owner used the Sublime horses when traveling to the Imperial capital, the city of Rio de Janeiro
. In Rio, people noticed the smooth-gaited, attractive looking Sublimes and started to call them Mangalargas.
Breeders and researchers of the history of the Baron of Alfenas note that up through at least 1910 most of the ranchers involved in the development of the breed (especially the members of the Junqueira family) followed the Baron's original recommendations for selective breeding
to fix the traits of the marching gait, hardiness, endurance, robust health and good temper.
The founders of that association had largely achieved the objectives that dated as far back as the period 1812-1816, when a number of breeders moved from Minas Gerais to São Paulo
state. They had introduced bloodlines from several non-gaited horse
breeds, including the (Arabian
, Anglo-Arabian
, Thoroughbred
, Lusitano
, and American Saddlebred
. Theses mixes were intended to morphologically adapt the original Mangalarga to the "paulista" topography and culture with the minimum loss of smoothness of gait. Today, this blood remains in only a few female lines of the Mangalarga Marchador.
Because of this situation, there was an increase in the differences between breeders that wanted to maintain the original objectives and those that defended the new type of horse. The Mangalarga Breeders Association closed its Stud Book in 1943, about 9 years after its foundation. A group of breeders who disagreed with this decision met in 1948 to found the Association Mangalarga Marchador that became today's ABCCMM.
Thus, although there are two separate organizations today for the Mangalarga
and the Mangalarga Marchador, and the resulting animals have different type and conformation
, both breeds have a solid common base, and similar roots. One type is not considered inherently superior to the other.
In order to unite political factions and create a new Stud Book, the breeders counted on the political prestige and technical expertise of professor Geraldo Carneiro. Dr. Geraldo, a veterinarian and zoologist, was a friend and neighbor of the governor of Minas Gerais and future president of Brazil, Juscelino Kubitschek
. His contacts and skills permitted him to preserve the original Marchador Horse, by means of founding a new association. There was a meeting called by a group of breeders in Hotel Gloria, in the city of Caxambu. Among those present was Dr. Joaquim Fernandes Braga, superintendent of the Animal Production Department of the state of Minas Gerais
, Secretary of Agriculture, Industry, Trade and Labor. There were also personnel from the federal Ministry of Agriculture, making clear the interest and focus demonstrated by higher authorities. In this preliminary meeting, the Writs of Intention were signed by 22 major figures representing public workers, technicians and breeders.
The MMHAA was the first USA breed registry, founded in 2000 and began importing foundation Mangalarga Marchador horses beginning 2001. That breed registry and association did not succeed. Subsequently, the ABCCMM affiliate association, the US Mangalarga Marchador association (USMMA) was created in 2004. This is the official registry of horses born in North America, with some horses maintaining dual registration with the Brazilian ABCCMM.
With around two hundred foundation Mangalarga Marchador horses in the United States, they have been featured on Horse Talk TV, appeared in the 2002 Tournament of Roses Parade
, performed at the Fiesta of the Spanish Horse, Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento
, Equine Affaire in Pomona
, Southern National Exposition in Perry, Georgia
, and Equitana
in Lexington, Kentucky
and many more venues. They are represented well in the sports of endurance, mounted archery and mounted shooting.
There are Marchador breeders and owners in many states, and in 2007, the breed was introduced to Canada.
For females ideal is of 1.46 m, when there are admitted for the definite register at least 1.40 m and maxim of 1.54 m.
The gait of the Mangalarga Marchador is fast and smooth, with a natural amble
, known as a "march". with the feet moving alternately laterally and diagonally. Due to this, there are moments of triple support, or three hooves on the ground. The marcha batida is a movement when the feet are placed diagonally, while the marcha picada is when the feet are moved laterally and separately. The word picada in Portuguese means "light touch", and this gait is usually the smoother of the two, because the broken pace movement creates little vertical momentum. The picada is similar to the paso llano of the Peruvian Paso
breed. The word batida means "to hit", and is similar to the trocha gait performed by the Paso Fino
.
On level ground, when marching at a normal pace, the horse will overstep slightly; in other words, the tracks of the hind feet will cover or slightly pass the tracks of the front feet. The marcha is said by breed aficionados to be very comfortable to ride. The breed does not trot
or pace, but instead moves from the marching gait straight into a canter.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and others registered in countries outside its Brazilian homeland. As an Iberia
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
n breed, descending from the Andalusian horse
Andalusian horse
The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE , is a horse breed developed in the Iberian Peninsula. Its ancestors have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual breed since the 15th century, and its conformation...
stallions of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Barb
Barb (horse)
Developed on the Barbary Coast of North Africa, the Barb horse is a desert breed with great hardiness and stamina. The Barb generally possesses a fiery temperament and an atypical sport-horse conformation, but nevertheless has influenced modern breeds....
mares, supporters of the breed value them for their carriage, beauty and intelligence, good disposition and consider them easily trained for almost any discipline. The Marchador horses are known for having a smooth stable walk, canter and gallop
Canter
The canter is a controlled, three-beat gait performed by a horse. It is a natural gait possessed by all horses, faster than most horses' trot but slower than the gallop, and is used by all riders. The speed of the canter varies between 16-27 km/h , depending on the length of the stride of the horse...
as well as two natural ambling
Ambling
The term amble or ambling is used to describe a number of four-beat intermediate gaits of horses. All are faster than a walk but usually slower than a canter or gallop...
gaits: the diagonal batida and the lateral picada. They are valued for their endurance, versatility as stock horse
Stock horse
A Stock horse is a horse of a type that is well suited for working with livestock, particularly cattle. Such horses are riding horsescharacterized by agility, quickness, and powerful hindquarters...
s, trail and pleasure riding
Pleasure riding
Pleasure riding is a form of equestrianism that encompasses many forms of recreational riding for personal enjoyment, absent elements of competition. Pleasure riding is called "hacking" in British English, and in parts of the eastern United States and Canada...
animals as well as their ability to be trained in dressage or jumping.
The beginning
Francisco Gabriel Junqueira, Baron of Alfenas, decided to start a breeding experiment mixing his imported Royal Alter stallions with the common horse stock currently in his farm. The common stock was a mix of Barb horses (mostly) and other breeds that came to Brazil by the time of its colonization. The result of the Alter x colonial horse cross mix was a smooth-gaited, attractive horse. The Baron called these horses Sublimes.Junqueira then sold some of the Sublimes to a friend who had a farm in Paty do Alferes in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
state. The farm name was Mangalarga, and the owner used the Sublime horses when traveling to the Imperial capital, the city of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. In Rio, people noticed the smooth-gaited, attractive looking Sublimes and started to call them Mangalargas.
Breeders and researchers of the history of the Baron of Alfenas note that up through at least 1910 most of the ranchers involved in the development of the breed (especially the members of the Junqueira family) followed the Baron's original recommendations for selective breeding
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
to fix the traits of the marching gait, hardiness, endurance, robust health and good temper.
The breed split
In 1934 the Mangalarga Breeders Association was created. The founders were motivated to establish a clear direction for breeding efforts, define the function and the use of the horses, and describe the desired characteristics of individuals in their functional and morphologic aspects, particularly to create a very clear definition of the intended gait.The founders of that association had largely achieved the objectives that dated as far back as the period 1812-1816, when a number of breeders moved from Minas Gerais to São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
state. They had introduced bloodlines from several non-gaited horse
Gaited horse
Gaited horses are horse breeds that have natural gaited tendencies, that is, the ability to perform one of the smooth to ride, intermediate speed four-beat horse gaits, collectively referred to as ambling gaits....
breeds, including the (Arabian
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
, Anglo-Arabian
Anglo-Arabian
The Anglo-Arabian or Anglo-Arab is a crossbred horse that now also has its own status as a horse breed. It is a Thoroughbred crossed with an Arabian. The cross can be made between a Thoroughbred stallion and an Arabian mare, or vice-versa...
, Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
, Lusitano
Lusitano
The Lusitano is a Portuguese horse breed, closely related to the Spanish Andalusian horse. Both are sometimes called Iberian horses, as the breeds both developed on the Iberian peninsula, and until the 1960s they were considered one breed, under the Andalusian name...
, and American Saddlebred
American Saddlebred
The American Saddlebred, formerly known as the American Saddle Horse, is a breed of horse that was developed in Kentucky by plantation owners. Today, in the horse show world, they are most commonly seen under saddle in Saddle seat style riding, and in various types of driving, including pleasure...
. Theses mixes were intended to morphologically adapt the original Mangalarga to the "paulista" topography and culture with the minimum loss of smoothness of gait. Today, this blood remains in only a few female lines of the Mangalarga Marchador.
Because of this situation, there was an increase in the differences between breeders that wanted to maintain the original objectives and those that defended the new type of horse. The Mangalarga Breeders Association closed its Stud Book in 1943, about 9 years after its foundation. A group of breeders who disagreed with this decision met in 1948 to found the Association Mangalarga Marchador that became today's ABCCMM.
Thus, although there are two separate organizations today for the Mangalarga
Mangalarga
The Mangalarga is a horse breed that was originally developed in Brazil by Francisco Gabriel Junqueira, the Baron of Alfenas, when he began breeding Royal Alter stallions from Portugal with local colonial mares on his lands in Baependi County at Minas Gerais State.In 1812, when the Junqueira family...
and the Mangalarga Marchador, and the resulting animals have different type and conformation
Equine conformation
Equine conformation evaluates the degree of correctness of a horse's bone structure, musculature, and its body proportions in relation to each other. Undesirable conformation can limit the ability to perform a specific task. Although there are several universal "faults," a horse's conformation is...
, both breeds have a solid common base, and similar roots. One type is not considered inherently superior to the other.
In order to unite political factions and create a new Stud Book, the breeders counted on the political prestige and technical expertise of professor Geraldo Carneiro. Dr. Geraldo, a veterinarian and zoologist, was a friend and neighbor of the governor of Minas Gerais and future president of Brazil, Juscelino Kubitschek
Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira
Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira , known also by his initials JK, was a prominent Brazilian politician of gypsy Czech origin who was President of Brazil from 1956 to 1961. He was born in Diamantina, Minas Gerais, and died in 1976...
. His contacts and skills permitted him to preserve the original Marchador Horse, by means of founding a new association. There was a meeting called by a group of breeders in Hotel Gloria, in the city of Caxambu. Among those present was Dr. Joaquim Fernandes Braga, superintendent of the Animal Production Department of the state of Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
, Secretary of Agriculture, Industry, Trade and Labor. There were also personnel from the federal Ministry of Agriculture, making clear the interest and focus demonstrated by higher authorities. In this preliminary meeting, the Writs of Intention were signed by 22 major figures representing public workers, technicians and breeders.
The breed today
With more than 350,000 horses registered, the ABCCMM Brazilian Mangalarga Marchador National Association is the biggest registry office of any type in Minas Gerais state of Brazil.The MMHAA was the first USA breed registry, founded in 2000 and began importing foundation Mangalarga Marchador horses beginning 2001. That breed registry and association did not succeed. Subsequently, the ABCCMM affiliate association, the US Mangalarga Marchador association (USMMA) was created in 2004. This is the official registry of horses born in North America, with some horses maintaining dual registration with the Brazilian ABCCMM.
With around two hundred foundation Mangalarga Marchador horses in the United States, they have been featured on Horse Talk TV, appeared in the 2002 Tournament of Roses Parade
Tournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
, performed at the Fiesta of the Spanish Horse, Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, Equine Affaire in Pomona
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
, Southern National Exposition in Perry, Georgia
Perry, Georgia
Perry is a city in Houston county in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Warner Robins, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,600 at the 2000 census. This town is the county seat of Houston County...
, and Equitana
Equitana
Equitana is a trade fair organization for equestrian sports. This bi-annual trade fair first opened in 1972 in Essen, Germany, and holds events in Germany, the United States, and Australia.-Germany:The 2009 fair was held on 14–21 March at Essen fairground...
in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and many more venues. They are represented well in the sports of endurance, mounted archery and mounted shooting.
There are Marchador breeders and owners in many states, and in 2007, the breed was introduced to Canada.
Type
Middle sized; agile; strong and proportionate structures; vigorous and healthy; visually light expression in the appearance; fine, smooth skin; smooth, silky fur; active and docile temperament. The withers are prominent with a proportionate back. The chest is deep and the quarters are muscular. The croup is sloping and the shoulders are well conformed with sound legs and hard feet, all coat colours are accepted.Height
For males ideal is of 1.52 m, when there are admitted for the definite register at least 1.47 m and maxim of 1.57 m.For females ideal is of 1.46 m, when there are admitted for the definite register at least 1.40 m and maxim of 1.54 m.
Head
- Shape: triangular, well outlined, middle and harmonious, wide and flat forehead;
- Profile: right-lined in the forehead and of a straight profile.
- Eyes: remote and expressive, big, prominent, dark and living creatures, fine and flexible eyelids;
- Ears: averages, movable, parallel, quite introduced, directed up, of preference with the tips lightly turned for inside;
- Throat: it sets sail and quite definite;
- Mouth: of middle opening, fine, movable and firm lips;
- Nostrils: big, quite open and flexible;
- Throat Latch: wide and skinny.
Neck
Pyramidal shape, light form in general, proportional appearance, oblique, with strong musculature, presenting balance and flexibility, with harmonious insertions, being that of the body in the superior third of the chest. When light convexity is admitted, in males, in the dorsal edge - as expression of sexual secondary character - thinning, fine and silky manes.The Gait
Ambling
The term amble or ambling is used to describe a number of four-beat intermediate gaits of horses. All are faster than a walk but usually slower than a canter or gallop...
, known as a "march". with the feet moving alternately laterally and diagonally. Due to this, there are moments of triple support, or three hooves on the ground. The marcha batida is a movement when the feet are placed diagonally, while the marcha picada is when the feet are moved laterally and separately. The word picada in Portuguese means "light touch", and this gait is usually the smoother of the two, because the broken pace movement creates little vertical momentum. The picada is similar to the paso llano of the Peruvian Paso
Peruvian Paso
The Peruvian Paso or Peruvian Horse is a breed of light pleasure saddle horse known for its smooth ride. It is distinguished by a natural, four-beat, lateral gait called the paso llano.-History:...
breed. The word batida means "to hit", and is similar to the trocha gait performed by the Paso Fino
Paso Fino
The Paso Fino is a naturally gaited light horse breed dating back to horses imported to the Caribbean from Spain. Pasos are prized for their smooth, natural, four beat, lateral ambling gait and are used in many disciplines, but are especially popular for trail riding...
.
On level ground, when marching at a normal pace, the horse will overstep slightly; in other words, the tracks of the hind feet will cover or slightly pass the tracks of the front feet. The marcha is said by breed aficionados to be very comfortable to ride. The breed does not trot
Trot (horse gait)
The trot is a two-beat diagonal gait of the horse, where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time. There is a moment of suspension between each beat....
or pace, but instead moves from the marching gait straight into a canter.
External links
- Mangalarga Marchador article in Portuguese
- ABCCMM - Brazilian National Association
- http://usmarchador.com - US Mangalarga Marchador Association and Registry
- http://namarchador.org - US Mangalarga Marchador Association new website
- http://www.eamm.de - European Mangalarga Marchador Assocation