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Free as the wind: What kind of horse?

Nature


What kind of horse?

1612 The first horses came to Nova Scotia

1632 Horses brought to Acadia from France were a mixture of several breeds.

after 1680 These horses were interbred with stallions from the New England colonies.

1760 During the deportation of the Acadians, about 60 of their horses were shipped to Sable Island and became wild.


These are modern horses of the kinds known to have been sent to Sable Island
from 1801-1912 for breeding purposes

Horses (56k) Arabian Belgian Draught Horse Canadian Hunter Hackney Morgan Thoroughbred Spanish Mustang Sable Island horse

Click to see larger pictures of the horses

1801-1940s Sable horses were regularly rounded up and sold in Halifax, but prices were low. A variety of stallions were sent to breed with the wild horses, in hopes of increasing the price.

1960 Parliament under Prime Minister John Diefenbaker ruled that Sable's horses should be left alone.

Today Sable Island horses still look like the horses of the early Acadian settlers. They are rugged animals well suited to life on the island.

Arabian Belgian draught horse Canadian Hunter


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