M'Bayar

History

The origins of the horse in Senegal are not documented. The M'Bayar may either be an autochthonous breed with ancient origins in the area, or may be a descendant of Barb horses from the Maghreb countries to the north. In the twentieth century the breed was influenced by Barb horses imported from Mali, Mauretania and Morocco; the pure-blood Arab and Anglo-Arab stock at the Centre de Recherches Zootechniques of Dahra have also had an influence.

In 1996, Senegal had a horse population of about head, the largest of any West African country. This was a substantial increase from the reported in 1978, and a much greater increase from the population after the Second World War, estimated at barely . The M'Bayar is the most numerous of the four Senegalese horse breeds.

In 2007 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations did not have data from which to estimate the conservation status of the M'Bayar breed.

The Foutanké or Fouta breed of Senegal derives from cross-breeding of M'Bayar mares with Fleuve stallions.

Characteristics

The M'Bayar is a small stocky horse, broad in the chest and short in the neck. The legs are strong, but often suffer from cow hocks and other conformational defects. The predominant coat colour is bay, but grey, roan and chestnut are also commonly seen. The M'Bayar is calm and docile, rustic, strong and enduring. Height at the withers varies from ; the average height of stallions and geldings is .

Use

Horses play an important part in the social and economic life in Senegal. The M'Bayar is used as a light draught horse, both for transport and for tillage. It is also used for horse-racing. Consumption of horse meat in Senegal is very low, for religious and cultural reasons, but some carcasses are sent to a specialised butcher's shop in Dakar.

References

References

1. Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200623201209/http://www.fao.org/3/a1250e/annexes/List%20of%20breeds%20documented%20in%20the%20Global%20Databank%20for%20Animal%20Genetic%20Resources/List_breeds.pdf List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources], annex to: [https://web.archive.org/web/20170110125634/http://www.fao.org/3/a-a1250e.pdf ''The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture'']. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. {{isbn. 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
2. 9781780647944.
3. [https://dadis-breed-datasheet-ws.firebaseapp.com/?country=SEN&specie=Horse&breed=M%27bayar&external=1&lang=en Breed data sheet: M'bayar / Senegal (Horse)]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2025.
4. J.-P. Dehoux, A. Dieng, A. Buldgen (1996). [https://web.archive.org/web/20250831165101/https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/e56d9a85-8d65-444d-a8c2-6231153383e1/content Le cheval Mbayar dans la partie centrale du bassin arachidier sénégalais] (in French). ''Animal Genetic Resources Information''. '''20''': 35–54. Archived 31 August 2025.
5. René Larrat (1947). [https://revues.cirad.fr/index.php/REMVT/article/view/6780 L'élevage du cheval au Sénégal] (in French). ''Revue d'élevage et de médecine vétérinaire des pays tropicaux''. '''1''' (4): 257–265. {{doi. 10.19182/remvt.6780.
6. Magatte Ndiaye (1978). [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052810/http://www.sist.sn/gsdl/collect/eismv/index/assoc/HASH0ff0.dir/TD78-15.pdf Contribution à l'étude de l'élevage du cheval au Sénégal] (doctoral thesis, in French). Ecole Inter-Etats des Sciences et Médecine Vétérinaires de Dakar. Archived 4 March 2016.
7. [Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles] (2003). [https://web.archive.org/web/20191101064005/http://www.fao.org:80/ag/AGAinfo/programmes/en/genetics/documents/Interlaken/countryreports/Senegal.pdf Rapport national sur l'état des ressources zoogénétiques au Sénégal] (in French); annex to: [https://web.archive.org/web/20170110125634/http://www.fao.org/3/a-a1250e.pdf ''The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture'']. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. {{isbn. 9789251057629. Archived 1 November 2019.