Great Abaco, Bahamas...Once, they were a mighty herd, perhaps 200 strong: pinto, bay and roan horses rippling through thousands of acres of pine forest. They were as free as the sea winds that blew across the island they had conquered.
Their origins remained unclear until 1998. It was thought that some of their ancestors came from domestic animals brought by English Loyalists who abandoned North America during the American Revolution. When some of the colonizing attempts failed, the horses were turned loose and left behind.
Others were thought to have come with the logging operations that cleared Wilson city in the south of Great Abaco and Norman's Castle in the north. And these logging horses may have come from Cuba. When the logging company clear-cut itself into oblivion, the horses were abandoned.
In 1998 it was discovered that the horses probably are Spanish Barbs. Pending DNA testing, it is 99% certain that they are genetically pure - having been 'untampered' with for over 250 years.
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