Portrait of a Barb mare in Fes
I love horses, don’t you? They are the most beautiful animal on earth to me. To watch a horse in motion, especially free motion, is thrilling.
One of my daughters is a veterinarian. When we visited Fes, the guide insisted that we visit the local Vet hospital.
It was run by an American doctor who had lived in Fes for many decades. He treated the local carter’s horses, mules and donkeys, using techniques that might have been used here in America about 50 years ago. The hospital was clean and it was obvious the animals were given tender, loving care.
Here is a beautiful Barb mare that, although thin, had been restored to good health. Her bright eye and inquisitive expression attests to that. The Barb are an ancient breed, one of the founding bloodlines of today’s Thoroughbred.
Berbers use them in a show called a Fantasia. Here Berber men dressed in white traditional costume, race their mounts across a short distance holding their muskets aloft. At the end of the dash, all men fire their guns and bring their mount to a sliding halt. Dramatic!