“The Purebred Menorca Horse is noble, good-natured and obedient”
General characteristics
The Menorca Horse is a medium sized horse, with a sub convex to straight profile. It has got a slender figure with thin and long limbs, and correct leg soundness. Its form is strong and resistant. Females are more slender than males, with a longer head and body, a slimmer and finer neck, and squarer croup. The minimum height at withers for males is 1.54 meters and 1.51 meters for females.
The head
The head is medium sized, long, gaunt and with a sub convex to straight profile. The ears are of average proportion and are narrow and with lightly convergent tips. The horse has got black round eyes, projecting socket and a bright look. The nostrils are oblique, wide and open. It has a square muzzle and an open cheek.
The neck
The neck is of average length and tends to be long and muscular, the upper edge is softly arched and it has a good, shallow seeting with the head and the body. It has a generous mane with strong hair.
The body
It has a long body, with discreetly arched ribs. The withers are long and tall. The back is of average length and muscular. The back-lumbar line is straight, rising to the backbones. The hindquarters of the horse are gently inclined and longer than it is wide. The root of the tail is low. The chest is well-proportioned. The belly is tight. The flanks are firm.
The limbs
The forelimbs are tall and all their radii long. The shoulder is long and oblique with intricate joints. It has long arm and forearm, and a lean, ample and long knee. The cannon bones are long, and its pasterns have good inclination and adequate length. The hooves are pigmented, solid and in proportion.
On the hindlimbs, the thigh and buttock are lightly muscled in proportion to the body. The legs are long, the hocks are broad, open and wide from the front to the back. The regions under tarsians joints have the same characteristics as the forelimbs.
Other features
Phaneroptic characteristics: black and uniform coat colour. Small white marks are permitted on the head (star) and limbs with elimination criteria.
Physiological or functional characteristics: They are horses of fluent, regular, slow and swinging gaits with easy extensions.
Aptitudes: It is an excellent saddle horse suitable for all types of riders. It is able to adapt itself to different types of dressage with satisfactory resuls. It adapts well to advanced schooling. It is also useful for light harnessing.
Defects: The following characteristics will be considered disqualifying faults in this breed:
- All the coat colours different to black
- Height at withers less than 1.54 in males and 1.51 in females
- Presence of sagging neck
- Cryptorchidism
- Monorchism (non accidental)
