08/06/2025
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ (๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฎโ๐ญ๐ด๐ฌ๐ฌ) ๐๐ฟ๐ฆ Did you know? The first horses to arrive at the Cape of Good Hope came from Java in 1653โlikely of ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐!โจ
โ When Jan van Riebeeck landed at Table Bay in 1652, there were no horses, no roads, and barely any transport options. Soon, the Dutch realised that horsesโfast, agile, and enduringโwere essential for exploration, farming, and military work.
๐ By 1655, Van Riebeeck had six Javanese ponies, small but incredibly tough. Though originally met with disappointment, they quickly proved themselves with their sure-footedness and staminaโtraits typical of Arabian bloodlines.
๐ In fact, historical records, including those from the famed traveller Ibn Battuta and 19th-century horse experts, suggest these ponies were likely descended from ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐.
๐ช Arabian influence in South African horse history runs deepโfrom Persia to the Cape and even to early exports to Australia. These oriental-blooded horses laid the foundation for what we know today as Cape Horses or Colonial Horsesโresilient, versatile, and noble in spirit.
๐ Follow us as we uncover more chapters in the ๐๐ป๐๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒโ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฆโจ
