Gayoe

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Gayoe
Jument Gayo.jpg
Country of origin Sumatra, Indonesia

The Gayoe (Indonesian: kuda Gayo) is a pony from the island of Sumatra, found near Aceh. [1] The name is derived from the Gayoe hills in the north of the island.

Contents

The Gayoe is one of the pony breeds native to Indonesia; the others are the Batak Pony, Deli pony, Bali Pony, Java Pony, Sumba and Sumbawa Pony (and closely related Sandalwood Pony) and Timor Pony. [2]

Characteristics

The Gayo belongs to the group of Southeast Asian ponies, [3] and within it, to the subgroup of Indonesian ponies. According to reference measurements by the FAO, the average height of females is 1.14 m (3 ft 9 in), and of males 1.18 m (3 ft 10 in). The CAB International book (2016 edition) reports an average height of 1.27 m (4 ft 2 in). [3]

This pony is not as lively as the Batak and has a heavier build, [4] [3] with small size caused by the lack of nutritional quality in local vegetation. [5]

The head is short and sturdy, [6] with long ears. The body is narrow, compact, and short, with a short neck, a half-circle-shaped belly, and a long, full tail.

The coat is solid and variable in color, but usually dark bay or bay-brown. According to CAB International, piebald is possible, [3] either black or bay piebald. Gray also exists. The Gayo has good reproductive characteristics. Its temperament is calm and stable. [6]

Similarities to Batak pony

The Gayo is not always distinguished from the Batak pony as a separate breed. Some authors consider it a variety of the Batak, [7] notably in the Delachaux guide. [8] W. Groeneveld (1916) considers the Batak and Gayo as two distinct varieties among the four he records on Sumatra. [9] John Crawfurd (1956) distinguishes two breeds on Sumatra, that of Aceh (the Gayo) and that of Batu Bara Regency. [10] The encyclopedia by Charles Evelyn Graham Hope and Noel Jackson treats the Gayo and Batak in a single article without distinction. [11] Other popular works cite it as a separate breed. [12] The FAO, CAB International, [3] and the University of Oklahoma study treat it as a separate breed, the latter noting that very little information is available on the Gayo. [4] The official position of the Indonesian government (2014) is to consider the Gayo a separate breed due to the uniformity of its physical form. [6]

Breed history

Gayo pony ridden in Aceh, 1927 COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM De heer G.G. Slotemaker te paard tussen de gewassen Pteris en Olifantsgras op een onderneming te Redelong Atjeh Noord-Sumatra TMnr 10012153 (cropped).jpg
Gayo pony ridden in Aceh, 1927

According to the DAD-IS database managed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), "Gayo" (in Indonesian) is the most common international name, specified as kuda Gayo, meaning "Gayo horse". "Gayoe" is the English name, and "Gaju" [3] (or Kaju [13] ) the Flemish name. The breed takes its name from the Gayo population living in northern Sumatra, in the interior highlands of Aceh province. [7]

The Gayo has no studbook. Its origin dates back to the 18th century. [6] It is primarily influenced by Mongolian horses, [6] and to a lesser extent, Persian and Arabian horses. [14]

This pony was long confused with the Batak and Minang breeds, erroneously under the name "Deli". [15] This confusion arises from the pony importation system via Dutch-flagged ships: animals from the East were unloaded at the port of the Deli Sultanate. [15] John Anderson visited several northern Sumatra ports between 1823 and 1825. [16] He reported the presence of horses in the Aceh region. The ports served as export points, with animals reaching other Indonesian regions in considerable numbers, according to him. [16] The breeding center on Sumatra seems to have shifted over time, with the Aceh region giving way to the Batak settlement area as the main export zone. [17]

In the early 20th century, Gayo pack ponies were reputed to be "small but very strong". [18] In 1997, a fairly accurate count reported to the FAO recorded 7,500 ponies, with a stable trend. A decree from the Indonesian Minister of Agriculture (number 1054 / Kpts / SR.120) dated October 2014 created a Gayo horse breeding nucleus to prevent the breed's extinction. [6]

Current status

The Gayo is classified as a local Indonesian horse breed, adapted to its biotope. It originates from Aceh in northern Sumatra, as well as the west of the island. The "Gayo" is listed in the Uppsala University study (2010) for the FAO as a local Asian breed not at risk of extinction. According to the FAO assessment in 2007, the breed "kuda-Gayo" was then "not at risk". An official 2014 count recorded only 1,656 ponies, placing the Gayo among endangered breeds. [19]

There is no specific conservation program. Gayo racehorses were celebrated on a stamp issued by the Indonesian government for the Chinese Year of the Horse in 2014. The breed is nationally recognized for its economic and cultural value. [6]

Uses

The Gayo is mainly used for transport, whether ridden, as a pack horse, or in harness. It can be used in working equitation or as a racehorse. More recently, it has become a tourist attraction. Finally, this pony is now popular as a mount for children. [3]

Horse races are regularly organized in the region since about 1930. [20] Their popularity increased after Indonesia's independence. [21] The most famous races are held in August to commemorate independence. The mounts are not purebred Gayo but crossbred horses from matings with Australian animals. [22] These races mainly take place from late August to mid-September and involve betting, despite being prohibited in the country. [23]

Its horse meat has long been consumed, northern Sumatra being a horse-eating region. Gayo pony meat is reputed to be particularly tender and juicy. [24]

See also

References

  1. ↑ FAO Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS), accessed December 8, 2007
  2. ↑ "Races de chevaux et d'équidés" Lexique du cheval! (Includes English section) Web page accessed December 8, 2007
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Porter (2016 , p. 468)
  4. 1 2 Hendricks, Bonnie Lou (2007). International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 71. ISBN   978-0-8061-3884-8.
  5. ↑ Clarence-Smith, William G. (July 1, 2004). "Elephants, horses, and the coming of Islam to Northern Sumatra". Indonesia and the Malay World. 32: 271–284. doi:10.1080/1363981042000320161. ISSN   1363-9811 . Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Kuda Gayo" (PDF) (in Indonesian). MENTERI PERTANIAN REPUBLIK INDONESIA. 2014. Archived from the original (pdf) on 28 March 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Bankoff, Greg; Swart, Sandra (2007). Breeding for Profit: Essays in the History of Animals. Brill. p. 172.
  8. ↑ Rousseau (2014 , p. 386)
  9. ↑ W. Groeneveldt (1916). "Het Paard in Nederlandsch-Indië; Hoe het is Ontstaan, Hoe het is en hoe het kan Worden'" [The Horse in the Dutch East Indies: How it Came to Be, How it Is, and How it Could Be]. Veeartsenijkundige Bladen voor Nederlandsch-Indië (in Dutch): 218.
  10. ↑ John Crawfurd (1956). A Descriptive Dictionary of the Indian Islands & Adjacent Countries. London: Bradbury & Evans. pp. 153–155.
  11. ↑ Graham, Charles; Jackson, Noel (1973). The encyclopedia of the horse. Viking Press. p. 162. ISBN   0-7207-0599-1. Q61467967.
  12. ↑ Caroline Ball (1994). Horse and Pony Breeds. Edison: Chartwell. p. 78.
  13. ↑ Porter (2002 , p. 185)
  14. ↑ Changho Park; Ahmad Junaedi; Mira Lee; Yeonhee Lee. "Biological Resources Potential and the Recent State of International Cooperation in Indonesia : Article : IBC". www.ibc7.org. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  15. 1 2 Clarence-Smith, William Gervase; Bankoff, Greg; Swart, Sandra (2007). "Southeast Asia and Southern Africa in the Maritime Horse Trade of the Indian Ocean, c. 1800–1914". Breeding for Profit: Essays in the History of Animals. Brill. p. 29.
  16. 1 2 Clarence-Smith, William Gervase; Bankoff, Greg; Swart, Sandra (2007). "Southeast Asia and Southern Africa in the Maritime Horse Trade of the Indian Ocean, c. 1800–1914". Breeding for Profit: Essays in the History of Animals. Brill. p. 36.
  17. ↑ Clarence-Smith, William Gervase; Bankoff, Greg; Swart, Sandra (2007). "Southeast Asia and Southern Africa in the Maritime Horse Trade of the Indian Ocean, c. 1800–1914". Breeding for Profit: Essays in the History of Animals. Brill. p. 48.
  18. ↑ Simon Lambertus Wal (2001). Kenang-kenangan Pangrehpraja Belanda 1920-1942 (in Indonesian). Djambatan. p. 322. ISBN   979-428-418-1.
  19. ↑ Rupak Khadka (2010). "Global Horse Population with respect to Breeds and Risk Status" (PDF). Uppsala: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science - Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics. p. 57 ; 67. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  20. ↑ Hotli Simanjuntak (November 8, 2010). "Horse racing in Aceh's Gayo". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 10 November 2010.
  21. ↑ lintasgayo.co. "[Foto] Pacuan Kuda Gayo di Babak Semifinal". Media Online Dataran Tinggi GAYO | lintasgayo.co (in Indonesian). Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  22. ↑ Djarum Apresiasi Budaya (2011). "Pacuan Kuda Tradisional Gayo - IndonesiaKaya.com". www.indonesiakaya.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  23. ↑ Abik, Hendri (October 9, 2018). "Betting Big at Aceh's Semi-Legal Horse Races". vice.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  24. ↑ Clarence-Smith, William Gervase (2004). "Horse Breeding in Mainland Southeast Asia and Its Borderlands". In Boomgaard, Peter; Henley, David (eds.). Smallholders and Stockbreeders : Histories of Foodcrop and Livestock Farming in Southeast Asia. Leiden: KITLV Press. pp. 189–210.

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