The history of horses in Cameroon is linked above all to the traditional presence of this animal in the northern regions of the country, around Lake Chad from the 16th century, then in Adamawa, as well as in the Garoua and Maroua regions. Traditional equestrian practices in Cameroon, such as horse parades and horse dances (linked to customary ceremonies in the north), have more recently been joined by equestrian activities, under the influence of Western expatriates and investors (supported by the creation of urban riding halls), notably in Yaoundé since the 1990s. The main use of horses in Cameroon is in agriculture and transport fields.
Cameroon bred around 16,000 to 18,000 horses at the beginning of the 21st century, belonging to the Logone, Dongola, Barb, Arabian and Thoroughbred breeds, or more frequently to out-crosses between them. Lack of grazing land is the main obstacle to this type of breeding. Northern Cameroonian culture (particularly that of the Fulani and Kotoko people) gives great importance to horses, a prestigious animal with a reputation for protection. However, customary ceremonies such as the fantasia are threatened with extinction.
History
Pre-colonial period
As in other regions of sub-Saharan Africa, the presence of horses in present-day Cameroon probably originated in the North, via trans-Saharan migrations aimed at settling or militarily conquering regions with more favorable biotopes. Horses were present in the Lake Chad region around the year 800, as attested by the settlement of the Sayfawa Saharan nomads in Kanem. In the 16th century, Muslim nomads and horse riders also settled in the region. Nonetheless, horse-breeding probably remained rare, due to the presence of the tsetse fly, which led to high horse mortality. However, a few breeds, such as the Logone pony, were able to withstand it thanks to progressive natural selection. The empire of Kanem-Bornu, which extends partly into northern Cameroon, probably made extensive use of horses for military purposes. According to ethnologist Christian Seignobos, the use of a pony resistant to African trypanosomiasis may have declined as early as the 15th century, in favor of the larger Barb and Dongola breeds, in parallel with the Islamization of these royal dynasties.
According to Christian Seignobos, the Logone pony became indigenous to northwest Cameroon, thanks in particular to its trypano resistance. By the 18th century, it was present from the Logone River to Adamawa. Their breeding traditions, based on a hunting and raiding economy, remained intact until the 1980s, although the rituals surrounding the birth and socialization of a pony gradually disintegrated from the late 19th century onwards. The Batas are reputed to have possessed a large cavalry of these ponies, before abandoning the land to concentrate on the river. The Cambas, also horse riders, took the Tikar plain, Bamum country and the Grassfields at the end of the 18th century, before giving way to the Fulani conquest, which stopped further north. Horse-riding tribes (of various ethnicities, including the Mandaras) settled in the Mandara Mountains, and in the 18th and 19th centuries became small predatory chiefdoms, thanks in part to the use of the pony. The Logone pony disappeared from the open plains in the 19th century.
The Yillaga Fulani probably adopted riding on local ponies in North Cameroon in the 18th century to guard their cattle herds, before creating full-fledged military cavalries. The establishment of Muslim Fulani lamidats was accompanied by the purchase of Barb and Dongola stallions from outside the region, and the creation of small stud farms. At the beginning of the 19th century, the chiefs of Bornou and Mandara, aware of the superiority of the horse over Fulani people, attempted to prohibit their sale and possession shortly after the launch of the jihad, under capital punishment. Fulani people changed suppliers, trading horses and slaves with the Hausa people. Owning horses gave them great mobility, and therefore a clear advantage over other populations in the region.
The colonial period
German and French colonizers were quick to show their interest in Cameroon's local horses. The Germans set up a military mare farm in Pitoa; the French also integrated Cameroonian horses into their military columns.
In 1918, Captain J. Lemoigne described the horses of the Choas and Fulani people in northern Cameroon as Dongola crossed with Arabian. In 1926, the French colonial administration in Douala described "a few dozen horses brought by Hausa peddlers or bought in the North for the military administration". About a hundred horses are counted in the Dschang district, owned by the Sultan of Foulbam and customary chiefs. Around 500 horses are counted in the Ngaoundéré region; the report also notes that horse breeding in Cameroon is mainly confined to the Garoua and Maroua regions. In the 1930s, Captain Charles Vallin proposed distributing mounts to mountain Kirdis to encourage traditional chiefs to meet him.
In 1952, shortly before Cameroon's independence, interest in the horse remained strong among the Muslim populations of the north.
Since independence
When Cameroon gained independence in January 1960, Ahmadou Ahidjo (Cameroon's first president) organized a fantasia in his native Garoua: the lamibé (traditional chiefs of Fulani origin) and their riders paraded on richly harnessed horses. A mounted presidential escort unit was created in 1963 in Maroua. From then on, there was a major cultural difference between the north of Cameroon, which remained traditional and very close to the African customs of Chad and Nigeria, and the very westernized south.
In 1985 the Barba-Musey of the Gobo region owned between 6 000 and 6 500 ponies. In 1987, a mission of The French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD by its acronym in French) to support the development of saddle horse breeding in Cameroon published a report. Horse-racing betting developed, with the creation of the Pari mutuel urbain camerounais (Cameroon's Pari Mutuel Urbain, PMUC by its acronym in French) in 1992, by two Corsican entrepreneurs close to Charles Pasqua. A memorandum of understanding was signed on 11 November 1993 and a concession contract on 16 June 1994, with the aim of diversifying equestrian activities. The Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA by its acronym in French) and the PMUC set up a "Racing and Horse Breeding Fund".
In 1991 the "red cotton disease" (MCR by its acronym in French) in the Bénoué region led to the impoverishment of farmers who, were no longer able to pay for Vaccinations for their draft oxen, gradually replaced them by trypano-resistant ponies, less expensive to buy, or donkeys.
In January 2001 a fantasia was organized in Garoua for the visit of French President Jacques Chirac, with horses that had the French and Cameroonian flags as caparisons and horse riders brandishing assegais. The Cameroon Equestrian Sports Federation (FECASE by its acronym in French) was created in August 2002. In 2006, the cost of buying a horse in Cameroon can range from 100 000 Central African CFA francs to several million.
In the 2010s (particularly in 2015) the Lake Chad region suffered horseback attacks by members of the Boko Haram terrorist group, notably in the Bornou region, with these attacks being fought by the Cameroonian military. In July 2017, the first edition of the Festi Ramadan in Gashiga featured a parade of four groups of warriors on their horses, and a fantasia, with the aim of pacifying the region.
Usage
Horses are used for work, pleasure, and prestige. Equestrian parades, horseback riding and racing have developed, leading to a parallel development of equestrian professions in urban and rural areas. Equestrian sports are managed by FECASE. The mounted presidential escort unit is responsible for the President's security, escorting important personalities, taking part in military honor ceremonies, maintaining order and guarding public squares.
In three-quarters of cases, the horse tack is purchased locally or handcrafted by its owner, often using recycled materials (tires, plastic, inner tubes, etc.). Farriery is rare, as the horseshoes used are usually imported. In contrast, most owners use the services of a saddler. However, there is no organized training for equestrian professions.
Work, transport and agricultural traction The main use of horses in Cameroon is as an aid to work. The majority of horse users are illiterate. Owner-breeders in the north of the country use horses to drive cattle, sheep and goats, and consider horse ownership a sign of wealth or nobility. Horse-drawn vehicles are mainly used in rural areas of the country. Horses are used for agricultural work and water drainage. Cotton cultivation in northern Cameroon has always relied on animal traction: bovine traction from 1950 onwards, asinine traction from 1980 onwards, then horse traction from the 1990s: in 1995, the number of horses used in cotton cultivation was estimated at 2 000, compared with 37 000 pairs of oxen and 14 000 donkeys. Horses are used to transport agricultural inputs and produce from the production phase through to marketing.
In urban areas the use of animal traction, although less frequent, persists due to the cost of motorized vehicles and fuel. Horses are used to transport a variety of goods, such as building materials, as well as people, by carriage or horse-drawn carriage. This personal transport activity provides a livelihood for entire families. In 2006, around 4.7% of Cameroonian horse owners owned a horse-drawn carriage, usually purchased from a local blacksmith.
Customary ceremonies
Fantasias are organized only in the Sahelian part of northern Cameroon, which is much less influenced by European colonization. In this region, horses belong to religious chiefs, who use them as a symbol of their authority. These lamidats are controlled by the lamibé, Muslim customary chiefs, who demonstrate their power by organizing fantasias, on the occasion of festivals or to welcome an important guest. They sing the lamido's praises and enhance their lineage. The lamidat of Demsa is said to be particularly renowned for its fantasias.
“Dance horses", known as djirou, are bred and trained for the sole purpose of performing choreography at customary ceremonies.
Riding sport
The riding sport sector is well developed in Cameroon, and much appreciated by the local population. Horse races are held quarterly in Maroua, Garoua, Koumbo and Kousséri, with competitions on the occasion of Cameroon's national day in the country's northern regions. These races are organized in categories by breed, age and size. Local owners of wealthy horses can enter them in races. It is not uncommon for the same person to be both jockey and horse trainer.
The PMUC manages horse betting throughout Cameroon. It distributes a free newspaper called Le Turf. In 2009, betting in Cameroon was worth 2.9 million Central African CFA francs, the equivalent of 45 million Euros. The PMUC is one of the country's leading private employers. French management of the company has revived controversies linked to the presence of former colonizers and the exploitation of Cameroonian workers by France: during riots in February 2008, 800 PMUC stands were damaged throughout Cameroon. Horse betting has also led to the development of parallel betting networks, and has driven Cameroonian families into debt and ruin.
At the 5th edition of the Fombina Derby International Horse Racing Tournament held in Yola, Nigeria, in 2016, Cameroonian horses qualified for the final. The Coupe du Cameroun des courses hippiques (CAMGALOP) was held on 9 May 2018 in Maroua.
Equestrian sports and pleasure riding