 In the 1920s and 1930s , as mechanization became more prevalent , both wild and domesticated breeding stock diminished to almost nothing , and d 'Andrade , along with his son Fernando , encouraged the conservation of the breed . In 1937 , d 'Andrade began a small herd of his own with five stallions and seven mares from horses obtained near <unk> , Portugal . All <unk> currently in captivity descend from these original horses obtained by d 'Andrade , and it is believed that the remnant wild herds of the breed died out soon after . These horses were kept in a habitat similar to their native one . In 1975 , two other farms took up the Sorraia 's cause and acquired small herds to help with conservation . In 1976 , three stallions and three mares were imported to Germany from Portugal to begin a sub @-@ population there . In March 2004 , a small breeding herd of Sorraia horses was released on the estate of a private land owner who dedicated a portion of his property so that these horses could live completely wild , as did their ancestors . The refuge created for them is in the Vale de <unk> region of south western Portugal , one of places so named because this is where the Sorraia 's predecessors dwelt . 
