A Negro Page with Two Horses by Cuyp

Salvete omnes,
long time ago I took an upper level course in art history more or less titled The Art in the Age of Exploration, which was lots of amazing art and 'time-traveling,' so to speak. One of the painting shown during the study was the one below.
Here we have a painting of two fine animals - riding horses - held by a black African page or in the language of the era - a Negro page-, with his master and the second rider in the background, also there are two huntings dogs and popular cows; it is all set  in rather fantastic landscape, unless this is Italy  it was painted by Aelbert Cuyp, Dutch painter of the Golden Era, from the Windsor Castle collection, UK, circa 1652AD.
It is a beautiful painting, full of the famous Cup's golden glow.  I am attaching it for your enjoyment and study.

note the tack here, very interesting mid-XVII century western European horse tack

 In this piece in Guardian the author is making very tall claims , i.e, a portrait of the Barbary (Barb - or North African) horses with a skilled groom
Now, I am bewildered how he arrived at that conclusion??!!
Truly, I am baffled, as these two - bay and gray - look very much like quality hack/hackneys or riding horses from the northern Europe, with evident marks of the northern horses like the large, feathery hooves, long legs, wide chests, long necks, and not-too large heads and ears, taller at withers than in the croup, kind of weak in the loin etc - a sort of lower quality but still acceptable riding horses, for the manege and chase.  Horse that populate Dutch paintings of the Golden Era.
More Cuyp in the future, I hope
enjoy