Spanish Breed Horses

The promise is a debt and, we are going to talk about the rest of the purebred Spanish horses that we can find in our country. In the first issue we talked about the best known and widespread, such as the Andalusian horse, the Carthusian or the Majorcan and Minorcan horses, among others.

Sorraia or Marismeño horse

The Marismeño horse is a variety of Spanish horses, native to the Doñana natural park. In some aspects it is considered a rustic variety of the Andalusian horse, so it may be an ancestor of the latter.

Experts claim that it is the last ancestor of the wild horses in this area. It is a rare breed and is officially recognized as an indigenous breed of the peninsula (found in parts of Spain and Portugal), in danger of extinction. It is characterized by its ability to adapt to environmental conditions, no matter how hostile the climate.

Morphologically, it is a short-lived animal, with an average height of 150 cm at the withers, a straight back and slightly sloping rump, and a sub-convex profile. The head has a long, convex profile, and its neck is also long and convex. The eyes are set high and its ears are large.

It has long, well-formed legs, and hard, well-proportioned hooves, generally dark in colour, which make it easy for it to move around in the wetlands. Both the tail, which is a little lower, and the mane, which is less thick and striking than that of the Andalusian Purebred, are normally of a two-tone light-dark colour.

They are intelligent horses, with an independent character and quick reactions, but calm and friendly, so they are very manageable. They have a great capacity for work and adaptation, and are courageous.

Purebred Galician Horse (PRG)

This is the name officially given to a subtype of the Cantabrian-Pyrenean breed of horse, which is small and recognised as the only indigenous horse breed in Galicia.

Currently there is a census of about 1,300 horses, thanks to a recovery and preservation program initiated to prevent their extinction, since at the end of the twentieth century their status was in danger of disappearance.

The most widespread and accepted theory on the origin of the Galician purebred horse states that it was the Celtic peoples who arrived in the north of the peninsula, who introduced the horse from the 7th century BC.

It is an animal with a strong rump, coarse hair and dark colour. Its head is not very big and its ears are short.

Originally they lived freely in the Galician mountains in groups or herds, but over time, it was domesticated to be used initially as a fighting animal, and later as a saddle for movement around the region and for rural work. And because of the characteristics of its meat, although to a lesser extent, it has been used to produce meat for consumption.

Las Retuertas Horse

According to some genetic studies, this type of Andalusian horse is considered to be the oldest surviving European breed. It is also the only horse on the peninsula that remains in a wild environment, isolated from other horse populations. Its traditional isolation has allowed the Retuertas to survive in the wild, making this wild breed one of the purest.

The Las Retuertas horse is a rustic-looking animal with an average height of between 158 and 162 cm. It has a horned profile (the front of the head is arched like that of a ram) and a black and brown coat (with a white spot on the face and shoes on one or both extremities), chestnut, bay (yellowish white) and chestnut (similar to cinnamon).

It is no longer used as a pack animal or a work animal because it is quite harsh. At present, the number of pure specimens in the wild is very small, although there are specimens crossed with marsh and Andalusian horses, a breed that we have already seen in the previous article in the chapter dedicated to Spanish horses.

Monchino Horse

The Monchino horse is a rustic breed that originated in the rugged areas of the eastern mountains of Cantabria, where it can still be found in the wild.

They are very appreciated for their character and courage and their fame has gone beyond our borders. It is used as a saddle animal, in sports competitions and also for the handling of wild cattle in the countryside.

The origin of the name Monchino is not known for sure, but there are those who associate the etymology of the word with montesino, from the mountains, or mountain, which alludes to the typography of the area where it lives.

Garrano horse

The Garrano is an ancient breed of horse that originated in Galicia and northern Portugal, where it is now found almost exclusively, to the detriment of the Spanish part. Some experts believe that this breed is the ancestor of the Galician Pony and the Andalusian horse and a subtype of the Cantabrian-Pyrenean breeds.

It is an intelligent animal, with a calm and well educated temperament, willing to learn, and easy to handle, which makes it ideal for use in riding, loading and light work on a farm. But it is also valid for general equestrian use, such as racing, or enduro riding.

It is a horse with a straight or slightly concave profile, with a wide and deep chest. Its head, although somewhat small, can be heavy due to its powerful bone structure, and it has large and lively eyes. The neck is straight and its tail and mane are quite abundant. The legs are long, solid and with powerful joints. Its hooves are strong and well-proportioned. The variety of its feet is