Criollo Horse

Origin: South America.

Height: 13.3-15hh.

Color: Preferred color dun with dark points, a dorsal stripe, a dark snippet-oil withers, and slight zebra stripes on legs. Usually, there are white markings on the legs and face. Other common colors include red and blue roan, liver chestnut, palomino, and mixed colors such as blue and white. Chestnut, gray, black, and bay are also seen.

Character: Immensely tough, willing, and possessing outstanding endurance.

Physique: Compact, sturdy, handsome animal. Head short and broad, tapering to a fine, pointed muzzle, straight face with wide-set, expressive-ayes, short pricked ears. Muscular neck set on a deep, strong shoulder with a broad chest. Back short with well-sprung ribs and powerful loins. Rounded, muscular hindquarters. Legs short with excellent bone, short pasterns, hard feet.

The truth is America produces one of the hardiest breeds of horse in the world -little Criollo, the amount of the gauchos of the great stock ranges of the centralist of the continent. It appears, with slight variations in height and refinement of type, as the Criollo of Argentina and Uruguay, the Crioulo ofBrazil, the Casten and Morochuco types of Peru, the Cabello Chileno ofChile and the Llanero of Venezuela. Though some of the forenamed types are by now pretty well distinct from the basic Criollo type, all are descended from the same Spanish stock imported by the Conquistadors in the 16th century.

Refinements in the breed are due to variations in temperature and quality of pastureland, to being reared on the hills or in the plains, and to selective breeding for particular qualities according to the local requirements.

The basic blood is Andalusian, Barb, and Arab; the smallness and tough-ness are due to some 300 years of rigorous natural selection during which herds of Criollos ran wild or semi-wild on the plains; and the curious range of sandy and dun colorings, unique in the Criollo, is held by many to have evolved as protective coloring in the wild.

In Argentina especially people take great pride in the Criollo’s endurance, and stamina tests are held to select the best for breeding. An annual ride is conducted by breeders in which the horses must cover 470 miles in 15 days carrying 17 stone (2421b), with nothing to eat or drink along the way except such food as they can find for themselves during their periods of rest.

See more: Comtois Horse