The Galiceno is a horse breed developed in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, bred from horses brought from Spain by Hernán Cortés and other conquistadors. Although small in stature, they are generally considered a horse, rather than a

pony A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...

, and are always solid-colored. In Mexico, they are an all-around horse, used for riding, packing and light draft. In the United States they are often used as mounts for younger competitors, although they are also found competing in

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

events. The breed descends from horses brought from Spain to Mexico during the 16th century. Many of these horses escaped or were released and formed

feral A feral () animal or plant is one that lives in the wild but is descended from domesticated individuals. As with an introduced species, the introduction of feral animals or plants to non-native regions may disrupt ecosystems and has, in some ...

bands in the interior of Mexico, which were then captured by local inhabitants. They were also often used by Spanish missionaries to the American West, where they became some of the ancestors of the

American Indian Horse The American Indian Horse is defined by its breed registry as a horse that may carry the ancestry of the Spanish Barb, Arabian, Mustang, or "Foundation" Appaloosa. It is the descendant of horses originally brought to the Americas by the Sp ...

. In 1958, these horses were first imported to the United States, and in 1959 a

breed registry A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeder ...

was formed. Many of the horses are also registered with the American Indian Horse Registry.

Characteristics

The Galiceno stands between high, and weigh between . They are usually bay,

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

, or chestnut, while

pinto Pinto is a Portuguese language, Portuguese, Spanish language, Spanish, Sephardi Jews, Jewish (Sephardic), and Italian language, Italian surname. It is a high-frequency surname in all List of countries and territories where Portuguese is an officia ...

colorings are not allowed by the United States registry. They have a nicely proportioned head with a straight profile. The neck is short and muscular. The breed is narrow in the chest, though deep, the shoulders are straight, and the withers pronounced. The back is short, the croup sloping, and the legs long and strong, with small hooves. The breed has good stamina, and a fast, ground-covering, running-walk gait, which is said to be smooth and comfortable to ride. They are strong, able to carry a person all day in heat and over rough terrain, despite their small size. The Galiceno is used in Mexico as a riding and pack pony, as well as for light draft and farm work. In the United States they are used as a riding pony for children, and has proved to be a good jumper for younger competitors. Their quickness and agility make them a good cutting horse, and also good for reining classes and timed events. The breed takes its name from the province of Galicia in Spain.

History

The Galiceno developed in

from horses imported by Hernán Cortés, mostly thought to be Portuguese

Garrano The Garrano is an endangered breed of pony from northern Portugal, part of the Iberian horse family, mainly used as a pack horse, for riding, and for light farm work. An ancient breed, the Garrano has remained largely unchanged for thousands ...

and the

Galician Pony , country= Spain , group1= , std1= The Galician or Galician Mountain Horse, es, , gl, , is a breed of small horse from Galicia, in north-western Spain. It is genetically very close to the Garrano breed of northern Portugal. It was in t ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is thought that

Sorraia The Sorraia is a rare breed of horse indigenous to the portion of the Iberian peninsula, in the Sorraia River basin, in Portugal. The Sorraia is known for its primitive features, including a convex profile and dun coloring with primitive mark ...

blood was added at some point in the breed's history. The ancestors of the Galiceno were among sixteen horses landed by Cortes during his Mexican invasion in 1519 for use in the mines and as transport. During the rest of the 16th century, conquistadors continued to bring horses into what is now Mexico, including many small-framed, smooth-gaited horses. Many of these horses eventually escaped or were released and formed

bands in Mexico's mountainous interior. Over the next few centuries, local inhabitants began to catch and use horses from the increasing populations; the type that eventually became the Galiceno was especially prized in coastal regions. Galicenos were used by Spaniards in silver mines and as pack horses; in the latter role they moved further northward with the

Spanish missions The Spanish missions in the Americas were Catholic missions established by the Spanish Empire during the 16th to 19th centuries in the period of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. These missions were scattered throughout the entirety of ...

and were sometimes lost in battle or stolen by Indians. These horses eventually became part of the

Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once- domesticated animals, the ...

herds of the American West, as well as playing a role in the ancestry of the

. The first Galicenos intentionally imported to the United States came in 1958 as part of a herd of 135 horses, many or all of them previously feral Mexican horses. In 1959, the Galiceño Horse Breeders Association was formed in the United States to maintain the breed; and by 2005 had registered about 7,000 horses throughout North America, with around 20 new foals registered each year. Some Galicenos are also registered with the American Indian Horse registry, which is dedicated to preserving the lines of horses bred by the Native Americans of the United States. DNA testing carried out on Galiceno horses in the United States, including one of the original horses brought out of Mexico, has found markers similar to those in other known Spanish populations. Recent studies at Texas A&M have shown that the Galicenos are closest to the Garranos of Portugal and Spain. In 2015, the breed was added to

The Livestock Conservancy The Livestock Conservancy, formerly known as the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) and prior to that, the American Minor Breeds Conservancy, is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting rare breeds, also known as "h ...

's (TLC) Conservation Priority List as "Critical", TLC estimates the US population to stand at between 200 and 300 animals, with a very low population of active breeding stock.

References

{{Equine, state=collapsed Horse breeds originating in Mexico Horse breeds Conservation Priority Breeds of the Livestock Conservancy