Garrano Breed                                                                                                                                                

Ancient presence in Portugal, the Garrano horse is an integral element of the high mountains of Minho. 

The discovery in 1867, traces the Eohippus - the oldest direct ancestor of the horse today, 65 million years - allowed to draw a direct evolutionary history until the first copies appeared Equus caballus about 1 million years.

During the Middle Paleolithic prehistoric life was dramatically changed by the cooling caused by the occurrence of glaciations. In particular during the last glaciation (Würm), the fauna then existing was compelled to several migrations.

Some animal species have followed the advance and retreat of glaciers on the European continent, such as reindeer. The ponies in northern Europe would be originating from equidae that have also followed this dynamic population.

Other horses headed for southern Europe in search of a more benign environment.

These phenomena geographic modeling involved only small areas within what is now Portugal. In Spain there was little local glaciations in the Cantabrian range and the mountains Astur-Leonese. Thus, it was possible that a group of horses if he had settled on the peninsula Ibérica.

It is this core that descends the current breed.

The Garrano is therefore a horse native on Peninsula since Quaternário period.the horses appear represented as little portly, with the ends of short, thick coat and head profile straight or concave, a true picture pony of today.