Criollo

Bred up on the grasslands of Argentina and nearby parts of South America, the Criollo is a medium-sized, compact and muscular stock horse shaped by centuries of station work on open country. What stands out about the breed is its stamina, sound feet, and a level nature that doesn't fade after a long day's work.

The breed's ancestors are horses the Spanish brought over to the Americas in the sixteenth century. Plenty of those animals ended up running wild, surviving generation after generation on rough, unforgiving land. That history is what shaped a horse that's tough and asks very little in the way of upkeep. Breeders today still select for that same hardiness, along with a quiet, willing nature.

These days you'll find the Criollo mustering cattle, out on the trails, competing in endurance events, or simply working as an all-round saddle horse. It's the traditional mount of the Argentine gaucho, and while it now turns up in long-distance competition too, it's a working horse through and through.

Who it suits

A sound, budget-friendly horse for station work, trail riding or endurance - that's what the Criollo offers an owner. It's calm and self-sufficient enough to be straightforward to handle, but its drive to work needs an owner who'll actually keep it busy. Rough ground and inconsistent feed don't faze it, and it gets by on far less looking-after than most warmblood breeds need.

It all starts with horses that Spanish colonists brought over in the early 1500s. Iberian stock landed near the Rio de la Plata, and some of those animals got loose or were simply let go onto the open plains covering what's now Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.

For roughly three centuries after that, these horses lived a semi-wild existence out on the pampas. Brutal winters, drought, predators and thin pickings for feed weeded out anything that wasn't tough enough, leaving behind a small, hardy, disease-resistant population. That's really where the Criollo's toughness and easy-keeping nature come from - three hundred years of nature doing the selecting.

Getting into the late 1800s and early 1900s, Argentine breeders started formalising things - organising the type into a proper recognised breed and keeping pedigree records. From there, selection aimed at producing a consistent stock horse fit for gaucho cattle work, all while hanging onto that hard-earned stamina.

Word of the breed's endurance spread through long-distance rides that showed just how far a Criollo could go on almost nothing. That's the reputation - covering huge distances on minimal feed - that still defines how people think about and use the breed.

Height isn't the point with a Criollo - it's built compact and well-muscled for work. Expect a short, strong back, deep girth, sloping shoulders and a broad chest. The legs are clean with dense bone underneath, and the hooves are hard and well shaped - a quality that's mattered for generations when it comes to staying sound on rough ground. The head runs moderate in length, with a profile that's either straight or slightly convex.

Coat and colours

Dun is practically the signature colour of this breed, frequently turning up with primitive markings like a dorsal stripe and barring on the legs. You'll also see grullo, bay, chestnut, roan and palomino. Short and dense, the coat handles cold, wind and sun without much trouble - no surprise given the breed grew up out on exposed range country.

A level head is what the Criollo is known for. Situations that would rattle a more highly strung horse barely register with this breed - which goes a long way to explaining why the gaucho picked it as a working mount. Give it a task it understands and it'll work hard and willingly, generally without burning more energy than the job actually needs.

Around handlers, particularly with regular work, the Criollo turns cooperative and people-focused - though there's an independent streak underneath that means it'll happily think for itself. On long rides through open country, or during cattle work where a horse has to judge its own footing and react without being told every step, that self-reliance turns into a real advantage.

Most Criollos settle in fine alongside other horses and take new places in their stride. Strangers tend to get a quiet, watchful reception rather than nervous energy. It's a temperament that suits plenty of different riders, though the breed does its best work when there's consistent handling and an actual job on the go.

Grooming

• Give the short, dense coat a brush a few times weekly to clear out dirt and loose hair - step this up during seasonal shedding.
• Pick hooves out daily, and always before and after riding, checking for stones, cracks or thrush along the way.
• Book the farrier every 6 to 8 weeks; those hard feet the breed's known for often cope fine without shoes.
• Give the eyes, nostrils and dock a wipe when needed, and check the skin over for cuts after working rough terrain.

Exercise

• Get this working breed out into the paddock daily and give it regular ridden or ground work - it does noticeably better with a job to do.
• Build fitness gradually for endurance work and long trail rides, which play right into what this breed does best.
• Keep the work varied - an independent-minded horse like this needs mental stimulation, not just physical.
• Build in recovery days after anything demanding, particularly for older horses.

Environment

Heat, cold, patchy feed - the Criollo copes with all of it better than most breeds manage. Pasture access paired with shelter from wind and sun suits it well. A settled temperament also gets a boost from solid fencing and having other horses around for company.

Having evolved on thin range country, the Criollo makes very efficient use of whatever feed it gets - most individuals hold their condition on nothing more than quality forage. Build the diet around grass or hay first, and only bring in concentrates for horses doing hard work or with extra needs. Clean water and free-choice salt need to be available at all times, and forage should always form the bulk of what the horse eats each day to keep digestion working properly.

Treats and supplements

Small amounts of carrot or apple work fine as treats. A Criollo eating good forage generally needs nothing beyond salt and clean water, though what's in the local soil might call for particular minerals - get advice from a vet or nutritionist rather than just adding supplements as a matter of course.

Long stretches of natural selection on harsh terrain left the Criollo a sound, tough breed, and with decent management it commonly reaches 25 to 30 years old. There's no lengthy list of inherited conditions tied to the breed - the health issues that crop up are generally the ordinary ones any horse can get, not breed-specific faults. Hard feet and an efficient metabolism work in the breed's favour health-wise, though that same easy-keeping trait creates its own risk if feeding isn't kept under control.

Preventive care

• Book a yearly vet check plus whatever vaccinations suit the local area.
• Get teeth checked at least annually - more often once the horse is a senior.
• Keep up hoof care every 6 to 8 weeks.
• Run faecal testing and follow a targeted worming plan built around it.
• Score body condition regularly to spot weight gain before it becomes a problem.

Hand this horse to an experienced or confident handler and it trains up well. It's a quick study, and being naturally calm means it's unlikely to blow up during early schooling. That same independent streak that makes it so useful out on the range also means clear, consistent cues get better results than constant nagging or correction. Once a Criollo has a job figured out, it tends to just get on with it - reliably, and without much drama.

Basics

1. Start with groundwork - leading, standing still, and getting comfortable being handled all over.
2. Bring in tack and saddling gradually, keeping early sessions calm and short.
3. Teach go, stop and turn at the walk before pushing on to faster paces.
4. Build up fitness and exposure to different terrain to prepare for trail and endurance work.
5. Once the horse is settled under saddle, introduce cattle work or whatever specific job it's headed for.

Breeding maturity in Criollos lines up with other horse breeds generally, though a lot of breeders hold off on heavy work or breeding until a horse has physically finished maturing. Depending on the programme, mating happens either by natural cover or artificial insemination. Pregnancy runs about 11 months, and it's almost always a single foal - twins are uncommon and generally not wanted, since they push up the risk for both mare and foals.

Most foals are up and nursing within a few hours of being born, and weaning typically happens somewhere between four and six months. The breed's toughness shows itself early on, and young stock is often raised with plenty of turnout so bone and feet develop properly. What breeders are selecting for lines up with everything the Criollo is known for - a tough constitution, good feet, stamina, and a calm, workable temperament.