‘Not just part of Portugal’s history but part of the world’s history’
The rare Garrano is an endangered breed of pony within the Iberian horse family from northern Portugal mainly used as a pack horse, and for light farm work.
Members of this emblematic breed are usually dark chestnut in colour, with a straight facial profile and stand on average 1.35 metres. In the 1940s there were over 40,000 Garranos in Portugal. Current estimates put the total population at less than 2,000.
An exquisite, stocky species dating back to the Ancient Bronze Age and unchanged for thousands of years but in decline since the middle of the 20th century as farms were mechanised and horses replaced by tractors and cars.
‘A horse needs a function’, says Jose Leite, a vet and technical adviser of the Association of Garanno Horse Breeders (ACERG) in the Guardian. ‘The need for the horse as an agricultural tool has ended and its intensive breeding as well. The Association is trying to ensure the breed’s survival by highlighting its potential: it can pull buggies, do dressage and – because of its size – is an ideal horse for novice riders.
Garranos are well known for their hardiness, physical resilience and ability to thrive in harsh environments, making them perfect for living in the northern mountainous regions of Portugal.
Native to Minho and Trás-os-Montes, the pony is a herbivore that plays a fundamental role in the prevention of bushfires, consuming fuel material in large areas as it is tradition to release and breed the horses in semi-feral state. Some herds are even completely feral in nature reserves like the Peneda-Gerês National Park.
Obsolescence however is not the only threat to the Garranos. The mountains of northern Portugal are also home to Iberian wolves, comprising some 300 animals. Like the ponies, the wolves have been in the area since at least Roman times and protected since 1988.
Gerrano foals are easy picking for the wolves. The Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) – a state body that pays farmers whose livestock are killed by the carnivores – has launched a range of projects to support farmers in preventing wolf attacks, such as the use of traditional Portuguese livestock dogs and the building of fences.
But the Garrano breeders argue that neither measure is suited to roaming ponies and say the only sustainable solution would be the introduction of other animals for the wolves to eat, such as goats. In the meantime, many breeders are bringing their pregnant mares down from the mountains to raise their foals in safety.
Enjoy the week Aproveite a semana (pic Pixnorm)