Breed: Caballo de Monte de País Vasco
Synonyms: The Galician or Galician Mountain Horse, Spanish: Caballo de Pura Raza Gallega, Galician: Raza Equina Cabalo Galego do Monte
Species: Horse
Colour: black
Weight: 165–300 kg
Height: 120–140 cm
Country: Spain
History: The most commonly accepted theory of the origin of the Gallego is that it, like other small breeds of the northern part of the Iberian peninsula, descends from small dark-coloured horses introduced by Celtic immigrants in the sixth century BC. In the Middle Ages these horses were rented or swapped for other horses at the border between Galicia and Castile, since the Galician was more sturdy and suitable for the rugged landscape of the country. In the 1980s and 90s there was concern that the introduction of stallions of other breeds, with better meat-producing qualities, was placing at risk the original stock of Galician horses. The Xunta de Galicia published a conservation plan for the breed in 1993. A breed association, the Asociación Pura Raza Cabalo Galego, was formed in 1997, and in 1998 the breed was officially recognised and a stud-book established. The Gallego is regulated and protected by the Galician government, in an attempt to increase the numbers of the feral stock.