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The Asturian, also known as the Galician, is an ancient
breed of pony originated from the Asturias region of Northern Spain. The
exact ancestry of the Asturian is not known, but it is thought to have
developed through crosses between the Sorraia of Spain and the Garrano of
Portugal, while also tracing back to the ancient Celtic Pony. These ponies
are hardy and frugal, being able to survive in areas where other horse and
pony breeds would perish. Over the years, the breed has faced possible and
imminent extinction.
Recently, however, their plight came to light and
societies were formed to help protect them. The Asturian Ponies have a quiet
and biddable temperament and are very useful for riding,
driving, pack, and
trekking. They tend to have a small, heavy head, a thin neck with an
abundant mane, low withers, a deep chest, straight shoulders, and sturdy
legs with strong joints and very hard hooves.
Generally they exhibit
straight backs with a rounded barrel and a sloping croup with a low set
tail. Usually they are
brown or
black in color with minimal white markings on
their face and legs. They usually stand between 11.2 and 12.2 hands high.
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