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The Galiceno pony breed was developed in
Mexico during the early 16th century from horses shipped to South America from
Cuba in 1519. The ponies are believed to have developed from the Galician pony
from Spain and the Garrano pony from Portugal, also owing a debt to the
Spanish Sorraia. The Galiceno is highly coveted in Mexico due to its excellent
qualities of soundness, toughness, endurance, and long-windedness.
This breed was not introduced to the United
States until 1958 and in the next year the Breeders' Association was formed to
maintain the breed. They are popular in Americas although their numbers remain
relatively small. The Galiceno is suitable for riding, pack and farm work, and
light draft work. They also make excellent riding ponies for children. They
are quick, highly athletic, biddable, and intelligent, and also exhibit great
stamina. Many of these ponies are noted for their peculiar, fast running walk,
which is a very smooth gait. This makes it very comfortable to ride; the
smoothness of their gait is probably due to their Spanish ancestry.
Due to their small size, these ponies are
often thought of only as children's ponies, although they have been used for
quite a number of years by the Mexican cowboys, and can easily carry a man all
day in the heat over rough terrain.
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