by Gérard Barré, translated and adapted by C. Ganné 

The chosen mount of legendary Gauchos, the Criollo horse is the symbol of equestrian cultures in Latin America. This hardy little horse is exceptionally easy-handling. To invoke its name is to fuel dreams of adventure... 
Present in all of South America, the name given to the creole horse varies from country to country: Criollo in Argentina or Uruguay, Crioulo in Brazil, Costeño and Morochuco in Peru, Corralero in Chile and Llanero in Venezuela. 

The Horse of Conquistadors : Heritage 

The Criollo horse or breed, literally "creole", has no actual name of its own. It is the direct descendant of horses brought to the New World since the arrival of Columbus, imported by Spanish conquistadors during the 16th century and notably by Don Pedro Mendoza, founder of Buenos Aires, in 1535. Many of these war horses escaped or were abandoned, and rapidly returned to a more primal state in an environment perfect for their development, the Pampa. For the next four centuries, the Criollo breed adapted itself to the vast South American plains through the pitiless process of natural selection. This adaptation to the rude conditions of life on the Pampa was determined by selective factors acting on wild populations, which permitted them to develop qualities of physical hardiness and resistance to diseases.  
The indigenous people became riders upon contact with the Spanish military and colonialists, and began raising these horses in semi-liberty in the vast plains. Much as the Gauchos would later do, they transformed the horse into their mode of transportation, their hunting or working companion, their partner in games. Since then, the Criollo has always been a cattle working horse for the Gauchos or peones. 
Until the beginning of the 19th century, colonial Argentines also used these creole horses, taking what they needed from the wild herds roaming the Pampa. Later they began to import European horses, notably Percherons and Thoroughbreds, which they crossed with the creole. Because of its diminutive size, the indigenous horse of the Pampa was ill-appreciated, or even forgotten. 

Horse of the Legendary Gauchos 

To speak of the Criollo horse is to speak of the Gaucho, the Pampa and the difficult way of life it offered this rider. Rain or shine, he was always outside with his "recado", which doubled as saddle and bed. The horse is his indispensable accessory; it is said that a Gaucho without a horse was the same as a man without legs. All their daily activities (bathing, hunting, game playing ...) were accomplished from the back of a horse. 
The Gaucho made it a point of honor to choose the most difficult of horses in order to affirm his talent. The value of a man was determined by his qualities of horsemanship, and to demonstrate their abilities the Gauchos organized competitions to show off their valor and strength. For example, the "sortija" is a game which consisted of throwing a lance through a ring attached to a bar, held by two forks planted in the ground. Another game asked a participant to hold onto a corral gate where several wild horses were running, jump on the first one that came by and bring him back to the starting point. For hunting, Gauchos used both lassos and "boleadoras", a weapon borrowed from the Indians. The "boleadoras" are made of three leather braided cords, with a leather sack containing a large rock at the end of each. Thrown with precision, they wrap around the legs of the prey and bring it to the ground.  
The Gaucho is without a doubt the most well-known of all cultural symbols in Argentina. He incarnates the principal characteristics of Argentine mentality : pride, courage, honor and above all, a love of liberty, which he wouldn't trade for all the benefits brought from Europe to the new society in the 19th century. 

Solanet, Father of the Breed 

In the beginning of the 20th century, one man, assisted by a few friends worked to develop the registry of the Criollo breed in Argentina : Dr. Emilio Solanet. The Argentine Rural Society adopted this breed standard the 28th of September, 1922. 
It was around 1910 that Dr. Solanet, professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture in Buenos Aires, brought together around 2000 specimens of the Pampa horse in his estancia, El Cardal. These horses came from the west of the Chubut province (Patagonia, Argentina). Each animal exhibited the characteristics he was looking for. He carefully selected 15 mares that would become the breeding stock of the Argentine Criollo breed. Indeed, the doctor had a personal idea of the qualities neccessary to make a good working horse, and based his selection on the needs of rural workers. If Solanet didn't actually create the Criollo horse, he at least invented the breed standard, his lasting contribution to the breed. 
In this manner, the Criollo breed was born, and the first registry was opened in 1918. The first official standard was established in 1922 by the Argentine Rural Society.  
At this time, Doctor Solanet raved about the power, frugality, endurance, intelligence and longevity of his Criollo horses. Soon a raging controversy developed, opposing fans and skeptics of this horse from the Pampa. To decide the issue, Solanet offered two of his horses to a Swiss school teacher who desired to make an intercontinental voyage from Buenos Aires to New York. Aimé-Felix Tschiffely made Mancha and Gato famous in Argentina and wrote their names in the history books of the world. 
Mancha's name relates to his pinto color, mancha meaning spot in Spanish. Gato's name is short for "gateado", a common color among Criollos. 
The enthusiasm created by these two horses, and the fact that they not only completed the journey without incident but also lived for more than 40 years, has made Argentines take Criollos seriously ever since. Many people then copied the doctor's example and began raising them in semi-liberty. 
Today, the Criollo is widely represented all over South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and more) with only slightly differing breed characteristics. It is in Argentina that we find the Criollo closest to the standard defined by Solanet.  

Strong Potential for Many Equestrian Disciplines 

Used for working cattle by the Gauchos, the Criollo is still an element in the daily work of peones, the herders and cowboys of South America that prize the horse for its hardiness, endurance and strong physical condition. 
The Criollo is also appreciated in many traditional equestrian games , including polo, a national sport in Argentina. One must also mention pato, the origin of today's horseball, the paleteada, which demonstrates horse and rider's capacity to work cattle, or the jineteada, derived from traditional, often brutal horsebreaking techniques in South America and not unlike the North American rodeo. Each of these games shows off the extreme easy-handling of Criollo horses and the level of horsemanship of their riders. 
In polo, it must be noted that purebred Criollos are very rarely used these days. Players needing  greater speed began to cross the local horses with Arabians, Thoroughbreds or even Quarter Horses.  
Traditional horsebreaking is still a subject that incites a great deal of controversy. Sometimes its violence is of an extreme nature, and can shock those that are used to behavioral methods based on the principals of ethology. Generally speaking, South American riders prefer their horses to be distant, fearful and dominated rather than educated and confident. It is a question of equestrian culture. 
Only in the realm of outdoor nature riding can the full pleasure of riding a Criollo be experienced. It is a horse made for the great outdoors, ideal for long voyages or trail rides, trekking or western riding. Extremely easy-handling, its training as a cattle worker or even war horse seem a part of the not-so-distant past. 

The Qualities of a Horse Built for Endurance 

Multifaceted leisure horse, exceptionally sober and hardy, the Criollo also has a bright future in endurance competitions, as we can see in the famous marcha of Criollos organized each year in Argentina by the A.C.C.C. The competition takes its inspiration from life on an estancia. All horses participating in the contest must be present 30 days before the start. Without training or manipulation, strictly forbidden by the rules, they spend this time together in a pasture. The goal is to homogenize the physical condition of the animals;  the contest aims at finding the horse with the best genetic disposition, not the best training. Exceedingly difficult, the contest consists of covering an itinerary of 750 kilometers (470 miles) in 14 days, 53.5 km (33.5 miles) per day, without extra food or medicine. The horses feed only on the grass they encounter on the Pampa, and must carry 110 kilograms (240lbs)! Nutritional complements and drugs are forbidden. Each spring, around 20 horses take part in this adventure. The best horses contribute to the fame of the estancia that produced them.  

A Horse of Strong Character 

Concerning its temperament, the Criollo can be fearless and independent. It is often said that the Criollo is a one-man horse; it is often very affectionate, but doesn't trust just anybody. Once trust is established, it gives all of itself with amazing courage and tenacity. It fears nothing and goes absolutely anywhere! 
As with other horses that remain close to nature (Camargues, Mustangs, Akhal-Tékés), Criollo horses can be distant from man. Some people believe this to be due to traditional horsebreaking, but it is more likely part of its free life in the herd. 
With its limitless generosity and its capacity to adapt itself to the rudest natural conditions, it is not surprising to see that the most famous long-distance riders chose the horse of the Pampa as their partner in adventure; among them Tschiffely, who covered 18,000 kilometers (12,000 miles) between Buenos Aires and New York; Jean-François Ballerau, who chose to travel 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) across South America with 4 Criollos for his honeymoon; Emile Brager, who rode across the Straits of Magellan to Fairbanks, Alaska; Marc-Antoine Calonne, John Labouchere, Günter Wanser and others who demonstrated the tenacity and will of purebred Criollo horses. We must also mention Stephane Bigo, who completed an 8,500 kilometer journey around Latin America with 3 Mangalarga Marchadores (Brazilian cousins of the Criollo).  

An International Breeding Program Arrives 

The breeding of Criollo horses is now developing all over the world, especially in Europe thanks to aficionados from Italy, France and Germany. These breeders are, for the most part, recognized by the A.C.C.C.  (Asociación de Criadores de Caballos Criollos - Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Association of Criollo Horse Breeders, established in 1923) and their production is registered in the Argentine studbook. 
There exists a massive program of importation in Europe, known as the Italian network, which brings thousands of Criollo horses from Argentina by boat, the animals arriving by sea in less-than-perfect condition. They are often rejected animals destined for the slaughterhouse for their meat, but the best animals may be sold as saddle horses. Their ages vary from 8 to 16 years, and the best can be found along with the worst. This program allows European fans, Germans, Danish, French, Italian and Dutch to experience the pleasure of riding a Criollo. Currently the demand for Criollos is also growing in the United States. 

The Criollo Standard 

The morphology of the horse varies slightly according to the environmental conditions of their region or the practices of breeders. For example, for the last few years, Chilean Corralero horses, stronger and heavier than eastern Criollos, have been imported by Brazilian and Uruguayan breeders. Others, more traditional in thinking, hesitate to change the official standard.  
The Criollo is a medium-length horse, with a harmonious morphology and powerful body. Size : 1.38 m to 1.52 m (13.2h to 15.0h). Head : rather short, with a wide forehead, rounded nose, straight, almost convex profile, dilated nostrils, alert eyes, small, pointed ears. Muscled neck, stout shoulders, withers slightly protruding. Long, inclined shoulder, deep, ample thorax. Short, straight back, wide powerful loin. Well-muscled, medium-sized, rounded hindquarters. Tail well attached. Legs are rather short, solid with well-developed, resistant joints, short cannons, small, hard hooves, generally black. Thick abundant mane, often cut short. Varied colors, but breeders refuse partial or full albinos. Mule or zebra stripes exist in some colors. 
Over one hundred colors are recognized for registration in the Criollo studbook. Except tobiano and overo, traces of depigmentation eliminate an unlucky candidate. Each color, described with extreme precision to indicate a different sub-type, demonstrates a certain imagination and poetry present in the Pampa, and in the heart of the Gaucho.