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{{short description|Portuguese breed of horse}}
{{Infobox horse breed
| name            = Garrano
| image           = Garranos fight.jpg
| image_size      = 
| image_alt       = 
| image_caption   = Stallions fighting in [[Peneda-Gerês National Park]]
| image2          = 
| image_size2     = 
| image_alt2      = 
| image_caption2  = 
| status          = {{ubl|[[FAO]] (2007): endangered-maintained{{r|barb|p=93}}|{{nobreak|[[DAD-IS]] (2024): at risk/endangered-maintained{{r|dad}}}}}}
| features        = 
| altname         = Raça Garrana
| country         = Portugal
| distribution    = 
| standard        = [https://www.acerg.pt/conteudo.php?idm=25 Associação de Criadores de Equinos da Raça Garrana]
| extinct         = 
| use             = 
| colour          =  
| height          = 
| male_height     = 128 cm{{r|dad}}
| female_height   = 120 cm{{r|dad}}
| weight          = 
| male_weight     = 350 kg{{r|dad}}
| female_weight   = 300 kg{{r|dad}}
| note            = 
}}

The '''Garrano''' or '''Raça Garrana''' is a Portuguese [[list of horse breeds|breed]] of small horse. It is distributed principally in the [[North Region, Portugal|North Region]] of Portugal, and is equivalent to the [[Faco Galego]] of [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]] in north-western Spain, which lies immediately to the north.{{r|camb|p=402}} 

It is one of four Portuguese breeds, the others being the [[Lusitano]], the [[Sorraia]] and the [[Pónei da Terceira]].

== History ==
[[File:Garrano PT.jpg|thumb|In [[Paredes de Coura]]]]
[[File:Minas dos Carris XXIV (3504946741).jpg|thumb|At the {{ill|Minas dos Carris|pt}}, in the Peneda-Gerês National Park]]
The Garrano falls within the Celtic group of Iberian horse breeds, and is genetically close to other Celtic breeds such as the [[Connemara (horse)|Connemara]], the [[Exmoor Pony]] and the [[Shetland (pony)|Shetland]].{{r|ag|p=24}} Horses of this type are thought to have been introduced to the north-western [[Iberian Peninsula]] by migrating Celts in the sixth or seventh century BC; these people probably had trade relations with other Celtic populations in [[Brittany]] and Ireland.{{r|ag2|p=39}}

A [[breed association]], the {{lang|pt|Associação de Criadores de Equinos da Raça Garrana|italic=no}}, was formed within the farmers' co-operative of [[Vieira do Minho]] in 1988; in 1990 it became independent, and in 1995 received official government approval.{{r|acerg}} The [[breed standard]] was drawn up in 1993.{{r|acerg2}} 

The Garrano is distributed principally in the [[North Region, Portugal|North Region]] of Portugal. It is found in the [[concelhos of Portugal|concelhos]] of [[Amares]], [[Arcos de Valdevez]], [[Cabeceiras de Basto]], [[Caminha]], [[Melgaço, Portugal|Melgaço]], [[Monção]], [[Paredes de Coura]], [[Ponte da Barca]], [[Ponte de Lima]], [[Póvoa de Lanhoso]], [[Terras de Bouro]], [[Valença, Portugal|Valença]], [[Viana do Castelo]], Vieira do Minho, [[Vila Nova de Cerveira]] and [[Vila Verde]] in the [[province of Minho]] and of [[Montalegre]] in the [[Trás-os-Montes]].{{r|dgav|p=179}} Within the [[Peneda-Gerês National Park]], the horses are present on about 97% of the total land area, including the [[plateau]]x of Castro Laboreiro and Mourela and the four principal mountain formations, the Serra Amarela, the Serra do Gerês, the Serra da Peneda and the Serra do Soajo.{{r|dgav|p=179}} The horses are also seen on other mountain massifs outside the limits of the park, including the Serra de Arga, the {{ill|Serra da Cabreira|pt}}, the Serra de Monção, the Serra de Paredes de Coura and the Serra de Santa Luzia in Minho, and the {{ill|Serra do Larouco|pt}} in Trás-os-Montes.{{r|dgav|p=179}}

In 2019 the population registered in the [[herd-book]] included {{val|335}} [[stallion]]s and almost {{val|2000}} breeding mares, in the hands of approximately 700 breeders.{{r|dgav|p=181}} By 2024 the number of mares had risen to over {{val|2550}}, of which about {{val|1700}} were pure-bred.{{r|sprega}}

== Characteristics ==

The Garrano is small, with an average height at the [[withers]] of about {{val|125|u=cm}} for [[stallion]]s and some {{val|120|u=cm}} for [[mare]]s. Average weights are {{val|350|u=kg}} and {{val|300|u=kg}} respectively.{{r|dad}} The coat is commonly [[bay (horse)|bay]], often of a dark shade, and is usually without [[white markings]]. The facial profile is straight or slightly concave and the [[mane (horse)|mane]] and tail are thick and black.{{r|dgav|p=180}} The horses often have other gaits in addition to the usual walk, trot and canter.{{r|cabi|p=468}}

== Use ==

The horses are almost invariably managed [[extensive farming|extensively]], as a self-sufficient [[semi-feral]] population in the mountains of the North Region. They naturally form independent [[harem (zoology)|harems]] usually consisting of one [[stallion]] and a number of [[mare]]s – approximately twenty on average.{{r|sprega}} The harems are rounded up once a year and the colt foals are separated out and later sold. The comparatively limited number of stabled horses may be used for farm work, or raced at the [[pace (gait)|pace]] or [[canter]].{{r|sprega}}

== References ==
<references>

<ref name=acerg>[https://www.acerg.pt/conteudo.php?idm=33 Historial] (in Portuguese). Associação de Criadores de Equinos da Raça Garrana. Accessed August 2024.</ref>

<ref name=acerg2>[https://www.acerg.pt/conteudo.php?idm=25 Padrão da Raça] (in Portuguese). Associação de Criadores de Equinos da Raça Garrana. Accessed August 2024.</ref>

<ref name=ag>Cristina Luís, R. Juras, Maria do Mar Oom, E. Gus Cothran (February 2007). [https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=92d229a1-daec-4771-aaf5-36d7aeb0fc5a%40redis Genetic Diversity and Relationships of Portuguese and Other Horse Breeds Based on Protein and Microsatellite Loci Variation]. ''Animal Genetics''. '''38''' (1): 20–27. {{doi|10.1111/j.1365-2052.2006.01545.x}}.</ref>

<ref name=ag2>J. Cañon, M.L. Checa, C. Carleos, J.L. Vega-Pla, M. Vallejo, S. Dunner (2000). [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2052.2000.00591.x The genetic structure of Spanish Celtic horse breeds inferred from microsatellite data]. ''Animal Genetics''. '''31''': 39–48. {{doi|10.1046/j.1365-2052.2000.00591.x}}.</ref>

<ref name=barb>Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200623201209/http://www.fao.org/3/a1250e/annexes/List%20of%20breeds%20documented%20in%20the%20Global%20Databank%20for%20Animal%20Genetic%20Resources/List_breeds.pdf List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources], annex to [https://web.archive.org/web/20170110125634/http://www.fao.org/3/a-a1250e.pdf ''The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture'']. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. {{isbn|9789251057629}}. Archived 23 June 2020.</ref>

<ref name=cabi>Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). [https://books.google.it/books?id=2UEJDAAAQBAJ&hl=en ''Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding''] (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. {{isbn|9781780647944}}.</ref>

<ref name=camb>José Vingada, Carlos Fonseca, Jorge Cancela, Joana Ferreira, Catarina Eira (2010). [https://books.google.it/books?id=-ycg5PtQPugC&pg=PA402&hl=en Ungulates and their management in Portugal]. In: Marco Apollonio, Reidar Andersen, Rory Putman (editors) (2010). ''European Ungulates and Their Management in the 21st Century''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. {{isbn|9780521760614}}, pages 392–418.</ref>

<ref name=dad>[https://dadis-breed-datasheet-ws.firebaseapp.com/?country=PRT&specie=Horse&breed=Garrano&external=1&lang=en Breed data sheet: Garrano / Portugal (Horse)]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2024.</ref>

<ref name=dgav>[s.n.] (2021). [https://web.archive.org/web/20240119034536/https://www.dgav.pt/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Catalogo-Oficial-Racas-Autoctones-Portuguesas.pdf Catálogo Oficial de Raças Autóctones Portuguesas] (in Portuguese). Lisboa: Confederação dos Agricultores de Portugal; Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária. Archived 19 January 2024.</ref>


<ref name=sprega>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240522053548/https://sprega.com.pt/conteudo.php?idesp=equinos&idraca=Garrano Equinos – Raça Garrano] (in Portuguese). Vale de Santarém: Sociedade Portuguesa de Recursos Genéticos Animais. Archived 22 May 2024.</ref>

</references>

== Further reading ==
{{commonscat}}
{{refbegin}}

* Ruy d'Andrade (1938). Garranos. ''Boletim Pecuário''. '''6''' (2): 281–292.

* M.L. Checa, S. Dunner, J. Martin, J. Vega, J. Cañon (1998). A note on the characterization of a small Celtic pony breed. ''Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics''. '''115''' (1‐6): 157–163.

* J.C. Gomes, Maria do Mar Oom (2000). Caracterizção demográfica do núcleo de garranos bravios do PNPG. ''Revista Portuguesa de Zootecnia''. '''7''' (1): 67–78.

* Cristina Luís, E. Gus Cothran, Maria do Mar Oom (2002). Microsatellites in Portuguese autochthonous horse breeds: Usefulness for parentage testing. Genetics and Molecular Biology. '''25''': 131–134.

* Cristina Luís, C. Coutinho, Joana Malta-Vacas, Joana Morais, Maria do Mar Oom (2000). Genetic diversity analysis of the three Portuguese native horse breeds inferred from microsatellite data. In ''27th International Conference on Animal Genetics'', 22–26 July, Food Animal Biotechnology Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota.

* Maria do Mar Oom (1992). ''O cavalo Lusitano: Uma raça em recuperação'' (PhD thesis, in Portuguese). Lisbon: Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon.

* Maria do Mar Oom (2000). A genealogia do Garrano. In: ''Os Milenios do Garrano''. Vieira do Minho: Associação dos Criadores de Equinos de Raça Garrana, pages 77–79.

* Maria do Mar Oom (2000). A genética molecular na produção cavalar em Portugal. In ''Jornadas de Equinicultura'', 2 e 3 de Março, Vila Real, Portugal.

* Maria do Mar Oom, E. Gus Cothran (1996). Preliminary study of genetic variation of a feral pony from Portugal: The Garrano. ''Animal Genetics''. '''27''' (Supplement 2): 17–42.

* M.C. Portas, J.M. Vieira-Leite (2000). Livro Genealógico dos Equinos de Raça Garrana. In: ''Second Congresso Ibérico sobre Recursos Genéticos Animais'', 19 e 20 de Outubro, Estação Zootécnica Nacional, Santarém, Portugal.

* M.C. Portas, J.M. Vieira-Leite, J.J.D. Oliveira e Sousa (1998). [https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/19990103752 A contribution to the study of Garrano horses = A raça Garrana. Um contribute para o seu estudo]. ''Veterinária Técnica''. '''8''' (6): 18–26.

* M.C. Portas, N. Vieira-e-Brito, I. Silva-Carvalho, J.M. Vieira-Leite (2001). La conservatión de la raza equina Garrana. ''Archivos de Zootecnia''. '''50''': 171–179.
{{refend}}

{{Iberian horses}}

[[Category:Horse breeds]]
[[Category:Horse breeds originating in Portugal]]

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