Belonging to the so-called Celtic Trunk, the Garrano is a horse whose striking characteristics are its small size, small and slightly flattened head with a concave profile, thick neck, robust and short limbs, with brown fur and black mane and tail.
Despite efforts to conserve and purify the breed, it is common to find, in the natural environment, horses with morphologies that do not comply with the breed’s standards. These individuals are not considered Garranos.
Some signs that are easier to identify in animals that are not Garranos are their light coat. However, other characteristics such as, for example, the presence of light spots on the forehead, muzzle or legs, of greater or lesser size, make the distinction difficult, since the Garrano may also have small spots.
When observing the horses of a herd of Garranos, the characteristics of the animals must be evaluated as a whole, and never individually, as some signs alone reveal that the animal is not a pure Garrano. Examples of this are:
- Very long white cord and somewhat wide on the face
- Practically all white face
- Very white lips
- All white muzzle
- Light spots evident on the paws.
Standard of the Garrano breed
Profile: Straight, sometimes concave.
Legs: Short. Solid bone build.
Maximum height: 1.35 m (measured at the withers, in adult animals);
Recommended height: 1.23 m
Average weight: 250-300 kg
Coat: Common brown, sometimes dark, occasionally lighter on the belly and muzzle. Reduced presence of meshes.
Topknot: Full and abundant mane, falling to both sides.
Tail: With tassel of curly hair at the root.
Head: Thin, but vigorous and masculine, in males it is large in relation to the body. The eyes are round and expressive. Wide nostrils. Average sized ears. The ganaches are strong and muscular.
Back: Straight
Withers: Low and not very prominent.
Neck: Well directed and muscular, but short and thick, especially in stallions.
Chest: Broad.
Side: Ribs that are generally flat and vertical.
Croup: With wide hips, strong, wide, tending towards the horizontal.
Shoulder: Vertical and short.
Limbs: Upright, short, but thick, strong, with straight pasterns, covered in thick fur. Hard, cylindrical hulls.
