The horses

At El Rancho Criollo you will only find Criollo horses from South America (mainly Argentina).

The Criollo horse is one of the hardest breeds in the world. In South America the criollo is the mount of the Gaucho.

The horses live in large herds on the pampa (Argentina). Because of climatological circumstances and by rambling trough the continent the criollo has a large variety of colours. At the ranch you will not find 2 criollo's of the same colour.

The Criollo originally comes from Spain. The Spanish conquerors brought Andalucien horses, Berber horses, Arabian and Portuguese horses to South America. These breeds created a new breed by mixing on the Pampa's. The Criollo breed.

The Criollo horse is used to live outside and have a lot of pasture available at the ranch. The Criollo horse is not kept in boxes as they feel uncomfortable inside. The ranch has an open stable and land that offers shelter and food during summer and wintertime.

The shape of the horse is a strong compact body with a short wide forehead.

The enormous stamina/endurance makes these horses extremely suitable for long distance riding through rough countrysides. The horses have a very good adaptability and are calm and reliable.

The riding style is western with 1 hand only!