The Galiceno is a small horse breed that originated in Mexico. It is a direct descendant of the original Spanish horses brought to South America by the Spanish conquistadors, and is therefore considered to be a heritage breed.

Origins:
Galiceno horses are the descendants of Portuguese Garrano horses and Spanish Galician ponies who were brought to Cuba and Mexico, in the end of the 15th century and the early 16th century, by Christopher Columbus, Hernan Cortes, and groups of Spanish settlers. These horses were allowed to roam and breed freely in the Mexican wilds, where only the fittest horses survived. The environmental conditions in Mexico reshaped these horses into the Galiceno breed.

The Galiceno in the USA:
Galiceno horses have smooth gaits, and some of them can also perform the "running-walk" gait, which makes them comfortable for trail riding. They also have good endurance and an intelligent mind, which is why they caught the attention of American breeders.

From 1958 until 1960, thousands of Galiceno horses were brought to the US. However, due to their small size, they never became as popular as other horse breeds, and their numbers gradually declined. Today, the Galiceno is a critically endangered breed.

Conformation:
Although Galiceno horses are shorter than 14.2hh, they have the body proportions of a horse, which is why they are considered to be a small horse and not a pony. In addition, although they have a small, narrow build they can carry adult riders nonetheless.

Galiceno horses have a light head with a straight profile, medium-sized ears that curve inwards, a small muzzle, a slightly arched neck, a short, straight back, and a sloping croup.

Performance metrics:
The following are the: range, average, (SD), and MOE of performance metrics of ordered Galiceno horses in Horse Isle (not bred ones). In rare cases, horses might have metrics outside of the range. Breeders can produce horses that are beyond this range.

Speed: 13.5-14.7, 14.1 (0.3), 0.06.
Sprint: 34-45, 39 (2), 0.43.

Accel: 0.85-1.02, 0.94 (0.04), 0.01.
Decel: 0.79-0.95, 0.88 (0.03), 0.01.

Jump: 4.77-5.04, 4.93 (0.06), 0.01.
Pull: 0.95-1.45, 1.18 (0.11), 0.02.

Turning: 44.87-58.57, 50.46 (2.92), 0.57.
Reverse: 2.2-2.8, 2.5 (0.1), 0.03.

Stamina: 39.65-43.92, 41.75 (0.93), 0.18.
Reaction: 0.62-0.73, 0.68 (0.03), 0.00.

Coats & Height:
Colors: bay, black, chestnut, grey, dun, and cream-diluted.

Additionals: flaxen, linebacked, mealy, rabicano, roan, sooty, dark mane & tail. The coat is always solid.

Height: 12hh to 13.2hh.