Losino horses received their name from the original area
where it is bred, the Losa Valley, in the north of the province of Burgos
(Spain). They are related to other breeds derived from the Cantabrian-Pyrenean
branch: the Portuguese Garrano, the Galician pony, the Asturian pony, the
Thieldon, the Sorraia, the Navarre horse, the Basque Pottok, the Mérens horse,
and the now-extinct Catalan horse.
They
maintained their number until the 1950's but afterwards, principally due to
farming mechanization, they were crossbred with meat breeds and donkey populations
for mule production. As a result their population declined to around 30 horses.
Due to the alarming situation, a project for recuperating the breed was
established, being created in Pancorbo (Burgos) the first Breeding and
Selection Center of the Losino Horse. In this center they maintain a natural
and extensive system of breeding. The animals, once captured, broken and tamed,
are used for infant-junior horseback riding, harnessing, and to carry out equestrian
routes through rural and mountain zones. By 1999 their numbers had reached a
population of around 200 animals.
About Losino Horses
