The Criollo horse
Our horses are all Criollo or Criollo-Mestizo mixtures. The Criollo is both a breed of horse born in Argentina, as well as a native in South America and the Caribbean horse type. The pure Criollo horse is considered one of the most resilient horse breeds in the world and is ideally adapted to the harsh climate and sparse vegetation of Patagonia. He comes with very little food and is incredibly enduring. In South America, he is subjected to a very hard performance test, the marcha, during the training - not here -, with 750 km being covered within 14 days without supplementation and with only one rest day. This not only endurance but also the ability to regenerate is demonstrated.

The Criollo
goes back to the Iberian horses that were brought from Spain to South America in the 16th century. These horses were closely related to the Berber and often bore Arab blood next to them. The first important imports were made in 1535 by the conquistador Don Pedro Mendoza. Later, when Buenos Aires was taken, many horses escaped into the wild and planted themselves free. There survived only the strongest horses. In this way, a particularly tough and enduring horse was born, which is patient and durable.

Mestizos
are horses that are ridden in South America mainly by gauchos. The pure Criollo horse is mixed according to need and Gusto (regional habits) with other full cold or Warmblasserassen, in our case, partly Quaterhorse and thoroughbred or Frisen.

Horse Training
Most of our 12 horses are from Bernabé Mayorga's own breeding and are also ridden and trained by him. Bernabé is known even among gauchos as an outspoken horse lover and is known for his training methods. He sits proverbially as grown on the horse. To see him riding makes the heart of every horse and riding lover beat faster. He does not sell any of his horses, because he does not want to see that another person does not treat one of his animals well.

At the end of the training, the horse responds to the smallest signs, can turn at full gallopp at any time and is able to drive cattle in the sometimes snowy mountainside, which are caught with the lasso. Specially skilled animals even master the art of independently controlling a wild bull via a lasso connected to it, which is guided through the palenque (a passage between two piles). Cattle rubbing is the hardest work for horse and rider, where the smallest mistake can cost a living.

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