Intro
Also called Morochuco and Peruvian Criollo, The Andean Criollo habitat is found above 9,000 feet in the Andes mountains. This great altitude has created an animal with amazing lung capacity and a thick, dense coat of fur.
Origins
Like all of the Criollo breeds of Central and South America, this breed owes its fine genetics and smooth gaits to Iberian animals abandoned after the colonial era. Each country developing their own strain of these adaptable bloodlines to meet their own distinct needs. The Andean Criollo is a more extreme case as their climate is, well, extreme. The Andes mountains have crafted an incredibly sturdy animal with a well defined sense of balance and tireless stamina on steep terrain. They are listed as a strain of the Peruvian Criollo, so likely they are a type bred exclusively in the mountains.
Well known for their smooth, pacing gaits among other qualities that make them fine riding horses. These are small, shaggy animals but quite hardy and surefooted, perhaps the best representation of the Andean breeds. What they lack in refined looks they more than make up for in their usefulness in a part of the world that is still difficult to navigate with machinery.
Features
Average height 12 – 13.2 hands
Strong & able climber
Knows instinctively which plants are safe to eat
Resistant to fatigue
Physique
Head is heavy and subconvex
Forehead protrudes around the eyes
Neck is short and muscular
Skin is thick and coat is heavy
Pasterns are short and straight
Hooves are small and dark with high heels
Traditional Colors
Solid colors
Temperament
Tough as can be and willing to work
Docile and easy to care for
Use
Pack animal
Riding horse
