Losino Pony - Ponies & Breeds

The Losino Pony of Spain officially inhabits a semi-wild area of limestone highlands and are only gathered to brand and separate out the ones to be sold. Otherwise, they have little or no contact with humans.

BEGINNINGS

The Losino pony is one of several breeds in the north of Spain, between the Cantabrian mountains and the Burgos region, and is supposedly a very old breed, although there seems to be a lack of historical mentioning of this breed before 1924.

Because the Losino sometimes shows some conformation traits reflecting the blood of the famous horse of southern Iberia that today is known as Andalusian (PRE) and Lusitano (PSL), some claim it occupies a spot midway between the mountain pony and South Iberian horse, but as all the Iberian mountain ponies seem to have received a certain amount of South Iberian blood, it is debatable whether the Losino pony actually represents some unique blend.

The Losino population was drastically decimated by the 1980s, partly because mares had been mainly used for the production of working mules (bred to large donkey stallions) and meat production (bred to draft stallions).

ATTEMPT TO SAVE

Then a private breeder searched for remaining animals and acquired 33 mares and two stallions that he considered pure Losinos. He let these horses multiply on about a thousand acres, where they were allowed to run semi-wild. He also founded a breed association for the Losino pony. The population recovered nicely up until about 2000, reaching nearly 200 head.

This population was considered pure Losino - the last pure population - in contrast to horses of other breeders who had crossed them with Andalusians and Arabs to increase the size of the animals.

The project met with both good and bad will. Some neighboring farmers wanted the horses gone. According to other sources, this opposition was of a political nature. In any event, fences were cut, and escapees caused damage in nearby fields. Law suits were the result, the private Losino pony breeder went bankrupt, and the horses were sold at public auction. There was no effort on the part of the authorities to help save the horses; their special status was denied with respect to those other existing "Losinos".

There are currently only two authorized breeders in Spain, in Pancorbo, and in Quincoces de Yuso, two villages in the north of the province of Burgos, where the breed seems to have developed. In total there may be around 300 to 400 Losino ponies registered, and all of the stallions belong to either one of these two. These breeders sell only Losino pony geldings - no stallions, and no mares. The average horse varies in the two breeding operations, one population looking more like the Pottoka pony ( probably because the operation overlaps with that of the Pottoka pony) while in the other, the animals tend to show more South Iberian influence.

The Losinos are bred semi-wild in a large area of limestone highlands and are only gathered for branding and to separate sale animals. Otherwise, they have little or no contact with humans and are often preyed on by wolves, who in some winters take a toll of up to 20 foals.

CHARACTERISTICS

The Losino pony is usually black without white markings. Height is around 13 to 13.3 hands

The ears are small, and the pony owns a strong neck, wide chest, and broad back. Like all Iberian mountain ponies, they are sure-footed, durable and sound, and long-lived.

Someone interested in the preservation of the Losino could still have a chance tracking horses of those that were sold at public auction, as they are being offered from time to time. Hopefully, some of them will be retrieved by dedicated breeders.

Article © ArtByCrane.com Submitted by Hardy Oelke and Photos © Oelke or Oelke Archive. Reproduction of any portion of this copyrighted website without written permission of the publisher is prohibited and subject to legal action.



   
Photo at the top of the page, the grazing herd, and the first two photos on the row above are © de Juana. The last two photos on the row above are © Alonso Nez.

You may also wish to read the article regarding the North Iberian Pony

Along with the Losino Pony, there are other Pony Breeds: