National Horse Day: History of the Criollo Horse and the Gaucho

“A Gaucho without a horse is only half a man”. This famous saying shows the importance of horses for gauchos. We will take you back to see a little bit of the history of the criollo horse on the occasion of the National Horse Day.

Every September 20, Argentina celebrates the National Horse Day. This is an initiative of the Federación Equestre Argentina (Argentina Equestrian Federation) to learn about the origins of horses and recognize their importance in this history of our country.

The history of this celebration goes back to 1928, when two criollo horses named Gato and Mancha reached New York breaking a record with one of the most famous horseback journeys in history. It was a three-year of 21,500 km the city of Buenos Aires to New York.

With this historic event, the criollo horse won worldwide recognition for its distinctive features and strength. This is precisely why horses and gauchos have become a great team to the extent that a gaucho cannot be conceived without his horse.

In addition to the unique characteristics of the criollo horse, their obedience and loyalty have made them great companions not only for gauchos but also for travelers looking horse riding and sports activities.