This native species is likely to disappear from our mountains, so that is an ongoing original campaign to preserve then.
The garrano is like Portugal small and robust, although its name comes from the Galician language, "Guer" which means tiny and "guerran" which means horse. It is an indigenous breed of northern Portugal, who walks freely in herds, with particular focus on Peneda Geres, Serra Cabreira, Serra Amarela, to name a few locations. It is believed the cave paintings that exist in our country, shows that this horse race inhabiting our region since prehistoric times and since then little or nothing has changed in terms of physique, since there is little evidence of interbreeding. The rural populations, thru centuries, domesticated this animal and mainly used then in agricultural work and to saddle, due to their docile and friendly nature.
The herds are composed almost exclusively of females and one male, whose only function is to protect the group of wolves or other predators. The birth rate of this species is very low, which puts them in the list of endangered animals. The reserve of Praia Brava, in the Coa Valley, has created a campaign for preservation of these specimens at the least alternative; intend to create an extensive regime of garranos horses, whose intervention also has an ecological function, avoiding the risk of fire, as this breed eats herbs without jeopardizing the Mediterranean forest. This initiative aims to establish a group of 30 animals, to help all you have to do is, adopt an animal and at the same time you're helping to preserve this indigenous species and contributing, at the same time, to the maintenance of the forest park.
http://www.atnatureza.org/apoie_atn/Garranos_da_Faia_Brava.pdf
