Campolina is a breed of horses of Brazilian origin, bred over a century ago. A characteristic feature of these horses is the ability to move with unusual types of gaits that are characteristic of them from birth – picada and batida.
Campolina horse
Breed origin
Campolina – this name was given to the breed line thanks to the farmer who bred it. He lived in the Fazenda Tangue, which is located in the south of the state of Minas Gerais. He had several horses on his farm, including an Andalusian sire. It once belonged to King Don Pedro II. In 1870, Mr. Cassiano Campolino was presented with a mare named Medea of local origin, which he crossed with a Spanish horse.
As a result of this mating, a foal was born, he was named Monarca. He was extremely handsome and handsome. It was he who became the founder of the Campolina breed. For several years, the farmer brought him with different mares, who gave birth to beautiful foals.
The owner of the estate approached the selection of horses for the tribe very scrupulously. He preferred horses with different characteristics:
- stateliness;
- graceful forms;
- good health;
- graceful movement and fluidity.
Important! Mr. Campolino paid particular attention to the gaits of the animals.
When the breeder died, the campolin horses were not left without attention. They were bred by other breeders. The breed has undergone an influx of blood from stallions belonging to other lines:
- Clydesdale;
- Anglo-Norman;
- Marshal of the Mangala;
- American horse.
As a result of such incest, the breed has changed not only externally. She became a little bigger and more beautiful, faster and more enduring. From the Mangalarga horses, the marchador campolina inherited the ability to move with unusual gaits – picada and batida.
Attention! Since 1934, the breed has been bred in itself, the influx of extraneous blood is not allowed.
Description of the horse
After the founding of the Campolina Horse Association in Brazil in 1951, the standard for this breed line was approved. The ideal is the growth of stallions within 1,58 m, and mares – 1,52 m. The upper limit of height at the withers is not indicated.
The appearance of horses of the Campolina breed
Campolina is a unique horse. She has a beautiful dry physique with harmonious smooth outlines of the muscular relief. Characteristic:
- small head with a slightly convex or straight profile;
- trapezoidal neck;
- small pointed movable auricles;
- large lively eyes with an expressive look;
- luxurious silky mane;
- wide elongated croup with a high tail;
- coat color can be varied.
Attention! When evaluating representatives of the breed, experts pay attention to how the horse moves while running. Campolina has 2 types of unusual four-stroke amble – lateral, it is called picada, and diagonal, batida. Individuals that cannot move with these types of gaits are not allowed for breeding.
Features of the move
The main feature of campolina is the ability to move at an amble, in which the rider feels as comfortable as possible. Brazilian farmers did not need a fast horse, they had another goal. For the daily rounds of the huge ranches, which often took a whole day, a horse was needed that would move smoothly and smoothly, so that the person sitting on horseback did not get tired.
The main requirement for applicants for breeding is an innate tendency to gaits of picada and batida. If the foal fails to demonstrate the indicated ambling patterns, he will be disqualified. The movements of the campolino horse are evaluated according to several criteria:
- the degree of rider comfort;
- purity of rhythm;
- the naturalness of the move.
Dart march
The word “picada” literally translates as “lightly touching.” This is the smooth, natural lateral gait of the Brazilian horse. During the movement, 3 hooves simultaneously touch the ground, rise, after which 2 limbs located on the right or left side fall, then there is a push and hover in the air. Campolina is able to run a picada for several hours, while the rider feels comfortable.
Campolina on the run
March batida
The word “batida” in translation from Portuguese sounds like “strike”. This is a four-beat type of gait, which is characterized by triple hooves on the ground with hovering in the air and alternating use of legs located on the right or left and diagonally. This is a type of running faster than a picada, it is more like a trot.
The Campolina horse is truly unique. She absorbed all the best from her ancestors – speed, beauty, grace, peace-loving character. Today it is used in equestrian sports, for long horse rides and in agricultural activities.
