Continent: America
Country: Paraguay
Weight: 380 – 450 kg
Height: 138 – 150 cm
The Paraguayan Horse, or Paraguayan Criollo, originates from the Spanish horses introduced in the 16th century during the conquest and colonization of the Río de la Plata region.
The first mares arrived around 1541 with the expedition of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, traveling through Brazil before reaching Asunción.
Isolated for several centuries, these Iberian lineages naturally adapted to the hot and semi-arid climate of the Paraguayan Chaco and to the subtropical grasslands of the central part of the country. This evolution, with little external influence, shaped a hardy, enduring, and compact horse, perfectly suited to cattle work in the large estancias (ranches).
Today, the Paraguayan Criollo represents a local branch of the South American Criollo family, while maintaining distinct regional characteristics shaped by geography and functional selection.
Breeding of the Paraguayan Horse is mainly concentrated in the western and central regions of the country, dominated by large cattle ranches (estancias). The main areas are found in the Paraguayan Chaco (departments of Boquerón, Presidente Hayes, and Alto Paraguay), characterized by a hot, dry, semi-arid climate, requiring exceptional endurance from horses.
In the departments of Paraguarí, Cordillera, Caaguazú, and Guairá, the Paraguayan Criollo is raised on fertile soils and mixed pastures, often alongside cattle production. These areas provide more favorable conditions for selective breeding and controlled reproduction, especially for lines intended for morphological or endurance competitions.
Although the breed’s heartland remains rural, the Paraguayan Criollo is now found throughout the country, including around Asunción, where several private breeding centers develop certified lines under the supervision of the Asociación de Criadores de Caballos Criollos del Paraguay (ACCCP). The association also maintains genetic exchanges with the Argentine, Uruguayan, and Brazilian stud-books, ensuring homogeneous standards across the continent.
The Paraguayan Horse preserves an exceptionally hardy genetic heritage, inherited directly from the Iberian horses of the 16th century. Selected for more than four centuries under harsh natural conditions: heat, humidity, food scarcity, and tropical diseases. It has developed a remarkable biological resilience. These genetic traits make it a model of adaptation to subtropical environments and a natural reservoir of robustness genes.
The Paraguayan Criollo belongs to the large family of South American Criollo horses (Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay). However, its geographical isolation and extensive breeding methods have preserved a distinct morphological identity: more compact, with a strong neck and a calmer temperament. It represents a valuable subpopulation within the overall genetic balance of the continental Criollo lineage, helping to maintain intra-breed diversity.
Thanks to its natural resistance, endurance, and frugal feeding habits, the Paraguayan Horse offers genetic improvement potential for other tropical or extensive-working breeds. It serves as an interesting study model for researchers in animal genetics and for programs aimed at enhancing longevity, fertility, and hardiness in working horses from warm regions.
The history of the Paraguayan Horse begins in the 16th century, during the Spanish conquest of the Río de la Plata basin. The first horses were introduced in 1541 by the expedition of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, traveling from the Brazilian coasts of Santa Catalina and Paraná to the Asunción region. These animals, descended from the Andalusian horse and the North African Barb, quickly adapted to the harsh conditions of the Paraguayan Chaco, a region of heat, drought, and vast pastures.
For more than three centuries, Paraguay’s horses evolved without significant foreign influence. This geographical isolation, combined with strict natural selection, produced a hardy, enduring, and frugal type, capable of surviving where other horses could not. The populations adapted to the needs of settlers, breeders, and Guaraní cowboys (vaqueros), serving as mounts for work, war, and transport.
In the 19th century, with the formal organization of breeding and stud-books, Paraguayan horses were recognized as a local branch of the South American Criollo group, alongside the Argentine, Brazilian, Chilean, and Uruguayan lines. The Paraguayan variety stands out for its smaller size, dense bone structure, and calmer temperament, reflecting selection in a tropical environment. Exchanges between neighboring breeders intensified after the Chaco War (1932–1935), a period during which horses played a major role in military logistics and transport.
The creation of the Asociación de Criadores de Caballos Criollos del Paraguay (ACCCP) in 2003 marked a key step in the official recognition of the national stud-book. Since then, Paraguay has regularly participated in morphology and endurance competitions organized by the International Federation of Criollo Horse Breeders (FICCC), solidifying its place in the continental network. Today, the Paraguayan Criollo stands as a living symbol of rural Paraguay, the result of four centuries of coevolution between man, horse, and the vast plains of the Chaco.
The Paraguayan Horse, true to the Criollo type, is known for its exceptionally stable character. It shows a calm, attentive, and docile temperament, while remaining spirited and willing to work. This balance results from centuries of natural selection, where only manageable, enduring, and mentally strong individuals survived the harsh conditions of the Chaco.
Raised in vast open spaces, the Paraguayan Criollo has developed strong independence and great environmental intelligence. It adapts quickly to changes in terrain or workload, making it an excellent ranch horse. Its well-developed survival instinct helps it avoid obstacles and move confidently over difficult ground.
The Paraguayan Criollo forms a lasting bond of trust with its rider. The vaqueros praise its loyalty, memory, and devotion to work, qualities highly valued for daily cattle herding tasks. It endures long working days without complaint and maintains steady behavior even under heat or fatigue.
Under saddle, the Paraguayan Criollo combines controlled energy with remarkable softness of contact. Neither nervous nor sluggish, it is alert, responsive, and reliable, especially pleasant for outdoor riding. This balance between vigor and calm makes it a dependable partner, suitable for both cattle work and leisure riding.
“The Paraguayan Criollo does not seek glory; it moves forward, tirelessly, like the warm wind of the plains.”
The Paraguayan Criollo remains a symbol of traditional rural work and of the Paraguayan vaquero. However, the progressive mechanization of livestock activities and the decline in working horse numbers threaten the transmission of this living heritage. Breeders, grouped around the Asociación de Criadores de Caballos Criollos del Paraguay (ACCCP), strive to maintain purity of type while promoting its cultural and sporting use, particularly through morphology contests and Criollo functional trials.
Beyond cattle work, the breed is gaining recognition in leisure riding, trail riding, and rural festivals. Its docility, stamina, and surefootedness make it ideal for ecotourism centers and equestrian discovery trails in the Chaco and rural zones. This diversification helps increase the breed’s visibility and ensure its economic sustainability.
Paraguay’s integration into the continental Criollo stud-book network allows controlled genetic openness and shared expertise among South American countries. This regional cooperation, particularly with the Argentine and Brazilian stud-books, promotes standard harmonization, participation in FICCC international competitions, and the continental recognition of the breed.
The main challenge lies in preserving the functional identity of the Paraguayan Criollo while enhancing its modern qualities: robustness, balance, endurance, and adaptability. Its evolution into a tropical leisure and endurance horse represents a promising path for the genetic preservation of this emblematic breed, a pillar of Paraguay’s rural culture.
The Paraguayan Horse is known for its natural robustness and remarkable resistance to the extreme conditions of the subtropical climate. Shaped by rigorous natural selection in the Paraguayan Chaco, it has developed high immunity and strong tolerance to heat, drought, and parasites.Individuals easily withstand large temperature variations, poor pastures, and variable hygiene conditions without losing vitality.
No specific genetic disease has been documented in the Paraguayan Criollo. As in the broader South American Criollo population, genetic diversity remains high, reducing the risks of inbreeding drift and metabolic disorders. Common issues found in intensively selected breeds (joint syndromes, myopathies, respiratory problems) are almost absent.
Most Paraguayan Criollos live barefoot, with hard, compact hooves perfectly adapted to arid and rocky terrain. Shoeing is required only for sporting activities or on abrasive surfaces. Minimal care is sufficient: a natural pasture diet, occasionally supplemented with dry forage during the dry season.
Average lifespan ranges from 25 to 30 years, with exceptional functional longevity: many horses remain active in work past the age of 20.Their rapid recovery after exertion, even under heat stress, demonstrates the breed’s excellent physiological and cardiovascular condition.
