| Mangalarga Marchador is the National Horse of Brazil | | | | Hanoverian and Trakehner, which meant that Arabian |
| and is one of the most popular and widespread horses | | | | and Thoroughbred also found their way into the |
| in South America. It has been exported to Germany, | | | | breeding programs. This made the Mangalarga Paulisto, |
| Portugal, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Holland, but did not | | | | which is lighter and leggier, a completely different breed |
| arrive in the United States until 1991 where it is still a | | | | form the Mangalarga Marchador and led to a separate |
| rare breed. The United States Mangalarga Marchador | | | | registry of Mangalarga Paulisto horses in 1934. Both |
| in America (USMMA) is working with breeders in many | | | | Mangalarga varieties are registered with ABCCRM but |
| states to promote this beautiful and uniquely gaited | | | | they are so different that each variety has its own |
| horse that exhibits classic Spanish conformation and | | | | studbook. |
| charm and is a wonderful sport horse that can be | | | | The Mangalarga Marchador is a very versatile breed |
| inspected and registered as a warmblood. Traditional | | | | and there are over 350,000 registered Mangalarga |
| tack that is used for showing the Mangalarga is quite | | | | Marchador horses in Brazil. They are good cattle |
| simple with the saddle resembling an Australian stock | | | | horses, show horses, riding and jumping horses, even |
| saddle. The headset is clean cut with a snaffle bit and | | | | polo is in their functional realm. The Mangalarga |
| the rider s clothing, when showing the Mangalarga in | | | | Marchador set the Guinness Book of World Records |
| Brazil varies from region to region but it is always | | | | endurance record in 1994 when two 60 year old |
| colorful and unique. | | | | Brazilian men completed a trail ride of 8,694 miles to |
| The Mangalarga is the product of a rich agricultural | | | | prove the stamina of the Mangalarga Marchador by |
| area and its haciendas where the farmers and | | | | riding all day long for one and a half years with the |
| ranchers have always valued a smooth and | | | | same horses. |
| comfortable ride and superb temperament since they | | | | The Mangalarga Marchador stands 14.2 to16 hands |
| spent a large part of their work day on horseback. | | | | and weighs between 850 and 1100 pounds, with 1000 |
| The Mangalarga Marchador was originally developed in | | | | pounds be average. Horses that are shorter than14.2 |
| 1740 as an Iberian breed, descending from the | | | | hands are not acceptable for registration. Most colors |
| Andalusian stallions of Portugal and Barb mares. In 1812, | | | | are represented in the breed, but grays tend to |
| Prince Pedro I (1798 1834), soon to become Emperor | | | | predominate. Chestnut and bay are also popular with |
| of Brazil, presented one of his fine Portuguese Alter | | | | black, buckskin, palomino and paint horses being |
| Real stallions, Sublime, as a gift to his friend Gabriel | | | | present in the genotype. |
| Francisco Junqueira, Baron of Alfenas, whose | | | | The Mangalarga Marchador has a medium structure |
| Hacienda Campo Alegre was an established horse | | | | that is strong and well proportioned, with agility, vigor |
| breeding farm of over 70 years. Sublime was the | | | | and soundness. The head is triangular in shape with a |
| descendant of 2 horses brought from the breeding | | | | straight profile that is rounded over the nose region |
| farm Coudelaria Alter do Chao in Portugal by Dom | | | | which is typical of the Barb horse. The large, dark |
| Joao VI during the invasion of the Iberian Peninsula by | | | | eyes are set wide apart and the ears are proportional |
| Napoleon. Sublime was bred to the native colonial | | | | to the head with tips turned inward. The coat is fine |
| mares in Brazil, many of whom were fast and smooth | | | | and silky with an abundant mane and tail. The neck is |
| amblers of Spanish Jennet, Criollo, Andalusian and Barb | | | | of medium length and arched which gives balance and |
| breeding. The first foals produced from this cross | | | | a proud, high carriage. The chest is deep for a great |
| were called Sublime horses and had the | | | | lung capacity and is reason for the legendary stamina |
| characteristics of the current Mangalarga Marchador | | | | of the breed. The pasterns and hooves are at the |
| horse, including the cadenced rhythmic gait called the | | | | slightly lower angle that is typical of Spanish horses |
| Marcha. It was this stallion that founded the modern | | | | which allows the breed to overreach well without |
| Mangalarga. | | | | excessive stress. |
| The breed s name comes from the Hacienda | | | | . |
| Mangalarga who acquired some of the Sublime | | | | This breed has an active but docile temperament and |
| breeding stock from Hacienda Campo Alegre and the | | | | is well known for keen intelligence, excellent stamina |
| smooth, rhythmic marcha. Local ranchers became | | | | and regal bearing. They are alert, attentive and easily |
| interested in the horses from Hacienda Mangalarga | | | | trained for most disciplines, but most of all, they are |
| and soon started to buy their own breeding stock | | | | renowned for their incredibly smooth and fluid ride |
| from Hacienda Campo Alegre. Since then, the | | | | even at high speeds using a gait that is unique in the |
| Mangalarga Marchador has been selectively bred for | | | | world. |
| over 180 years with no other breed being used. The | | | | The Mangalarga Marchador has the natural gaits; the |
| traditional breeding of the Mangalarga Marchador | | | | walk, the marches, and the canter and neither trots nor |
| horse has concentrated on the original pure foundation | | | | paces but moves naturally from the smooth marching |
| lines from Hacienda Campo Alegre. Since the famous | | | | gait into the canter. There are two different 4 beat |
| Spanish Jennets are now extinct, the Mangalarga | | | | marcha types, the lateral Marcha Picada (light touch) |
| Marchador is probably the purest surviving remnant of | | | | and the natural diagonal Marcha Batida (to hit), with the |
| that breed. .Genetic studies of these lines show many | | | | Marcha Picada being a bit smoother. The marcha can |
| specimens with very little or no outside influences and | | | | be sustained for long periods of time, allowing the rider |
| these lines produced horses that were sure footed, | | | | hours of enjoyable riding with little discomfort. |
| graceful, comfortable and of excellent temperament. | | | | The marcha is remarkably fast and smooth. The horse |
| The first breed association, Associa& #1079;& | | | | moves its feet alternately laterally and diagonally with |
| #1075;o dos Criadores do Cavalo Marchador de | | | | moments in which triple hoof support can be verified. If |
| Ra& #1079;a Mangalarga was founded in 1949 to | | | | the horse is marching on level ground at a normal |
| distinguish the Mangalarga Marchador as a unique | | | | rhythm, the tracks of the rear feet will cover or pass |
| breed, particularly in regards to the gait, and to set | | | | slightly ahead of the tracks of the front feet. |
| down the standards for the breed. It is now called the | | | | When the horse places the feet diagonally and with |
| Associa& #1079;& #1075;o Brasileira dos | | | | moments of triple hoof support, the gait is called |
| Criadores do Cavalo Mangalarga Marchador | | | | Marcha Batida. It is a diagonal four beat gait, similar to |
| (ABCCMM). The USMMA is affiliated with the | | | | the Trocha in the Paso Fino. When the horse moves |
| ABCCMM and. Mangalarga Marchador must pass rigid | | | | the feet laterally and separately and also has |
| standards for conformation, gait, performance and | | | | moments of triple hoof support, it is called Marcha |
| endurance. In many cases, the horses in the U.S. | | | | Picada. This is a broken gait and therefore creates little |
| maintain dual registry with the ABCCMM in Brazil. | | | | vertical movement, similar to the Paso Fino corto or |
| There are however, two varieties of Mangalarga. The | | | | Largo, and has also been compared to the Peruvian |
| original Marchador (also known as the Mineiro) which is | | | | Paso Llano. |
| of straight Iberian heritage and the Mangalarga Paulisto | | | | Due to the triple hoof support exhibited in the |
| from S& #1075;o Paulo which has more European | | | | Mangalarga Marchador, the marcha gives a very |
| breeds in its ancestry. When the Junqueira family | | | | comfortable ride with little friction since the horse is |
| moved to S& #1075;o Paulo, the terrain and local | | | | always in contact with the ground. The longer and |
| culture required a horse with different characteristics, | | | | more frequent the moments of triple hooves support |
| so they started to cross the Mangalarga Marchador | | | | are, the more comfortable the ride will be. |
| with Hackey, Morgan, American Saddle Horse, | | | | |