Pêga Donkey

The Pêga donkey is a Brazilian breed, developed in Lagoa Dourada, state of Minas Gerais, in southeast of Brazil, with is nowadays spread over Brazilian and Paraguayan territories. It is the best breed to cross with mares of several breeds, to produce hybrid animals (mules) with well proved capacity for varied kinds of works and pleasure riding.
The Pêga donkey transmits to his hybrids some of its notables and singular characteristics such as liveliness, docileness, proud, endurance, rusticity, longevity and mainly to produce gaited mules (three-stepped), comfortable and smooth, it is a refined animal and frequently used to all variety of riding walks, for cattle daily works, for gaited competitions. It is also used by small and medium sized farms, for load transportation and traction.
Gaited Mares used to cross with Pêga Jack to produce gaited mules

Mangalarga Marchador

The Mangalarga Marchador originated in Brazil in the early 19th Century, but its roots lie in the turbulence of the Napoleonic Wars.
In 1807 Napoleon invaded the Iberian Peninsula and installed his brother as King of Spain. His forces also invaded Portugal (a long time ally of Great Britain), forcing the King, D. Joao VI, and the Royal Family to flee to Brazil, then a Portuguese colony. When they left Portugal, they took with them the best horses from the Royal Alter stud, which had an international reputation as a breeder of fine horses of Andalusian blood.
In 1812 Prince Pedro I presented a young stallion named SUBLIME to his friend, Gabriel Francisco Junqueira, Baron of Aldenas and owner of the Hacienda Campo Alegre near Belo Horizonte, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. SUBLIME was bred to native mares of Spanish Jennet and Barb blood, many of which were fast amblers. The get of these breedings were called 'Sublime horses.' Later, the Hacienda Mangalarga acquired stock from Campo Alegre and awakened interest in the horse among local ranchers. They quickly saw the advantages of the smooth, cadenced, and rhythmic gait, the 'marcha', and the horses were soon known as 'Mangalarga Marchadors.'
Other selective breeding programs were soon established and it is said that there has been no incrossing to the rootstock for more than 180 years. The first breed association, the Associaocao dos Criadores do Cavalo Marchador de Raça Mangalarga, was formed in 1949 in Belo Horizonte, with the goals of setting breed standards, and promoting and distinguishing the Mangalarga Marchador as a unique breed, principally with regard to its gait. The group is now called the Associacao Brasileira dos Criadores do Cavalo Mangalarga Marchador (ABCCMM).
A detailed breed standard sets the rules for the Mangalarga Marchador. The modern Marchador horse averages just over 15 hands, and weighs between 900 and 1100 pounds. Most colors are represented in the breed, with grays, bays, and chestnuts predominating. The breed is well known for its keen intelligence, docile nature, tremendous stamina, and impressive presence.
The gait of the Mangalarga Marchador is its hallmark. Unlike many gaited breeds, where a 'cookie cutter' approach is used to judge gait quality, the Marchador horse can present with any one of three broad gait categories: the 'marcha picada' (a lateral gait, ranging from a somewhat pacy running walk to a pace similar to the Icelandic flying pace); the 'marcha batida' (a diagonal gait similar to the foxtrot or Peruvian trocha) and the 'center march' (very close to the classic running walk of the Tennessee Walkers of the 1930s or early ‘40s).
The Marchador horse is capable of performing many tasks well. In Brazil the horse performs ranch tasks (cutting, working cattle, etc.). The laterally gaited types were commonly used as 'town horses' in the days before the widespread availability of motor transport, and are still popular today as trail horses. The diagonally gaited stock is known for its stamina, agility, and ability to handle rough terrain. They are used by Brazilian Fox Hunters. The sport of 'coursing deer' often requires the horses travel 150 miles in three days over a wide variety of terrain. And, according to the Brazilian Eduro web page, the top endurance horse in Brazil in 1997 was a Marchador (even though more than 80% of the total horses are Arabians, Anglo-Arabians, or Arabian crosses).
To maintain quality, the ABCCMM mandates inspection of stock prior to permanent registration. Temporary papers are issued to a foal at birth, but permanent registration is not granted until the horses are inspected at not younger than three years of age for conformation, gait, and temperament. Technicians licensed by the Ministry of Agriculture conduct these inspections.

CAMPOLINA

Brazil holds the many gaited horse breeds. Among them is the Campolina breed. Named after the first breeder; Mr. Cassiano Antonio da Silva Campolina (1836-1904), the Campolina horse has been bred in Brazil for centuries.
Mr. Campolina owned the Fazenda Tanque in the south part of the state of Minas Gerais. In 1870, Mr. Campolina was gifted a national mare bred by an Andalusian stallion, owned by D. Pedro II. That mare gave birth to a beautiful ½ Andalusian black colt later named 'Monarca'. This beautiful colt, raised with love and lot of care became the founding stallion for the Campolina breed. He was bred to Crioullo mares for 25 years at the Fazenda Tanque.
Since the beginning, Mr. Campolina was very selective and always improving genetically his herd by creating animals of great statute, sobriety and comfortable movement.
After Mr. Campolina died, other breeders continued his work and by doing so, they introduced other breeds to accomplish Mr. Campolina’s goal. Other stallions that influenced the breed were: 'Menelike', an Anglo-Normand; 'Golias', a ¼ Clydesdale; 'Teffer', a Hosteiner; 'Yanke Prince', an American Saddle Horse and 'Rio Verde', a Mangalarga Marchador. The herdbook was finally closed in 1934 and no other breeds were allowed to be introduced.
In 1951, the Associacao Brasileira de Criadores de Cavalo Campolina was formed. It was created to establish the breed standards in order to guide the breeders. It has been decided on the following: the Campolina’s ideal height should be average over 15 hands. There is no maximum height determined for the breed. Any color is accepted and the temperament should be alert and docile. The horse should have great statute but be delicate, a sub convex to rectilinear profile, medium to long ears, round and muscular neck, silky and full manes; slightly inclined croup; rounded rump, and a low insertion tail. Like the Mangalarga Marchador, the Campolina also holds the batida (diagonal) and the picada (lateral) gaits. The breed standard for the gait demands that it be natural, of triple support, comfortable, elegant, regular and generated.
Picada gait is a natural, lateral gait, which is executed in four beats, which provides an extreme smoothness for the rider. It is characterized by a disassociated dislocation of support, elevation and advance of the lateral members, always with movements of triple support and diagonal support. The diagonal support being of significant inferior time as the lateral support. The more frequent and defined the triple support, the more balanced and comfortable the animal will be.
The Batida gait is also natural, but of a diagonal gait. It is characterized by the dissociation of the support, elevation and the advance of the diagonal bipeds, always with movements of triple support and lateral support. The lateral support is of inferior time as the diagonal support. It is a gait of disassociation diagonal advance, with 4 beats very well spaced on each cycle. It consists of the following: Triple support, diagonal biped support, triple support, lateral biped support, triple support, diagonal biped support, triple support, lateral biped support.
It has been for a long time now that the Campolina horse is naturally inclined to gait. It is obvious when seeing the foals next to their dams, when they are at its natural and have not been submitted to any type of training. But to gait, the foals need to carry the gait genes and the natural gait is pure.
The first requirement for a Campolina horse to receive the title of champion is to gait. Non gaited horses are automatically disqualified from show rings. The gaits are judged for comfort, style, regularity, efficiency and naturalness.

PAMPA 

Like the Americans have the Paint and the Pinto horses, the Brazilians have the Pampa horse. Aside from the various color patterns, the Pampa horse is also characterized by the gait, which are the batida and picada gaits. Therefore, the Pampa breed combines both beauty and comfort.