Editing Garrano (section)

== History ==
[[File:Garrano PT.jpg|thumb|In [[Paredes de Coura]]]]
[[File:Minas dos Carris XXIV (3504946741).jpg|thumb|At the {{ill|Minas dos Carris|pt}}, in the Peneda-Gerês National Park]]
The Garrano falls within the Celtic group of Iberian horse breeds, and is genetically close to other Celtic breeds such as the [[Connemara (horse)|Connemara]], the [[Exmoor Pony]] and the [[Shetland (pony)|Shetland]].{{r|ag|p=24}} Horses of this type are thought to have been introduced to the north-western [[Iberian Peninsula]] by migrating Celts in the sixth or seventh century BC; these people probably had trade relations with other Celtic populations in [[Brittany]] and Ireland.{{r|ag2|p=39}}

A [[breed association]], the {{lang|pt|Associação de Criadores de Equinos da Raça Garrana|italic=no}}, was formed within the farmers' co-operative of [[Vieira do Minho]] in 1988; in 1990 it became independent, and in 1995 received official government approval.{{r|acerg}} The [[breed standard]] was drawn up in 1993.{{r|acerg2}} 

The Garrano is distributed principally in the [[North Region, Portugal|North Region]] of Portugal. It is found in the [[concelhos of Portugal|concelhos]] of [[Amares]], [[Arcos de Valdevez]], [[Cabeceiras de Basto]], [[Caminha]], [[Melgaço, Portugal|Melgaço]], [[Monção]], [[Paredes de Coura]], [[Ponte da Barca]], [[Ponte de Lima]], [[Póvoa de Lanhoso]], [[Terras de Bouro]], [[Valença, Portugal|Valença]], [[Viana do Castelo]], Vieira do Minho, [[Vila Nova de Cerveira]] and [[Vila Verde]] in the [[province of Minho]] and of [[Montalegre]] in the [[Trás-os-Montes]].{{r|dgav|p=179}} Within the [[Peneda-Gerês National Park]], the horses are present on about 97% of the total land area, including the [[plateau]]x of Castro Laboreiro and Mourela and the four principal mountain formations, the Serra Amarela, the Serra do Gerês, the Serra da Peneda and the Serra do Soajo.{{r|dgav|p=179}} The horses are also seen on other mountain massifs outside the limits of the park, including the Serra de Arga, the {{ill|Serra da Cabreira|pt}}, the Serra de Monção, the Serra de Paredes de Coura and the Serra de Santa Luzia in Minho, and the {{ill|Serra do Larouco|pt}} in Trás-os-Montes.{{r|dgav|p=179}}

In 2019 the population registered in the [[herd-book]] included {{val|335}} [[stallion]]s and almost {{val|2000}} breeding mares, in the hands of approximately 700 breeders.{{r|dgav|p=181}} By 2024 the number of mares had risen to over {{val|2550}}, of which about {{val|1700}} were pure-bred.{{r|sprega}}