ORIGINS
The Campolina horse breed originated in Brazil in 1870 when a farmer, Cassiano Campolina, bred a Brazilian mare or Barb ancestry with a pure Andalusian stallion. Other breeds that Campolina used to refine the breed were Anglo-Norman, Clydesdale, Holsteiner, American Saddle Horse, and the Mangalarga Marchador. The breed standards were first defined in 1934 when the herdbook was closed and the introduction of outside breeds was no longer accepted. The Professional Consortium of Campolina Horse Breeders was formed in 1938 to formally organize the breed. The organization was renamed the Campolina Breeder Association in 1951 which is when the breed standards were formally adopted. The breed standards were updated in 1975 and 1993.

PHYSICAL FEATURES / PHYSIQUE
The Campolina's head is proportional in size to the rest of its body, having a flat forehead and well-separated lower jaw. The horse's profile is straight to a subconvex line in the bridge of the nose; the eyes are medium to large in size; the nostrils are large and flexible; the neck is arched, muscular, proportional and well inserted into the shoulder. The withers are well defined and long; the chest is deep, wide and not too prominent; the ribs are long and arched; the back is medium in length; the loin is short and well muscled; the croup large and long, smoothly inclined; the tail set medium-high; mane and tail are silky in texture. The shoulders are long, oblique, and muscular. The legs are strong with well-defined tendons and strong joings; the hoofs are round, solid, dark, and very hard. The most revered Campolina horses are a silver-grey. Other popular colors are dun, bay, buckskin, and pinto,. Though it can be found in almost any color. The Campolina's weight is between 1,200 and 1,300 pounds for stallions and between 770 and 990 pounds for mares. Its height varies from 15 to 16.2 hands, making it one of the larger Brazillian breeds.

The Campolina horse is the largest of the three gaited Brazilian breeds. Its gaits are a smooth, regular batida or a picada, the first characterized by a longer time of movement of the bipeds in diagonal and the second only in lateral, both with four-beat movements. The gait is called the true marcha or marcha verdadeira. The Campolina neither trots nor paces.

TEMPERAMENT
The temperament is docile, but active and proud.

USES / ASSETS
The Campolina is a gaited breed, with an ambling gait. The horses are used for pleasure and trail riding, dressage, and driving.

STATUS
There are currently around 85,000 registered Campolina horses, with slightly over 7,300 registered breeders.