The Monchino[1] (Spanish:[monˈtʃino]) or Monchinu[2] (Cantabrian: [monˈtʃinu]) is a breed of horse indigenous to the Valle de Guriezo in the Cantabria region of northern Spain, and also extending into neighbouring Biscay province.[1] It is listed in the Official Catalogue of Livestock Breeds of Spain (Catálogo Oficial de Razas de Ganado de España) in the group of autochthonous breeds in danger of extinction.[3]
The word monchinu means highlander, from the mountains, in Cantabrian.[2][4]
Horse breeds thought to originate wholly or partly within Portugal and Spain. Some have complex or obscure histories, so inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively Iberian.