The Cuban Trotter, called the Criollo de Trote in Spanish, is a riding and harness horse developed in Cuba from crosses between the local Criollo horse population and trotting breeds introduced from North America and Europe in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The defining characteristic is a strong, ground-covering diagonal two-beat trot, in contrast to the lateral gaits of other Cuban horse breeds. The result is a versatile horse suited to harness work, pleasure riding, and light agricultural use.
Cuban Trotters are common on the island and represent one of the most numerically significant horse types in Cuba. The breed is medium-sized, typically standing 14.2 to 15.2 hands, with a muscular body, strong hocks that drive its working trot, and a constitution adapted to the tropical climate. Bloodlines from Standardbred and other harness-racing breeds introduced trotting ability and refinement, while the base Criollo stock contributed hardiness and disease resistance. The diagonal trot is the working gait the breed was shaped around.
Outside of Cuba the breed is largely unknown; it has not been exported in significant numbers and formal international breed registry records are sparse. Compared to gaited Cuban breeds that perform the lateral amble, the Trotter is preferred in situations where trotting efficiency in harness or under saddle is the priority. The breed’s disposition is generally manageable, and it is used as a general-purpose working horse across a range of Cuban agricultural settings. The dam lines in Cuban Trotter pedigrees reflect consistent Criollo maternal ancestry.
Further Reading: The Wikipedia article on the Cuban Trotter covers its breed history and Standardbred crosses; the broader Criollo horse family context explains the island’s foundational equine stock that the trotting breeds were crossed into.