The Basuto is considered a small horse, since it possesses horse-like characteristics, such as an exceptionally long stride.

The exact breed of these horses is unknown, but they may have been Arabian, Persian or similar to the Java Pony.

The Basuto became so popular that thousands were exported, and many of the best horses were killed in action during the Boer War at the end of the 19th century.

In 2001, two Basuto ponies carried the French poet Laurence Bougault on a trek alone from Lesotho, through South Africa, and northward to Malawi.

In all, her trip covered a distance of 3,300 kilometers (2,100 mi) in eight months and became the subject of her book in French, Sous l’œil des chevaux d’Afrique (Under the eyes of African horses), 2003.