It is named for the massif of Monte Catria in the Marche region of Italy, where it is thought to have originated, and is distributed also in parts of the provinces of Ancona, Perugia and Pesaro.

[2]: 450  It is one of the fifteen indigenous horse "breeds of limited distribution" recognised by the AIA, the Italian breeders' association.

[3] The Catria derives from the cross-breeding of Maremmano-derived stock from west of the Apennines, thought to have been brought from their homeland in Tuscany mainly by charcoal burners, with other breeds, principally the Swiss Franches-Montagnes.

[4] Numbers fell at the time of the Second World War, and the population survived in mountainous areas suitable only for untended livestock.

[4] The horses are used in the mountains for agricultural purposes, particularly for carrying cut firewood from steep woodland.