According to a genetic study of "Spanish Celtic horse breeds", the Mallorquín and Menorquín are connected to the now extinct Catalan horse,[6] itself the result of introgression of populations with strong African genetic influence into an original population of Celtic horses introduced to the Iberian peninsula by the Celts around the eighth century BC.

[8] Identification of the breed was begun in 1981 by the Patronato para las Razas Autóctonas de Mallorca.

[5][10] Its status was listed as "critical-maintained" by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2000 and in 2007.

[14] It has an upright mane, short, thick, but arched neck, a head with a convex profile but refined bone structure.

This breed is used by the local population only as a riding horse; farm work in the islands was traditionally done by the Balearic donkey.