By Melanie Huggett
The Iberian Peninsula of southwest Europe contains the countries of Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Gibraltar, as well as a very small portion of France. The land’s mountainous slopes, arid plateaus, deep river valleys, and expansive coastline have been home to equines for many millennia. Today, there are 17 breeds native to the peninsula, which are thusly named Iberian horses.
However, two of these 17 breeds truly stand out: The Pura Raza Espanola (PRE) of Spain, more commonly known as the Andalusian, and Puro Sangue Lusitano (PSL), or simply Lusitano, of Portugal are well known for their beauty, athleticism, and ability to inspire passion.
The history of the PRE and PSL is closely related and dates back to 30,000 BC. Archeological evidence suggests that their ancestor is the Sorraia, a small, dun coloured wild horse native to southern Iberia. Cave paintings dating back as far as 20,000 BC look remarkably like the modern Andalusian and Lusitano.
Since being mounted and ridden by man for the first time around 4000 BC, the Iberian horse’s primary use has been as a war horse. Archeological findings show that cavalry battles with halberds, a weapon used to dismount the enemy, occurred during the Bronze Age on the southern peninsula.
Later on, both the Greeks and Romans used Iberian horses for their cavalry. The famous Greek cavalry officer, Xenophon, praised the “gifted Iberian horses,” which helped the Spartans defeat the Athenians during the Peloponnesian Wars in 400 BC.
Much later, Iberian Horses were used during the Crusades of the Middle Ages. Considered noble horses, they were ridden by many famous individuals, including the great warrior King Richard I of England, also known as Richard the Lion Heart. At this time, bulls began to be used in both Spain and Portugal to keep horses and warriors fit for war. A series of exercises and tricks were used to fight the aggressive bull.
Photo: Susan M. Carter; Courtesy of JCAndalusians.com
Iberians have often been the mounts of nobility due to their elegant looks and regal presence.
During the Renaissance, Iberians became prized for their ability to perform high school dressage, becoming common at royal courts and classical riding academies across Europe. Again, due to his noble appearance, the Iberian became the principle mount of royalty and nobility in many countries.
Iberian horses also began to make their way to North and South America aboard Spanish, Portuguese, and French ships between the 15th and 17th centuries. All the horse breeds developed on the American continents are either directly or indirectly descended from Iberian horses. These breeds include the Quarter Horse, Mustang, Appaloosa, Canadian Horse, Mangalarga Marchador, Paso Fino, Peruvian Paso, and many others. In Europe around the same time, the Iberian became the foundation of the Lippizan, Kladruber, and, later, many European Warmbloods.
Until 300 years ago, the Iberian ancestor of PRE and PSL horses was the same. The separation between the Lusitano and Andalusian began primarily in the 18th century, when bullfighting in Spain ceased to be performed on horseback; a man on foot, or matador, became the primary bullfighter in Spain at that time. In Portugal, however, bullfighting on horseback remained, and is still practiced to this day, though the bull is not killed in the ring like in Spain.
Arsenio Raposo Cordeiro explains in his book Cavalo Lusitano (Lusitano Horse): “The end of the bullfight on horseback in Spain forced the introduction of a new selection process in horse breeding… which became focused on the selection of a sporting horse with elevated and exuberant movements. In Portugal however, where bullfighting on horseback continued to be the only accepted form, a more cautious selection was practiced to produce a specialized fighting horse.”
Pura Raza Espanola
The PRE or Pure Spanish Horse is often called the “Horse of Kings” for his noble looks, fine temperament, and history as a mount for nobility.
In North America Andalusians can be registered with the International Andalusian 