HISTORY

The Purebred Spanish Horse, or Andalusian (PRE - Caballo de Pura Raza Espanola), descends from the earliest known saddle horses. One of the few natural breeds of the world, they come from the same ancestral stock as the Numidian, Libyan or Berber horses which came from the E C Przewalski, the wild horse of Central Asia. Mentioned in the writings of Homer and Xenaphon, the war horse of the Carthaginians, Romans, Moors and Conquistadors of Mexico, their bloodlines founded the American Quarter Horse (currently promoted in the UK as "the world's most versatile horse" and "the breed of the 21st century"), Appaloosa, Cleveland Bay, Connemara and others. Mounted on these Spanish Andalusians, like Cid Campeador's (El Cid's) Babieca, the Christian horsemen battled against the Arabs in the Reconquest. The Conquistadors on their Spanish Horses were seen as Centaurs, so at one were they with their horses during the conquest of Mexico and Peru.

Then the Spanish Horse became the most sought after in Europe for improving breeds, even the Thoroughbred, from the so called Royal (Spanish) Mares and the Imperial Stud in Lipizza for its foundation stock to create the Lipizzaner.

A Classical Master, the Duke of Newcastle, noted ‘Spanish Horses are the most intelligent, the most handsome and the most noble in all the world' and he found only one fault, that of ‘Having too good a memory; because it uses this to govern itself and to anticipate the will of the rider.'

M. de la Guérinière, praised as one of the supreme masters of classical equitation of all times, whose methods are applied unaltered at the Spanish Riding School, Vienna and may be seen there in daily use, declared; ‘the Spanish Horse is better than any other horse because of its agility, its resilience and the distension of its rhythmic movements ... the best of all horses for the manége, by reason of their agility, their strength and the natural cadence of their gait; and for war on a day of battle because of their courage and obedience.'

In the beginning of the 17th century, La Brune said; ‘that the Spanish Horse was the most worthy to be mounted by a King', because of its great beauty and clemency and this is what many kings did, like Philipe II of Spain, Henry VIII of England and Louis XIV of France for example. Napoleon's favourite horse for battles was a Spanish Andalusian, whose skeletal configuration is preserved in the Museum of Natural History in Paris.

Gayot, towards the end of the 19th century assured that the Spanish Horse was called ‘the pure blood of other times', for its magnificent shape and its suitability.

BREEDING

To be listed for breeding, any Purebred Spanish Horse, anywhere in the world, must pass the rigorous inspections of the Cria Caballar (Spanish Military), veterinary and breeding standards. If passed for breeding the horse may then be included in the Purebred Spanish Horse State Stud Book (dating to the beginning of this century), controlled by the Cria Caballar with what is possibly the most carefully managed system in the equine world.

Even a foal born to an approved breeding stallion and mare must be inspected by the Cria Caballar before it is five months old, blood typed, microchipped and its parentage proven, but does not receive full papers at this stage. Only after three years of age can these be applied for and only then if it passes another inspection, known as grading, for conformation, size, bone, movement, colour and type, but also for temperament - almost unheard of in other breeds. If it passes all tests it can be entered in the State Stud Book, its details held on computer along with its ancestors and eventually any offspring that also pass through grading.

This careful and expensive commitment to the breed by the Spanish authorities and properly registered breeders is a contributory factor why the Spanish Horse maintains such an excellent temperament while universally retaining the attributes of its breed. A horse poorly conformed or with a bad temperament just would not be registered for breeding.

Information held in the Spanish State Stud book for the Purebred Spanish Horse is so comprehensive that all details of all registered horses and their progeny are listed, from the late 1800's, including bloodtype information, breeder's brands and cross references to ancestors, progeny and their progeny's progeny!

At Yeguada Iberica (Iberian Stud) near Bedford, England, all the information from all the Stud Books are held in computerised records with such detail that information such as % inbreeding (consanguidad) can be instantly seen by simply entering the names/numbers of any mare and stallion combination. Charts can be produced to detail any registered mare or stallion's progeny including sex and colour and percentage of each, giving some guidance as to future possibilities. Bloodlines, with brands can be viewed or printed, going back through all a horse's generations to the start of the century.

VERSATILITY

Purebred Spanish Horses are not so well known in Northern Europe as 'warmbloods' are as sports horses, despite their tremendous influence on the equestrian world for centuries. Unfortunately, during perhaps the last 50 years or so, fashions have changed and the classical movements, lightness of touch and balance of the classical breeds has become modified. Riding, training and judging have become designed around the larger, powerful and colder in temperament northern European horse, usually called a ‘warmblood', due to the mixing of indigenous draft horses with hotbloods, which can only be Arab, the Iberian horses - Spanish and Lusitano and latterly, Thoroughbred. Due to the average Purebred Spanish Horse's kind temperament, unmatchable work morale and ability to switch off and relax when not asked to work, many are surprised to find they are true hotbloods.

Unfortunately many uninitiated to the attributes of this breed ask "what does it do ?", often, mistakenly thinking Spanish Horses can only perform with a short, high movement, unaware that when given the chance to be ridden and trained properly these horses can extend, jump, drive, turn, stop and pirouette etc. with a stamina, lightness and balance hard to match. It often surprises Spanish Horse owners that although the American Quarterhorse, which originates from the Spanish Horse, is so well renowned for its abilities, yet so few understand or appreciate the Spanish Horse's equal if not in some ways superior abilities.

Dressage: The great riding academies of Europe based their art on the Spanish horses natural movement, demanding the balance, collection, agility and working temperament to calmly perform the Piaffe, Pirouette, Capriole, Courbet and Levade, as still performed by the Spanish Riding School, Vienna, Royal School of Equestrian Art, Jerez, the Cadre Noir, Saumur and others. Although practising the art of dressage for centuries, generally the Spanish rider and his horse has been long isolated from Northern European competition, yet the Spanish team were placed fourth in the recent Olympic Games in Atlanta - at their first attempt. Ignacio Rambla from Spain, on his Spanish Horse Invasor, came 3rd in the Intermediare 11 at the International Horse Show, Stockholm in November last year.

Eventing & endurance: Several horses that competed successfully at the recent Olympic Games had Spanish blood in them. Many partbreds compete in various disciplines and the Hispano-Arabe (Spanish/Arab cross) is renowned for its endurance capabilities.

Doma Vaquera: The Spanish Horse has been the reliable and tough working mount of the Spanish ranch hand (Vaquera) for many years, working long hours in extremes of heat. Modern day Doma Vaquera competitions are held all over Spain and now in other countries in Europe and other parts of the world, with National and now being organised - International Championships. Only the best performance dressage horses with speed and balance compete in what is effectively a combination of Grand Prix dressage, ridden with one hand only, plus a short and always exciting freehand display where some of the most difficult manoeuvres are performed.

Horse mounted Bullfighting (Rejoneo): Whatever your views on bullfighting, few breeds of horse are agile and brave enough or can accelerate, stop and turn so swiftly in harmony with their rider, to survive in the bullring like the Spanish Horse does.

Driving: Driven for thousands of years, yet few in Northern Europe could even imagine the spectacle of Spanish team competitions. Their willingness, working morale, strength, stamina and temperament make them ideal driving horses, but being isolated from the rest of the Equine world for so long, enlightened North European driving enthusiasts are only starting to realise their potential. At Yeguada Iberica (Iberian Stud), near Bedford, England, two stallions were introduced to harness for the first time, then 11 weeks later they finished 2nd overall at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, Gucci event, driven as a pair. A testament to the learning ability and flexibility of the breed.

Although capable of spectacular performances, perhaps only an owner of this breed can truly appreciate all its qualities. Without the Thoroughbred's outright speed, or jump as powerful as some warmbloods, as with their recent successes in the Olympic Games, they perform almost every avenue of equestrian sport with grace, lightness and a temperament most likely unmatched by any other breed.

TEMPERAMENT

The Spanish Horse has the ability to work, with fire and courage as most hotbloods, but with a work morale and willingness hard to better. Few horses and no other hotbloods are generally so straight forward to handle. Universally renowned for their gentle manners, visitors to Spanish Horse studs are usually astonished by the extent of their easy temperament and willingness to work. It is hardly surprising there are very few Spanish geldings.

More information will follow in our next issue including highlights and results from "EXPOVICAMAN" in Albacete, la Mancha, Spain.