The Andalusian horse is one of the purest breeds of horses in the world today. Originating from the Iberian Peninsula, cave paintings have been found dating from around 20,000 BC depicting these horses identified from their unique characteristics.

It is believed that originally the ancestor of the Andalusian, namely the Sorraia dating back to at least 25,000 BC, were used in war. In later times the Andalucians were used by ancient Greeks and Romans as cavalry mounts. Xenophon observed how Iberian horses had the ability to gather its hind legs under the fore, falling on the hocks and rasing up to expose the belly, this allowed the war horses to stop and turn quickly. The breed was well regarded for is agility, speed and courage.

Fine Spanish horses were brought into Britain after the Norman Conquest, however later the development of heavy armour required stronger, heavier breeds and therefore a less speedy advance! Hence the Adalucian horses once renowned for their bravery in battle were no longer bred for warfare. However the nobility had found the new pastime of Dressage and hence these horses, perfectly suited to "dancing and prancing" found a new niche. There was however some time when the breed was on the decline due to loss of horses in battle during the years of European warfare. Known at one time as the Royal Horses of Europe,
exporting them without permission of the Royal family was illegal and punishable by death! In fact so valuable was the breed that all pure bred mares had one ear cropped to make it obvious she was not allowed to leave the country.

During the Renaissance, the great Classical Riding Academies took an interest in the breed. Because of the Andalusian's agilty and natural balance, it excelled in the High School Dressage performed in many courts of the day. During the 19th century, the use of the Andalusian declined. However, Carthusian monks continued to breed the horse, and preserved the purity. Today, the Spanish government promotes the Andalusian, and the breed is gaining in popularity for High School Dressage demonstrations. They are also popular for bullfighting, and have recently been used for dressage, show jumping, driving and endurance, although Thoroughbred blood is often added to give the breed more scope.

Progeny
The Andalusian has gone on to develop many other breeds suitable for High School Dressage, including the Lipizzaner, Alter Real, Lusitano, Kladruber, Frederiksborg (Royal horse of Denmark), Neapolitan, and many European warmbloods of today. British breeds influenced by the Andalusian are Cleveland Bay, Welsh Cob, Hackney and Connemara pony,



Breed Characteristics
Most Andalusian horses are white or grey, estimated at about 80%, however a number are also bay or black, while chestnut is not regarded as a legal colour for purebreds in most countries. They are compact horses, yet very elegant. Their legs are clean, with good bone, upright compact hooves and they have a high, round action, which makes them particularly suitable for High School Dressage. They usually have a large head with a convex profile, short cannons, a long, sloping shoulder, stallions maintain a long, flowing mane and tail while mares are traditionally hogged. The Andalusian generally stands 15.1-15.3 hh.

Information and top picture taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalusian_horse
Photograph by kind permisson of Debborah Simmonds