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"Andalucia Horse, Absolute Natural Beauty"
Andalucia Horse There can be no other majestic sight to match this beautiful creature in full flight.The joys of riding this magnificent creature on the shores of Andalucia is an experience not to be missed. The Andalucia Horse, also known as the Purebred Spanish Horse or PRE (Pura Raza Española; in English, Pure Spanish-bred), is a horse breed from the Iberian Peninsula. It is extremely similar to the closely related Lusitano breed from Portugal, also the now almost extinct breed of Sorraia may have been responsible for the qualities we now see today. There are several competing registries that cover the Andalucian/PRE breed. These registries differ on their definition of the Andalucian and PRE, the purity of various strains of the breed, and the legalities of stud book ownership. The ancestors of the Andalucian have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years, but they became recognized as an individual breed beginning in the 15th century. Throughout its history, the Andalucian has been known for its prowess as a war horse and prized by nobles and also its bravery in the bull ring. Andalucians were restricted from exportation from Spain until the 1960s, however around the 16th century the conquistadors took the Spanish horse to America, several of those horses escaped and mixed with the feral horses and were responsible for the wild horse now known as the Mustang. Once the restriction was later lifted the Andalucian Horse has since spread throughout the world. There are currently less than 20,000 Andalucians in the world today, including around 4,500 in the United States. Andalucians are strongly built,with an attractive head a broad forehead and large kind eyes. The neck is often quite thick, nicely arched and set well on good sloping shoulders. Compact yet elegant horses with long, thick manes and tails, the back is short with muscular quarters. The most common colour is grey, although they can be found in many other colours, Andalucians stand between 15hh to 16hh. They are known for their intelligence and docility, although they are also proud and sensitive animals with tremendous presence and spectacular action. Today, Andalucians are used for many equestrian activities, including dressage, show jumping and driving. They have also been used extensively to create and improve other breeds, including the Lipizzan and the Alter Real, another Iberian horse breed. The breed is also used extensively in movies,and in addition the Andulician Stallions are use in photo shoots for glamour magazines and especially historical movies and fantasy epics, and serves as the current mascot for the University of Southern California. |
