Animals

The Andalusian horse is the direct descendant of an indigenous Iberian wild horse, which in prehistoric times roamed in southern Iberia and even crossed over into Northwest Africa by way of the land bridge that existed where the Strait of Gibraltar is now. It is also quite possible that the Iberians had introduced some of their horses in Northwest Africa when they crossed over by ship — long before the Moorish invasion.

The Andalusian was used in the development of many breeds: Lipizzan, Kladruber, German and Scandinavian Warmblood, Friesian, Nonius, Connemara, Shire and Clydesdale, Cleveland Bay. Also most American breeds descend from Spanish Horses.

The spectacular paces and the agility of the Andalusian met the demands of the mounted bullfighters. In a period of several centuries when the mounted bull fight was prohibited in Spain by a royal decree, the Andalusian was still ridden out in the campus, but found a new role as a spectacular carriage horse. This horse was taken to Italy by the Spaniards in the 15th century for their wars in the kingdom of Naples, where they defeated the heavy French cavalry, and where they helped create the Neapolitano breed, the horse of Naples. It was here, then, where riding academies were founded, and the newly improved horsemanship spread to other parts of Europe. The Neapolitano, along with pure Spanish horses, helped develop the Lipizzan and Kladruber breeds. In all these breeds, the flamboyant paces of the Spanish horse were selected for to suit the demands for the haute ecole. The great riding masters — La Broue, La Noue, Pluvinel, La Gueriniere, Duke of Newcastle, Riedinger — all without exception tell of the unrivalled qualities of the Spanish horse.

Muscular in build, the overall picture of the Andalusian is a horse of great beauty and balance. Typically he stands between 15 and 16.2 hands. Gray and bay coats are dominant and others are admissible in Andalusian Horse Associations. In Spain, only grey, bay and black are accepted by the studbook — no chestnuts or other-colored horses.

Temperament: these are horses with easy response to command and very sensitive mouths, resulting in a mount that is obedient and of extraordinary comfort. They are temperate and hardy; noble and docile. They learn rapidly and participate intimately with their riders.