The Andalusian Horse -- A Spanish Beauty

One of the oldest breeds of equine in the world today is the Andalusian horse. Also known as the Spanish horse, this breed is closely related to the Portuguese Lusitano horse. Both of these breeds fall under the category of Iberian horses which refers to a particular geographic region. The Iberian Peninsula is located in the southwestern portion of Europe and includes Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. Iberian horses date back as far as 25,000 BC which is when its primitive ancestor, the Sorraia, appeared.You may also hear this breed referred to as the Purebred Spanish Horse because breeders in Spain prize themselves on keeping the Andalusian breed one that is pure and of high quality.

Andalusians are used for a variety of purposes. They are used as companion animals, show jumpers, cattle herders and even in the bullfighting ring. This breed is compact in size, standing between 15 to 16 hands on average. Despite their compact size they are strongly muscled and have an elegant bearing. This elegant bearing is one of the reasons they are used for dressage. This horse sports a lean head of medium size, large expressive eyes, and a long yet muscular neck. The majority of Andalusians are gray in color, although you may come across those that are black, bay or chestnut.

These beautiful horses are intelligent and possess a rather sensitive temperament. They can be stubborn, but respond well to gentle yet firm guidance. This means you want to show the horse who's in charge in a way that is respectful yet commands respect. Andalusians make excellent companions and enjoy being around their owners and each other. This breed has made its cinematic mark by being featured in films like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. Their intelligence, trainability and dramatic beauty make them perfect for the silver screen.

If you are thinking about buying an Andalusian horse, you should visit a few breeders and look the horses over carefully. Decide whether you want a mare, stallion, colt, filly, or gelding. A mare is an adult female, a stallion is an adult male, a colt is a juvenile male and a filly is a juvenile female. A gelding is a neutered male. You will want to decide what color horse you want. As mentioned before most of them are gray but the shade of gray can vary, and occasionally you might come across another color. Some Andalusians are bred with other types of horses like Arabians to create beautiful crossbreeds. You will also need to figure out your price range, as horses are sold for various prices from cheap to very expensive.



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