Andalusian horse: Origin, characteristics, and character

Animals have accompanied man since the beginning of civilization. For its part, the horse has accompanied man throughout his history thanks to his role as an agricultural worker, transport and war machine. Today we will know a little more about this important breed of horses, the Andalusian horse.

Horse breeds arose from the need to specialize horses according to the work to be done. Some required being stronger to drag plows, while others had to be agile jumpers. Among them, one of the most outstanding breeds has turned out to be the Andalusian horse or also known as “Pura Raza Española”.

The Andalusian horse is one of the oldest breeds in the world. It has its origin in Spain and one of the most appreciated in that country. This breed was isolated for breeding for several centuries and has been a precursor to other “younger” horse breeds. This is because its characteristics are highly appreciated in different equestrian disciplines.

The Andalusian horse has become the flagship equine of Spain. That is why it is also known as the Spanish Thoroughbred or simply as a Spanish horse.

Origin of the Andalusian horse

It is a native of the Andalusian peninsula and is currently known as the Spanish Thoroughbred horse. The Middle Ages and Caliphate of Cordoba was the triggering context, along with the studs of the upper classes, of that time, to expand this race.

Even during the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries it was forbidden to cross the horses of the south of the Iberian Peninsula with the rest. The objective was clear, to create a line that retained all its quality and that differed markedly from the rest.

Later, the first breeders began to emerge, and the Spanish Thoroughbred horse began to take shape.

The Carthusian horse

Within the Andalusian race horses the line of the Carthusian horse is one of the most important of this breed. This is because his book of origins, where breeding crosses are recorded, is among the oldest on the planet.

The Carthusian horse book dates from the late 15th century.  It was for this time that the monks of Jerez de la Frontera began the breeding and registration of these horses. It is certainly a breed that has history and still has a great influence today.

In addition, the region of Jerez de la Frontera is linked to the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. This institution is one of the most prestigious in the world when it comes to the dressage of horses. The institution preserves and transmits the tradition relating to this breed.

Characteristics of the Andalusian Horse

The Andalusian horse has a stylized body of intermediate characteristics. This is one of the things that makes it ideal for a multitude of equestrian disciplines, without being especially suitable as a draft horse. Remember that the draft horse must be corpulent and of great weight to be able to drag the cart or cart with the load.

Even the dimension of its elevation is ideal for a multitude of competitions. It is between the height of one and a half meters and one and three quarters meters.

Thanks to these characteristics the Andalusian horse has the agility, strength and power for equestrian sports disciplines. But also the Andalusian horse is widely used for equestrian shows for its beauty and elegance. This is because it has good proportions and very lively and large eyes. Your body is not only strong to perform your activities but also gives you an enormous elegance.

Its colors

Another thing that makes it ideal for equestrian shows is its coat. Since we can find Andalusian horses of almost any color. However, we cannot find horses with large white spots, which is known as a celery horse. This makes it ideal because we can choose for a show a particular color or use its diversity of coats to show its diversity.

Character of the Andalusian horse

The Andalusian horse is characterized by being a horse of excellent temperament. Its character is docile and easy to deal with, making him very adaptable to any discipline. This is one of the most appreciated features.

It stands out for being a very active horse, this also makes it special for competitive sports. In addition, it has an exceptional capacity to respond to the teachings given to it.

In addition, as we mentioned before it is a strong animal and able to withstand high temperatures well. Their ability to recover from injuries and illnesses is well above the average of other breeds.

Regarding the character, they rarely exhibit sudden and angry behaviors. And not only when you are already trained but from the beginning.

Its docility, intelligence and nobility make it a versatile animal and ideal to be trained for any discipline. This is the characteristic that has made it one of the favorites to form new breeds of horses. We can see the Andalusian horse from horseback riding, equestrian jumping, in the “bullfighting on horseback”, in cowboy or classical dressage or even dancing.

The Andalusian, a horse for all tastes and disciplines

As we have been able to corroborate through this article, the Andalusian horse has many reasons to be appreciated. Valuable for its historical value as one of the oldest races, passing for its beauty and even for its nobility. The Andalusian horse is a horse that more than just a race is the heritage of Spain for the equestrian world.

Thanks to knowing all this we can appreciate them as an integral and versatile animal that continues to give a lot to talk about, and not only for its superficial appearance.

Gustavo Mirabal appreciates the value of the Spanish purebred and with his social media contributes to its dissemination. We hope that we have done our bit to achieve this objective.