by JP Giacomini Copyright 2006
These successes are due to the unique selection process practiced by Portuguese breeders: the Veiga Line (MV) is world-famous for their Bullfighting ability (a traditional Iberian equestrian sport requiring the highest level of athleticism); the Alter Real line (AR) produces mounts for the Baroque high school exercises displayed by the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art); the Andrade line (AD) is known for their excellent dressage gaits (originally selected with the help of Classical Dressage Master Nuno Oliveira); and the Coudelaria Nacional line (CN - National Stud), selected horses for their extremely amenable temperament and high stepping gaits. The AD and CN lines are based mostly on Spanish PREs imported over the past 150 years from the prestigious Bocado line. Horses from the pure bloodlines are usually favored in the breeding shed while most performing horses are the product of 1 or 2 crosses between the main bloodlines. Example: Veiga-Andrade, Veiga-Alter, Andrade-Alter, Veiga-CN, etc. Part bred Lusitanos (crossed with Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Warmbloods, etc.) are frequently used in Europe for the FEI and stock-handling sports. For American breeders, this is the fastest expanding market for the services of Lusitano stallions.
The Lusitano is a very ancient breed considered a hot-blooded, purebred horse. His prehistoric ancestor is probably the “Sorraia”, a rare, smaller horse, characterized by a dun/mouse colored coat with primitive markings that was rediscovered and reconstituted by Dr. Ruy D’Andrade in the 20th century. Both the Sorraia and the modern Lusitano are characterized by the same “Sub-convex” form of their fronto-nasal profile (head), round forms (of neck, croup, etc.), excellent gaits (which are straight, forward moving, loose and elevated) and their ability to work with wild (fighting) cattle. This horse is the Portuguese descendant of the historical “Iberian Genet” and, was also called the Spanish Horse by osmosis when Spain and Portugal were briefly merged in a single political entity.
The superiority of Iberian Horsemanship and horses has been acknowledged by sculptures, paintings and in literature as far back as the Iliad of Homer (8th cent. BC), all the way to the 18th century. Thanks to the exposure this horse received from Nuno Oliveira’s books, from the creation of both the Spanish & Portuguese Schools of Equestrian Art, from the immense success of the World Equestrian Games in Jerez/Spain 2002 and from the Dressage Bronze Medal won by the Spanish Team, the Lusitano and the Andalusian are enjoying an amazing renaissance of interest. Horse people the world over see them again as the archetype of the riding horse of their dreams, the other half of the mythical Centaur all riders aspire to become.
In Europe, the Lusitano and Spanish studbook was separated 50 years ago, but they are still represented together in the US by the International Andalusian & Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA), giving American breeders access to a wider gene pool than their European colleagues. This association, a member of US Equestrian Federation (USEF) since 2000, holds exclusive protocols of representation from Spain and Portugal for the purpose of including eligible American-born horses into their respective Studbooks. The IALHA registers horses of PRE (Pure Spanish Horse) descent, of PSL (Pure Blood Lusitano) descent and of PSP (Pure Luso-Spanish) descent as equal purebreds. It also registers all horses of which only one parent is inscribed in its Studbook, as “Half-Andalusians”. These Partbreds are becoming increasingly popular and are providing owners of Quarter-Horses, Arabians, Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, (and mares form every other American breed) a considerable economic opportunity as well as a chance to produce willing, athletic, sound and versatile offspring capable of excelling in any discipline or simply breed for the sheer delight of owning a beautiful, people-oriented pleasure horse.
The Lusitano breed has been selected through dressage, war & bullfighting, to become the most versatile riding horse in the world. Portuguese breeders are passionate horsemen and generally good riders. They are very familiar with how the various parts of the horse affect its functionality (what we call biomechanics) within the historical “type” and pass this knowledge on to their children. Many farms have been in a single family’s ownership for over a century (some for 400 years!) and generations of breeders have followed each other in the pursuit of a common goal: to produce the best horse possible, according to the time honored Breed Standard and their personal taste. This (previously unwritten) rule has been the backbone of the breeding approach in the Iberian Peninsula. It is based on a popular culture that understands and practices the traditional horse activities of the Peninsula: the exercises of "La Gineta," the ancient equestrian art defined by the necessities of mounted single combat (or it's later replacement: Bullfighting). Iberian horses were also use for Hunting in open country and, as it is now widely known, for Dressage (both in low and high school), which this horse practically “invented” in the 16th century. Reining, Cutting and Team Penning are organized sports that derive one way or the other, from the equestrian tradition of the Iberian Peninsula. This long past as a versatile riding horse explains the Lusitano’s innate ability to adapt, learn and enjoy just about any discipline he is used for.
Concurrently with the intensive, functional selection of the stallions that must excel in those demanding sports, breeders carry out a controlled line-breeding method, by mating repeatedly the best stallions to closely related mares. Even though “inbreeding” has a bad name in many circles, the Portuguese breeders have achieved a controlled high level of consanguinity in their horses without any of its supposed inconvenience. From time to time, they practiced out-crossing within their breed, resulting in quantum leaps of quality. This delicate approach produces “cookie-cutter” offspring who, once tested under saddle, become in turn very predictable as breeding animals and can powerfully influence many pleasure or sporthorse breeding programs.
The Lusitano’s special qualities are: a generous temperament, a human-oriented disposition & a flexible body
designed for collection, expression AND extension. The Lusitano must possess an uphill balance to facilitate the constant transitions of dressage or in the bullfight, be resistant enough to cover long distances at speed and work with a high degree of energy for a long time, as in a three-day event. He must be very brave, so as not to mind when he occasionally gets hurt by a bull or an obstacle or gets threatened by another horse/rider combination, like in Polo, Horse Ball, etc. He needs to be patient in order to tolerate incessant demands from the rider during the bullfight without becoming irritated, fearful or sullen. He must be extremely careful not to touch the poles of the show-jumps and to stay away from the bull's horns, yet bold enough to jump willingly and to approach the bull with a daring courage. The Lusitano's mind is, in some ways, similar to the one of a Border Collie: always eager to work, anxious to learn and quick to remember the exercises learned even years earlier, seemingly without much prompting. Their degree of intelligence, developed by a long selection, is very high because it is combined with the goodwill to work.
His docility is exemplary and strong stallions can be seen ridden in company by children as young as 6 or 7, to whom they obey purely out of gentility. The psychic qualities of this horse are as important, if not more, than the physical ones. He is extremely “people oriented”, demonstrating willingness to perform and seeking the riders attention by a constant effort to please. One of the particular abilities of the Lusitano is to easily understand the "difficulties" of high-level training. He seems to never get confused about the many different types of movements and situations, which is why he is the circus horse of choice and practically holds the monopoly of fancy movie work. The Roman historian Columella, said eulogistically: "...as to temperament, the most esteemed are those, which although easily excited, can never-the-less be calmed, and those which although calm, are hard workers". This particularity of temperament is unique to Lusitano horses, and is very different from “hot horses”, which once excited, do not calm down easily. A Lusitano can move with the crescendo of a flamenco dancer and yet produce the most cadenced movements in the dressage arena. They are brilliant under high pressure, and calm down instantly when it stops.
The athletic requirements of La Gineta have shaped the Lusitano’s body through centuries of traditional use. They possess great physical adaptability for many different types of equilibrium, both physical and emotional; to perform instant departs, dashing gallops, complete stops, pirouettes, spins and brilliant piaffers from which to suddenly start in any direction, at practically any gait. Obviously, these exercises require blinding speed, acrobatic agility, a solid constitution and above all, limitless flexibility. The Lusitano horse in combat with the bull must be able to do all of those (sometimes violent) maneuvers repeatedly, with great energy, yet appear to act as of his own will. Modern breeders have recently put a greater emphasis in their selection on the quality of the gaits, without losing the traditional ability for collection of the Baroque type. The walk has always been long and offers generous overtracking; the trot of the modern Lusitano presents good suspension and ability to extend; the canter is lofty, permitting both easy pirouettes and good flying changes.
The Easiest of Management: The Lusitano’s history as a war-horse has resulted in a selection of individuals requiring the easiest of management. Lusitanos tolerate extremely rough conditions, from torrid to glacial climates. They seem to thrive on food of poor quality and bear prolonged confinement without their legs swelling or their mind going crazy. It is also noted that warming-up periods, though beneficial, do not seem to be quite as indispensable for these eager horses than for other breeds. Colic, founder and navicular disease seem rarer than with most other breeds and farriers are astonished by their great hoof quality. It is also noticeable that their past as a war-horse has eliminated the accident-prone individuals and most Lusitanos are notoriously careful of where they put their feet.
The "general impression" given by the Lusitano must be harmonious. The first impression given by the Lusitano horse is one of balance and harmony. Nothing must seem excessive in his proportions: in fact it is interesting to note that this beautiful animal corresponds to most people’s “idea of a horse” even when they have absolutely no previous experience of the breed. The Lusitano horse is by definition not a specialized horse and must remain able to perform a great variety of different movements. This is why High School is a perfect test for this horse, as all the movements are required in symmetry, in collection and extension and in a high degree of brilliance requiring athleticism of many kinds. The general proportions of the Lusitano horse are "medio-lineal'', which means that every part of the body is of medium length in comparison to other breeds. The Lusitano presents “square” proportions (shorter body, longer legs); associated with soft, elevated and ample gaits, and "uphill" balance. The forms of the body, from the profile of the head to the tail carriage, passing by the shape of the croup and the style of the movement, must be rounded. Due to his great ability for collection under the rider, this horse will naturally engage his hindquarters, flex his articulations and appear to become ball-like, able to move in any direction at any time, in any gait. This "unstable balance" is what creates utmost mobility, just as for a ballerina "on toe".
The strong genetic influence of the Lusitano: On several occasions, the kings of Spain forbade the export of Andalusians in the same way as we now tightly control nuclear technology. Through their historical prominence as the horse of Royalty, the genes of the Iberian Genet (Andalusian or PRE from Spain and the Lusitano from Portugal), were widely used to improve most other breeds of riding and light carriage horses in Europe, such as the Lipizzaner, Kladruber, Friesian, Oldenburg, Fredericksborg, Knabstrup, Holsteiner, Westphalian, Cleveland Bay, Connemara, etc. The great painting by George Hamilton of the original stock assembled for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna shows the best Iberian horses money could buy at the time. They were bays, blacks, grays, palominos, pintos, blanket and leopard appaloosas and every shade of dun. These colored Iberians were the first choice of royalty and Isabel the Catholic, Queen of Spain gave her name “Isabella” to the color of her favorite horse, our cremello. Todays Lusitanos come in gray, bay, black, buckskin, palomino, grulla, cremello and in a few rare “champagne” overtones.
The Iberian origin of many American breeds may be unknown by their owners, but nevertheless, the horses cannot hide it from an educated eye. Important genotypes, like wavy hair of the mane and tail, a sub-convex profile of the head, a brilliant elevated action, the smoothness of the ride or a great cow sense, are just some of the sure signs of heavy Iberian influence. This includes Albinos, Appaloosas, Buckskins, Duns, Morgans, Paints, Palominos, Pintos, Quarterhorses, Saddlebreds, Tennessee Walkers, etc. The original stock of these breeds mostly stemmed from the horses brought over by the Spaniards and extensively bred in the Caribbean and Mexico for 4 centuries. The English Thoroughbred, used later to "improve" the American horses, was himself predominantly Iberian through the Barb, Spanish and Portuguese blood of the Royal Mares of England.
The birth of classical dressage : When the Spanish Kingdom of Aragon took possession of Naples in Italy, the Renaissance men marveled at the natural talent of the Iberian Genet. Their efforts to rationalize a training method aimed at making their heavier horses perform the brilliant natural movements of the Iberian Genet, gave birth to the art of dressage ("training" in French) through the invention of collection. Soon, the French students of the new art brought it home and, within a hundred years, the Iberians already well established reputation as a war horse reached new levels of fame as the foremost “dressage horse”. There wasn't a European King or general that did not ride one in battle, for the victory parade or had his portrait painted on such a glorious horse. The Iberian Genet became the equine "poster-boy" of the Baroque age and the live status symbol of Monarchy. He is now the dreamboat of our equine fantasies!
To close this description of the Lusitano's/Iberian genet’s qualities, let's quote equestrian history's most famous rider, teacher and author. Francois Robichon de la Gueriniere, in the fifth chapter of "L'Ecole de Cavalerie" (The Cavalry School), written in 1729, says: "...Equestrian authors have given unanimous preference to the Spanish horse and have considered him to be the best for the "manege" [dressage] work, because of his agility and the strength of his hind legs, combined with their elasticity. His natural cadence and pride make him the first choice for the pomp of the parade where he can display his grace and his nobility. His courage, combined with utmost docility, is the foremost requirement for war on a day of battle. Some people use him for hunting and to pull their carriages, but it is a pity to sacrifice to this last usage, such a noble animal..." The Duke of Newcastle, who is most laudatory about the horse of Spain, only finds in him one defect: "... that he has too much memory and uses it to perform of his own accord, but even if this was a defect, it is only a result of his gentle nature, easy enough to turn to our advantage by following the classical principles of the true Equitation..."
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