PART 6
Hailing from the antiquity of Europe, these superb athletes have flourished down through the ages with their mettle still proven today. Many of them began as warhorses and have evolved with agilities for war maneuvers. They now excel at equestrian competitions and sports, such as racing, eventing, dressage, or driving. With their capacity to move quickly in any direction, they can bend, pivot, and “dance.” Their inherent power and courage lifts them off the ground in effortless jumping. They display great muscling, yet are light on their feet and sensitive to the rider’s subtle requests. Like beautiful music, they float when they move. They are the elites of the performance arena.
Andalusians in motion are awesome and breathtaking. Richard Beard
International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association
101 Carnoustie North, Box 200
Birmingham, Alabama 35242
www.ialha.org
The original, ancient type of hot-blooded Iberian horse that was once carved and painted on cave walls in France and Spain lives on in the modern Andalusian. Its hardiness and quality have stood the test of time, and it remains the aristocrat of the ages.
It is a breed of stout courage, stamina, and strength of body and character. Its willing intelligence and generosity of heart are the supreme traits for which the Andalusian has been celebrated in art, literature, and the arena for thousands of years. Centuries of riders were devoted to this remarkable horse, and the world-renowned skill of Iberian horse people have directly contributed to the development of classical dressage, in which the performance of horse and rider is considered as living, breathing art. Both the western stock seat and the classical seat used in dressage were born on the back of the Andalusian horse.
When contemporary Andalusian enthusiasts try to express their deep delight in this marvelous breed, they sometimes quote famous horsemen, like William Cavendish (1592–1676), the Duke of Newcastle. As one of the first authorities who approached teaching horses as an art, not an act of brutality and domination, he wrote of his favored mount, the Andalusian, “I vouch that it will be the noblest in the world and that from the tip of its ears to the tip of its hoofs there is none to match its cut. It has great vigor and energy but is very docile; it walks proudly and has a style of trot that is the most beautiful in the world. It is arrogant when galloping, is faster than any other race horse, and is much more noble and friendlier than them too; in short, on a day of triumph it is the best type of horse for a great monarch to display his glory to his people, or on a day of battle to lead his army.”
Another famous horseman, the eighteenth century equine painter and noble practitioner of mounted arts, Baron d’Eisenberg, said, “Experience has clearly demonstrated that Spanish horses are undoubtedly the best in the world for dressage purposes . . . because of their figure, which is willing, vigorous and so docile that they are capable of understanding and executing to perfection anything that with skill and patience they are taught.”
History
No one knows how long the ancestors of the Andalusian existed on the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal) or in what is now southern France. They are pictured on CroMagnon cave walls dating thirty thousand years ago. Using these horses, the fearsome Carthaginian cavalry defeated Roman troops, although they later were conquered by the Romans. Spanish horses then became the most sought after cattle and battle mounts throughout recorded history. In 711 AD, the Moorish conquerors of Spain admired and acquired these horses that were so unlike the Arabians they had at home.
Literally for centuries, families of horse breeders and cattle ranchers in the Iberian Peninsula consistently focused on selecting their stock for character, type, substance, conduct, and ability as working cow horses. From this desired ideal, families then concentrated on breeding for talents to suit their own farms and regions’ needs, terrains, and interests. They always chose, however, with utmost care, horses whose nature, conformation, and beauty enhanced their reputation as superlative, keenly desired dressage and cavalry horses for the discriminating rider.
For nearly a thousand years, Andalusians were exported to all the courts of Europe and revered by everyone, from princes to Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes—avid fans of splendid horses bred for hunting and war. Hernando Cortés brought Queen Isabella’s donated Iberian horses from Spain to Mexico. Andalusian horses carried Hannibal’s troops, the soldiers of Rome, and the Crusaders of France; they made possible the conquest of the New World, as well as the invention and exploration of the highest, most spiritually attuned aspirations of quality riding—classical dressage. In the cradle of dressage, the clever and impressive Andalusian was—and is—king.
From this illustrious, ancient history, dozens of Andalusian horse traditions still exist. One charming Spanish custom involves naming horses by a humorous connotation, such as calling an especially agile horse Slowpoke (in Spanish, Lentado), or using the name Sleepy (Soñoliento) for one that is extremely smart and watchful; this is a droll, ancient Gypsy joke many Iberian horse people still enjoy. There are many braids in this strand of Iberian life; the Andalusian people rejoice in a vibrant, complex culture with roots that run deeper than that of Rome—to Phoenician, Carthaginian, and prehistoric times.
The Name “Andalusian”
Perhaps because this breed has had such an enormous influence on civilization, marching through thousands of years of history with humankind, it is not surprising that the Andalusian horse is called by different names in different countries.
In Spain, this breed is now referred to as the Pure Spanish Horse (Pura Raza Española, or PRE). In Portugal and Brazil, it is called Puro Sangue Lusitano (PSL). In the United States and Canada, the breed is known as the Andalusian, although it is not uncommon for North American owners who register their horses in Spain to adopt the term PRE for their stock, and likewise those who register in Portugal or Brazil might refer to them as Lusitanos. Throughout North America and many other nations, Iberian horses are most often referred to as “Andalusian” in honor of their region of origin, the former Roman province of old Andalucìa.
Regardless of passionate debates about what to call this ancient breed, the quality of Andalucia’s horses has never been disputed. Worldwide fans admire the breed for its beauty, athleticism, brains, and disposition—splendid gifts handed down through the ages.
The Art of the Vaquero
One of the many Spanish disciplines at which the Andalusian and Andalusian crosses excel is Doma Vaquera, also called “dressage for the vaquero” and “the art of the vaquero.” The vaqueros, who are the working stockmen, must daily move the fierce Iberian bulls and herds of cattle that are native to Spain and Portugal. In Doma Vaquera, working the cattle is taken to an artistic level, requiring a highly trained equine as well as a superb rider with balance, timing, and courage.
The horse must be athletic, intelligent, and instantly responsive to the rider’s slightest command. The rider must exemplify the skills and instincts of a true horseman, with the horse virtually functioning as an extension of his own body. This is because, unlike most cattle in the United States, Iberian bulls as well as cows (even without calves), are bred to be exceptionally fearless. They will often savagely turn on the people who work them, thus the “simple” task of moving cattle from one pasture to another can be deadly. A rider who can cue the horse in response and anticipation to unpredictable, explosive Spanish cattle, even with just a thought, is essential to the partnership for this kind of work. A horse that can instantly perform a side-pass, pirouette, or roll-back, or can leap to a gallop and abruptly stop or change direction, is also necessary.
Doma Vaquera–inspired patterns and movements are also performed in North America. This discipline, in which a horse and rider perform the movements of the vaquero (without using cattle), is one of the classes offered in all International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA) horse shows. It is a competitive discipline that transports the ideals of the working stockman to the arena and allows the skills and movements used by working vaqueros to be enjoyed by men, women, and children. Women can even perform Doma Vaquera side-saddle if they wish—a true exhibition of grace, skill, and horsemanship. This discipline is receiving more interest all across the country in natural horsemanship circles.
Doma Vaquera consists of three levels: Basico (Beginner), Intermedio (Intermediate), and Alta (Advanced). Like reining or dressage, Doma Vaquera competitions are based upon standardized written test patterns appropriate for the horse and rider’s skill levels. The arena is the same size as a large dressage arena.
In Doma Vaquera, the rider holds the reins in the left hand with the right hand placed on the rider’s right thigh at the walk. The thumb is pointed forward and held across the chest, and the hand is in a gentle fist at the canter or gallop. The horse performs at the walk, canter, and gallop: in Intermedio and Alta tests, there is no trot, while the Basico test does contain one very brief trot element. The Basic test includes movements like turn on the haunches, turn on the forehand, rein back, and a fast stop from canter (not to be confused with a reiner’s sliding stop).
The Advanced test includes the half-pass, full-pass, canter pirouettes, flying lead changes, and a fast stop from the gallop. Whatever the test level, the horse and rider are judged on their precision, successful performance of each movement, and the élan (or flair) with which they flow together. The rider must epitomize pride of bearing, and the horse must display utmost willingness, grace, and instantaneous reflexes guided by the rider’s aids, which should not be noticeable.
For riders wishing to take Doma Vaquera further, there are exciting disciplines of La Garrocha (Spanish stock lance) and Doma Trabajo (working equitation.) A garrocha is the traditional Spanish cattle lance, which is a 13.1-foot resilient wooden pole vaqueros use to test Iberian bulls. The garrocha is used to keep bulls at a safe distance from the horses. It is too dangerous to put a rope on an Iberian bull, especially if rider and horse are attached at the rope’s end! (Fighting cattle do not run away; they attack without warning.) Garrochas also test the young bulls in the field; two garrochistas (vaqueros using garrocha poles) ride on either side of a galloping bull in open country, and with careful timing, one rider will set his garrocha to push and unbalance the bull. If it immediately leaps to its feet, enraged, it is considered worthy of a stockman’s herd. If the bull gets up slowly and goes calmly about its business, it is deemed too tame, and therefore unworthy, and is removed from the herd.
This regal stallion fits the Andalusian title “the best horse for a great monarch.” Richard Beard
In the arena, the garrocha is used as the fixed central point to dance a mesmerizing display of skillful horsemanship. The horse and rider present intricate moves with multiple, spinning canter pirouettes below the garrocha, as the rider holds the lance just high enough for the pair to pass under while keeping the lance’s end motionlessly planted in the arena’s sand.
Doma Trabajo is similar to trail classes except it is timed and performed at the canter and gallop. It also includes actual arched bridges to cross, a garrocha with which the rider taps the silhouette of a galloping bull in passing, and a jump that the mounted pair must comfortably and cleanly take. At higher levels of the discipline, there is even an element made up of two poles lying parallel on the ground that the horse and rider must cross by going straight sideways across both poles at the canter in full-pass.
Exhilarating to work or watch, the Doma Trabajo showcases the skills honed through Doma Vaquera and La Garrocha, all dazzling tests of the horse and rider’s artistry and competitive skills in riding, training, and communion of soul.
Breed Characteristics
Producing good temperament has always been of utmost importance to Iberian horse people. In the Iberian Peninsula, stallions are educated throughout their entire lives to conduct themselves as gentlemen in any company. Thus Andalusians hold a marked, extraordinary affinity for people. Good temperament requires an Andalusian horse to be extremely assertive against a dangerous bull one moment, yet pleasantly carry family members safely through traffic the next. A stallion could be required to cover mares early in the day and then work politely in harness together with mares pulling a carriage in the afternoon. Sometimes a stallion would be used by a garrochista to test Iberian fighting cattle in the morning and then would carry his master and his master’s lady to a feria, or festival, in the afternoon.
Stallions also had to exhibit patience and great care with their riders, regardless of their rider’s experience or skill. This kind temperament is clearly seen in the Andalusian’s homeland, where young children commonly ride some of the country’s finest stallions in competition, parades, and exhibitions. Daily across Portugal and Spain, Andalusian breeding stallions are seen politely awaiting their riders’ instructions, tied right next to other stallions they have never met or seen before. This extraordinary combination of spirit, brio, and willingness is why so few Andalusian stallions are gelded.
Good Andalusian Horses are willing and glad to oblige an amateur lady, a novice adult, or an inexperienced child with pleasure for hours, simply out of courtesy and kindly good sense. They are sweet-natured, generous, and deeply intuitive to a rider’s desires. Quality Andalusians are noble, carry their riders sensibly, and consider it their job to do their best by each person who guides them, according to that person’s abilities, with courtesy of heart. Often they are devoted to just one particularly favorite rider, though a well-trained horse will work nicely with anyone.
After tactful, quiet training and handling, the mares are often the most loving and trustworthy steeds of all. However, while Andalusian mares are exceptionally generous and gentle, some may thrive best with a rider of great talent, sensitivity, and intuition. It is usual in Spain to teach mares to drive so they can work while carrying their highly valued foals. They are ridden less frequently, partly due to the long line of royal decrees allowing only caballeros to ride stallions—a sure way for the noblemen of past centuries to absorb the lessons of obedience, allegiance, and supreme horsemanship. However, this tradition is changing very slowly. In North America, of course, Andalusian mares are frequently ridden.
The mares are extremely perceptive and brave; they choose their friends and, once trust is established, dedicate themselves to giving their riders cheerful help. They bond faithfully to their humans, becoming dear friends with the people they elect as privileged riders and handlers. Andalusians have an avid desire to please and tend to be more forgiving than almost any other generous hearted horses. Andalusians flourish on fair, thoughtful, courteous treatment; they strive hard to do right and ardently want to please. In return, they only ask their handlers to guide them clearly and kindly, use them as well as they deserve to be ridden, and love them back.
Over the centuries, only horses with both a generous, gracious nature and the quick wittedness to preserve both riders and themselves in battle and the bullring were chosen for breeding. This careful breeding has paid off, as today Andalusians are proving to be splendid open jumpers, three-day eventers, carriage horses, and hunt field horses in North America and Europe. In the United States, Andalusians excel in disciplines as varied and challenging as marathon or dressage driving, reining, team penning, upper and lower-level dressage, and open jumping. With their capabilities for surefootedness, riders enjoy delving deep into rugged trail country. Andalusians bask in the spotlight at exhibitions, equestrian theater, jousts, or medieval games. They have been featured in films like Braveheart, The Lord of the Rings, Gladiator, and many more.
The Andalusian has a noble presence and classical movement. Jacquelin D. Suechting
Registry
The IALHA was formed in 1995 by the union of two previously existing associations. The stud book itself goes back about fifty years in the United States. The IALHA maintains one studbook for purebreds and another for Half-Andalusians.
The Purebred Registry is for purebreds of the Andalusian breed, which includes those of Spanish origin known as Caballo Pura Raza Española, and of Portuguese origin known as Cavalo Puro Sangue Lusitano. All horses born of two registered purebred Andalusian parents are eligible for inclusion in the Purebred Registry. For the Half-Andalusian Registry, a horse must have one parent registered in the IALHA Purebred Registry. Horses’ parentage is verified through DNA testing.
Standards
The individual, physical elements that create an Andalusian’s overall beauty are wonderfully appealing.
Size: Andalusians usually stand 15.2 to 16.2 hands at the withers.
Color: Color patterns of all types once existed in the Andalusian, as attested by many famous artists including Leonardo da Vinci, Diego Velasquez, Sir Anthony van Dyck, Rembrandt, and Peter Paul Rubens. Many of these coat patterns persist in the Andalusians’ descendants, such as their North American relatives—Appaloosas and Paints/Pintos. About 80 percent of Andalusians today are gray, 15 percent are bay, and 5 percent are black, chestnut, palomino, or buckskin.
Head: The Andalusian’s head can show either a straight profile or a somewhat sub-convex outline. It is never dished at all, and occasionally an Andalusian may have a more pronounced convexity between and just below the eyes. This is not a Roman nose because it is located somewhat below the eyes and too far up the horse’s skull for that feature. A truly low-located Roman-style nose—any bulging very low on the face of an Andalusian—is considered a flaw. Horses with the sub-convex profile are thought to offer a truly battle-brave, strong-willed character, perhaps best suited for the fast, dangerous job of commanding and outmaneuvering the combative toros bravos, or fighting bulls.
Andalusian eyes are exceptionally attractive, with an unmistakable almond, almost triangular, cast. Any white sclera showing, or any hard, glaring expression toward their handler (not at a bull they are being asked to move or fight) is considered a serious flaw. Ears are neither too large nor too small. The jowls should not be too large, and throatlatch should be clean; nostrils should display a typical comma shape.
Neck: Andalusians possess a broad neck, particularly in stallions, whose well developed crests exalt their beauty. They often have a luxurious mane and tail, amazing to stroke, soft and gently curling like new lamb’s wool.
Body: The Andalusian has a short coupled body, well sprung ribcage, rounded croup, and a low set tail carried flat against the rump. The shoulders are well sloped, and withers well defined. The chest and hindquarters are broad.
Legs: The Andalusian has short cannons, substantial hocks, and superb feet and bone.
Movement: The Andalusian’s way of going is energetic and easily collected, with a marked and notable aptitude for lateral work, great agility, and capable (when properly taught) of excellent correct extensions. The Andalusian has tremendous presence, or brio. It gives a solid sense of power, is sturdy yet refined, without ever looking anything like a draft horse. These horses have splendid natural balance and aptitude for collection to boost their athletic prowess.
Credit: International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association