If you were to take a trip to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria, you would probably come across two kinds of horses. One would be a gray, so faded you might almost mistake it to be white. Its head is refined and elegant, and it steps high and proud. This is the Lipizzan, horse in the spotlight for the complicated dressage known as haute ecole.
But you might also come across a very different sort of horse. The nose is of the Roman type, the mane much longer than the Lipizzan’s. It moves with long strides and fluid grace, and a proud, unmistakable stride.
Who is this horse?
Meet the founding breed of the Lipizzan: the Andalusian.
Spanish Legend
Andalusians originated from the Iberian peninsula, though no one is exactly sure when the breed first came to be. We do know that there are a lot of cave painting in Spain that strongly resemble Andalusians, and they are one of the oldest horse breeds in the world. Sometimes known as the Pura Raza Espanola or PRE, Andalusians originated in Spain and have stayed consistent in their confirmation ever since their recognition as a breed in the fifteenth century. It was the original horse used for the complicated haute ecole, airs above the ground dressage, before their descendants, Lipizzans, took their place.
Andalusians have gone across the world as war horses and are the origins of a lot of South American horse breeds (as the Spanish Conquistadors rode Andalusians), European warmbloods, the Lusitano, and even the Spanish mustang in the USA. Their elegance and intelligence are widely known as one of the finest qualities of the breed. By the 18th century, they were known as “the royal horse of Europe”.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, a lighter, faster horse like the Thoroughbreds became more popular, and Andalusians fell out of favor. But it still had its own collection of enthusiasts, and the Andalusian lived on.
The Andalusian Today
Today, Andalusians are known for their strength and endurance. Many of them still perform some of the jobs they did centuries ago. In Spain, stallions are used for bull fights since they are so even-tempered, combating the explosive temperaments of the bulls. Breeding mares are often used to grind grain to increase hardiness for future generations.
Andalusians are used in classical dressage, show dressage, show jumping, Western Pleasure, and even filming. The Lord of the Rings movies and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe have Andalusians in their films, as well as Gladiator, King Arthur, and Brave Heart.
Andalusians also make excellent cattle horses– while they aren’t as popular as some of the American stock horses for work, they still have great cattle sense and are used on quite a few ranches in Spain.
Breed Characteristics
Andalusians are fair-sized horses, a bit on the smaller side at 15.2-14.3 hands. They are usually between 1,200-900 lbs. The most common color is of course, gray– some foals are born completely black and by the age of five are pure white. 80% of the USA’s Andalusian population is a varying shade of gray. Next common is a rich, dark bay, followed by chestnut, palomino, black, and dun. There are a small amount of breeders bringing in cremello, buckskin, and pearls into the mix. There aren’t many white markings found on the face and legs. The manes and tails are luxuriously long and often wavy. They have a convex head profile and wide, intelligent eyes.
The Andalusian is one of the harder breeds to find in the US, but if you are looking for a powerful, elegant mount known for intelligence and class, the Andalusian will serve you well.