Lusitano

The Lusitano is a Portuguese horse breed, standing in baroque type.

Background information on the evaluation and breeding horses can be found at: exterior, interior and horse breeding.

Exterior

The Lusitano is a medium- sized horse of about 155-165 cm stick with a rounded square shape, often with a slightly convex or straight profile ( Roman nose ). His croup is muscular and slightly sloping, unlike the Andalusian Lusitano usually has the little knee action, no ironing movements, but expansive and tournament suitable courses. It is extremely comfortable to ride and is also appreciated by riders with back problems. The most common color is the mold, but there are also brown, foxes and Palominos. Especially popular as rare, sable, roan and Cremellos. Pieds are not allowed.

Interior

Their docility, special people relatedness and outstanding rideability make this race interesting for friends Iberian horses looking for a reliable partner for leisure and sport. Use: Versatile, docile, but also challenging all-round horse with special predisposition to high school, also in international sport successful. Suitable for dressage ( and especially classical horsemanship ), Jumping, Eventing, as a carriage horse, for show and circus lessons as well as a loyal and strong nerves for leisure.

Breeding history

The Lusitano is closely related to the Andalusian and Berber. 1912 a common stud book for Spanish and Portuguese horses was established that separated in 1967 in studbooks for " Puro Sangue Lusitano" and " Pura Raza Española ". Despite the same genetic background and one for centuries overlapping breeding area there are characteristics by which one can distinguish between the two races. For the different development of the two races, the introduction of soil animal struggle in Spain at the beginning of the 18th century was of great importance. Today, this variant of bullfighting in Spain is the rule. The first Bourbon king of Spain Philip V condemned the then ubiquitous riders struggle and finally forbade him against the resistance of the Spanish nobles, from whose circles were recruited the mounted bullfighter. The turning away of the Spanish court from horseback bullfighting meant that the focus of horse breeding in Spain changed. These changes are evidence of their impact in the building of the Spanish horses, which now began increasingly to distinguish from the continually grown on bullfighting suitability Portuguese people. The breeding selection has led to the strikingly high and less expansive gait of the Spanish horses.

The Lusitano, however, is grown for centuries as a melee, bullfighting and horse herdsmen and selected strictly on quality of character and mental strength. Even today, the Lusitano in Portugal for cattle work and used worldwide for mounted bullfighting. For the emergence of the modern Lusitano three breeders and keepers of this culturally rich of all horses and their respective line breedings are: Manuel Tavares Veiga, Ruy d' Andrade and João Núncio. Today there are approximately 10,000 registered, purebred Lusitano world. Famous as a courageous, quick and agile bullfighting horses, as established world leader in the Working Equitation and now in dressage, find the Portuguese Lusitano horses becoming increasingly popular.

The Portuguese Stud ( APSL - Associação Portuguesa de Sangue Lusitano Criadores do Cavalo Puro ), headquartered in Cascais controlled in cooperation with the individual country representatives the stud book, so as to maintain the purity and quality of the breed. The official representative of the Portuguese stud book in Germany is founded in 1992, Cavalo Lusitano eV Germany.