LUSITANO HISTORY
The paintings in the Pileta caves, near Ronda-en-Andeo, prove that horses have existed in the Spanish Peninsula since the paleolithic and the neolithic periods. This first horse population was composed of small horses of Asian origin, close to the Tarpans, and the Sorraia ponies.
The Lusitanian horse is a breed which has its roots in Portugal (Lusitania is the ancient name of Portugal dating from when it was still a Roman province in the historic region of Alentejo). This breed is considered as one of the oldest and the noblest in the world, with proof of its existence going back 2000 years.
Throughout Antiquity, the Spanish peninsula was inhabited by the Celts and the Spanish. The Iberes, coming from North Africa, were horse people, and they brought their Barbes horses with them.
During the IInd century BC, the Romains conquered the Spanish peninsula, bringing with them their strong and sturdy war horses. Their horses were crossed with the native horses, and a new line of Spanish horses was born.
Later on in history, the Moors, a people of Berbere and Arab origin, occupied the Spanish Peninsula for nearly eight centuries, from the VIIIth to the XVth century.
During this period, they contributed enormously to the development of culture, architecture, language, and specifically to the development of horse breeding in Spain and Portugal.
The Moors had the tradition of breeding elite, exceptional horses, and they introduced their horses into the Iberian Peninsula. These Barbes horses brought by the Moors were famous for their beauty, their endurance and their agility. They were also known for their intelligence and their docility, which made them ideal as war horses and hunting horses.
The Barbe horse was thus crossed with the native horses from the Peninsula. This cross-breeding gave birth to a new breed of horse which inherited the best qualities of its ancestors.
During the Middle Ages, the knights rode the charge on large, powerful horses. The rider rode with stirrups so long that he was almost standing upright on his heavy horse. This equitation, "A la brida" was basic and brutal, with enormous, complicated bits and huge spurs. The mobility of his armored horse was very restricted and warfare was based on the direct charge, with minimal alternative tactics.
However, when confronted by Moors enemies riding these agile, nimble horses, warfare strategy had to develop.
It was the Arabs who would introduce a radically different form of equitation into the Iberian Peninsula, with much shorter stirrups which allowed the rider to keep his balance in battle and improve efficiency This was the so called "a la gineta" form of riding. The war was no longer based on the charge but on close combat, which required a rider to have a strong seat and a high level of obedience from his horse. The Iberique horse, with his suppleness and tonicity was perfectly suited to the demands of modern warfare. The riders could turn, pirouette, stop and withdraw their horses fast and easily, exactly as the modern-day toreros. With its growing fame, this horse became the most sought after horse in Europe of this age.
The art of training became the pass time of the privileged nobility, thus marking the beginning of the art of dressage as we know it today.
In the XVIth century, with the exploration and colonization of the New World, the Iberique horses, including the Lusitanians, were exported by the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors. They played an essential role in the wars and battles in South America, as well as on the beef ranches of the region. This explains why Iberique horses are at the origin of all the horse breeds present in South and North America, given that native horses had disappeared from the continent several thousand years earlier.
It is impossible to speak about the Lusitanian horse without mentioning the work of the Chartreux monks. In fact, absolutely all Lusitanians today have cartujano (Chartreux) blood in their veins. From the end of the 15th century, in the Jerz monastery in Andalousia the monks carried out a selection based on an incredible livestock breeding research expertise. The monks succeeded in fixing a type, called "cartujano" which was able to last for centuries, and which is still found today in the thoroughbred Lusitanian.
In the 17th century, the Spanish genie is admired in the indoor arenas throughout Europe. The cartujano, now called the Andalou horse, is henceforth recognized as a horse with a docile character, a harmonious model, "fait pour le manège" in the words of Newcastle and all the famous names of equitation of this time. This Andalou horse is a far cry from the little Celtibere horse, with its rough lines and coarse mane. Only the shine of an Isabelle coat, or the presence of a mule line bear witness to a part of the origins of this horse, now so beautifully, finished.
At the end of the 18th century there appeared an Anglomania which made itself felt in many domains. The British style prioritized a more natural, less sophisticated vision. Outdoor riding, fast and competitive, overthrew the austere indoor arena training. Horse racing developed, bringing to the front of the stage the English Thoroughbred and the Anglo- Arab.
In parallel the art of bullfighting in Spain was in decline, not much appreciated by the Bourbons of French origin, and this turned Spanish horse breeding more towards beauty and less towards practicality. In Portugal the art of bullfighting continued to be practiced by the country families, who saw it as preserving a precious tradition, and a way of selecting the horses and bulls on their breeding farms. That is why outstanding locomotion and suppleness remained the priority for Lusitano horse breeders.
The Napoleonic wars significantly increased the number of horses in Spain and Portugal. It is only at almost the end of the 20th century that gradual diversification of the sport panorama, and a revalorization of the art of riding, influenced especially by Maître Nuno Oliveira, lead to the recognition of the Iberic horse of quality. This is how the oldest riding horse in the world begins its golden age.
Today the Lusitanian horse is famous for its elegance, its intelligence, its mild character, and its speed and agility. The Lusitanian is extremely polyvalent, as comfortable in international dressage as in Working and Show classes, or carriage driving. The movement of this horse remains fundamentally different from Northern European horses: the Lusitanian "attacks" the ground with a geste which is energetic, harmonious, elevated and rounded, never flat.
His character is one of extraordinary gentleness and stability that only his Spanish neighbor can equal. His subtle intelligence and enormous sensitivity mean he is incredibly gifted in understanding the wishes of his rider This makes the Lusitanian a riding horse and companion of exception.
