Andalusian The Spanish Horse The purebred Spanish Horse, or Andalusian, descends from the earliest known saddle horses. One of the few natural breeds of the world, they come from the same ancestral stock as the Numidian, Libyan or Berber horses which came from the E C Przewalski, the wild horse of Central Asia. Mentioned in the writings of Homer and Xenaphon, the war horse of the Carthaginians, Romans, Moors and Conquistadors of Mexico, their bloodlines founded the American Quarter Horse (currently promoted in the UK as "the world's most versatile horse" and "the breed of the 21st century"), Appaloosa, Cleveland Bay, Connemara and others. Mounted on these Spanish Andalusians, like Cid Campeador's (El Cid's) Babieca, the Christian horsemen battled against the Arabs in the Reconquest. The Conquistadors on their Spanish Horses were seen as Centaurs, so at one were they with their horses during the conquest of Mexico and Peru. The Spanish Horse became the most sought after in Europe for improving breeds, even the Thoroughbred, from the so called Royal (Spanish) Mares and the Imperial Stud in Lipizza for its foundation stock to create the Lipizzaner. A Classical Master, the Duke of Newcastle, noted ‘Spanish Horses are the most intelligent, the most handsome and the most noble in all the world' and he found only one fault, that of ‘Having too good a memory; because it uses this to govern itself and to anticipate the will of the rider.' M. de la Guérinière, praised as one of the supreme masters of classical equitation of all times, whose methods are applied unaltered at the Spanish Riding School, Vienna and may be seen there in daily use, declared; ‘the Spanish Horse is better than any other horse because of its agility, its resilience and the distension of its rhythmic movements ... the best of all horses for the manége, by reason of their agility, their strength and the natural cadence of their gait; and for war on a day of battle because of their courage and obedience.' In the beginning of the 17th century, La Brune said; ‘that the Spanish Horse was the most worthy to be mounted by a King', because of its great beauty and clemency and this is what many kings did, like Philipe II of Spain, Henry VIII of England and Louis XIV of France for example. Napoleon's favourite horse for battles was a Spanish Andalusian, whose skeletal configuration is preserved in the Museum of Natural History in Paris. Gayot, towards the end of the 19th century assured that the Spanish Horse was called ‘the pure blood of other times', for its magnificent shape and its suitability. To be listed for breeding, any Purebred Spanish Horse, anywhere in the world, must pass the rigorous inspections of the Cria Caballar (Spanish Military), veterinary and breeding standards. If passed for breeding the horse may then be included in the Purebred Spanish Horse State Stud Book (dating to the beginning of this century), controlled by the Cria Caballar with what is possibly the most carefully managed system in the equine world. Even a foal born to an approved breeding stallion and mare must be inspected by the Cria Caballar before it is five months old, blood typed, microchipped and its parentage proven, but does not receive full papers at this stage. Only after three years of age can these be applied for and only then if it passes another inspection, known as grading, for conformation, size, bone, movement, colour and type, but also for temperament - almost unheard of in other breeds. If it passes all tests it can be entered in the State Stud Book, its details held on computer along with its ancestors and eventually any offspring that also pass through grading. This careful and expensive commitment to the breed by the Spanish authorities and properly registered breeders is a contributory factor why the Spanish Horse maintains such an excellent temperament while universally retaining the attributes of its breed. A horse poorly conformed or with a bad temperament just would not be registered for breeding. Information held in the Spanish State Stud book for the Purebred Spanish Horse is so comprehensive that all details of all registered horses and their progeny are listed, from the late 1800's, including bloodtype information, breeder's brands and cross references to ancestors, progeny and their progeny's progeny! Purebred Spanish Horses are not so well known in Northern Europe as 'warmbloods' are as sports horses, despite their tremendous influence on the equestrian world for centuries. Unfortunately, during perhaps the last 50 years or so, fashions have changed and the classical movements, lightness of touch and balance of the classical breeds has become modified. Riding, training and judging have become designed around the larger, powerful and colder in temperament northern European horse, usually called a ‘warmblood', due to the mixing of indigenous draft horses with hotbloods, which can only be Arab, the Iberian horses - Spanish and Lusitano and latterly, Thoroughbred. Due to the average Purebred Spanish Horse's kind temperament, unmatchable work morale and ability to switch off and relax when not asked to work, many are surprised to find they are true hotbloods. Richard Lüst, Stud Director, Yeguada Iberica