Andalusian

About the breed

The Andalusian is a baroque riding horse from the Iberian Peninsula, registered by the official Spanish studbook as the Pura Raza Española (PRE), or Purebred Spanish Horse. The breed standard sets a height at the withers of 154–172 cm for stallions and 152–170 cm for mares, and asks for a spirited, noble and docile temperament and elastic, elevated paces, which have made it a classical dressage horse for centuries.

Andalusian or PRE: one breed, two names

"Andalusian" and "PRE" describe the same breed: the first is an old regional name, the second the official name of the studbook. The US association IALHA explains that "Andalusian" was long used for the classic Iberian horse from southern Spain, and that many early US imports from Spain were registered under that name. The PRE Stud Book was created in 1912 by the Spanish army's breeding service, Cría Caballar, and in 2007 its management passed to the breeders' association ANCCE. According to the breeding programme approved by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, it is the original studbook of the breed for Spain and the rest of the world.

The PRE is the most widespread breed in Spain, and Andalusia has more stud farms and horses than any other region. At the end of 2019 the studbook held 252,852 living horses from 35,527 stud farms, and the breed was kept in 65 other countries. ANCCE's breeding programme lists Slovenia and Croatia among the countries it covers.

From the ancient Iberian horse to the royal stables

According to the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez, horses have lived on the Iberian Peninsula for about three thousand years, and Aristotle praised them as early as the 4th century BC. Because the Iberian horse was so highly regarded, it was exported and crossed with other breeds. King Philip II set out to improve Spanish horse breeding: the royal stables in Córdoba were built in 1568 to breed horses of pure Spanish blood. For several centuries it was the most prized horse in Europe.

That influence reached Central Europe. Emperor Maximilian II founded a royal stud with Spanish horses at Kladruby in 1560, and Archduke Charles founded one at Lipica around 1580, also on Spanish stock. A distinct branch of the breed is the Carthusian line (cartujano), which the official catalogue of Spanish livestock breeds recognises within the PRE. A genomic study by the universities of Seville and Córdoba describes it as a population bred closed for more than 500 years, with a marked genetic bottleneck in the last generation.

Height, weight and baroque build

The PRE standard sets a height at the withers of 154–172 cm for stallions and 152–170 cm for mares. Stallions under 154 cm and mares under 152 cm are disqualified, while a height above 172 or 170 cm counts as a penalising defect. The horse should be about as tall as it is long: the ratio of withers height to body length (point of shoulder to point of buttock) must fall between 95 and 105.

The head is of medium length, lean, with a sub-convex, gently rounded profile; the neck is strong and arched (less so in mares), the mane abundant and silky, and the tail set low, long and often wavy. The back is almost flat, the loins short and broad, and the croup rounded and lower than the withers in adult horses. The studbook sets no weight. The vet-reviewed guide PetMD and the breed profile by the feed company Mad Barn both give 900–1,100 lb, or roughly 410–500 kg.

Colours: grey and bay dominate

Under the PRE standard, grey and bay are the dominant coat colours. A study of horses born in Spain between 2005 and 2021 shows the balance: it included 15,681 greys, 15,011 bays, 4,841 blacks and 3,292 chestnuts. Greys lighten with age and are not yet white as foals; in that study, leg markings were therefore recorded when the horses were foals and the greys had not yet turned white.

The standard does not accept white patches on the body, head or legs. Horses are disqualified when a white head marking reaches the eye sockets or covers the whole face, when white socks extend above the knee or hock, or when a depigmented spot on the body is larger than 3 cm. Odd-coloured or blue eyes are also unacceptable unless they are typical of the coat colour.

Temperament: spirited but willing

The standard asks for a temperament that is "spirited, noble, docile and well balanced", with a great capacity for learning. It describes the PRE as a hardy, tough horse that learns well and adapts easily to different jobs and situations. The Royal School in Jerez credits it with measured reactions and a readiness for any kind of schooling.

For a rider this means a sensitive horse that responds quickly to the aids. A calm, well-schooled Andalusian can carry a less experienced rider working with a trainer. A young or fiery stallion that reacts to every movement needs an experienced rider, so whether an Andalusian suits a beginner always depends on the individual horse and its schooling.

Paces, collection and classical dressage

The Andalusian was bred above all to work under saddle, especially in dressage. The standard describes ground-covering, brilliant, agile, energetic and elastic paces with marked elevation and a notable ease for collection and turns on the haunches. The trot should be elastic and suspended and the canter fluid with regular strides. This is why the breeding programme names the Spanish High School, competitive dressage and doma vaquera as the areas where it excels.

The same document lists traditional uses including rejoneo (mounted bullfighting), acoso y derribo (testing young fighting bulls), carriage driving, and livestock and farm work. The Spanish equestrian federation defines doma vaquera as a sequence of exercises in a rectangular arena, taken from the work done with cattle in the field. Andalusians are also seen in harness, in livestock work and in leisure riding.

Andalusian vs Lusitano: what is the difference?

The Lusitano is the Andalusian's Portuguese relative and today a separate breed with its own studbook. According to a Portuguese doctoral thesis (Vicente, 2020) published by APSL, horses from Spain and Portugal have been recognised as two breeds since 1942. The American association IALHA gives the same year for the first official Portuguese Lusitano studbook, into which a number of PRE horses were entered, and according to IALHA Spain and Portugal made it clear in 1966 that horses born in Portugal are Lusitanos and horses born in Spain PRE. APSL dates the Lusitano studbook to 1967; today it is kept by APSL, founded in 1989.

The two look alike. APSL gives the Lusitano an average height of 155 cm for mares and 160 cm for stallions and a weight of around 500 kg, and grey and bay are its most frequent colours too. The Lusitano standard stresses an aptitude for High School work and for the so-called gineta exercises (cattle work, bullfighting). So the difference lies first in the studbook and the emphasis of each standard; IALHA notes that separating the studbooks allowed the two breeds to develop into distinct types.

Grey horses, melanoma and vitiligo

Vitiligo and melanoma are relatively common in grey PRE horses, and grey is the breed's most common colour. Greying with age is a dominant trait caused by a duplication in the STX17 gene and is linked to a high incidence of melanoma and loss of skin pigment. In a University of Seville study of 11,436 PRE horses, 2.8% showed at least some traces of vitiligo around the eyes, 20.5% around the mouth, and 1.6% had some degree of melanoma. Age, coat colour and inbreeding were all significantly associated with these findings.

The studbook lists the presence of melanomas among the defects that lower a horse's score. For a grey horse, part of routine care is checking the skin under the tail, around the anus and on the head while grooming, and discussing any lumps with the vet.

Hernia, laminitis and other health topics

Several health topics in the Andalusian have been studied by Spanish veterinary and agricultural faculties. A hospital study at the Autonomous University of Barcelona reviewed 468 horses that underwent colic surgery, 192 of them Andalusians. The Andalusians had more inguinal hernias than the other breeds and were more prone to laminitis as a post-operative complication.

Among 10,929 PRE horses, 8.91% had a cresty neck severe enough to be penalised or disqualified by the studbook, and the trait is moderately heritable. A metabolic study of 127 Andalusians confirmed a tendency to adiposity in the horses studied, and in a study of 51,134 PRE horses only 15.75% had none of the four angular hoof defects examined, which matters for the farrier's work.

How long does an Andalusian live?

There are no reliable lifespan statistics for the PRE. The Merck Veterinary Manual gives 25–30 years for horses in general and notes that lifespan depends on health, care and size. The PetMD guide gives the Andalusian a lifespan of 25 years. Because so many Andalusians are grey, regular skin checks matter especially in older horses.

Feeding and exercise

The diet should be built on forage: hay or grazing. The DEFRA welfare code for horses asks for almost constant access to forage outside working hours and continuous access to clean, fresh water. Vitamins and minerals are added when grazing is not enough, and concentrates only in the amount the horse needs for its work or to gain weight. Because the Andalusian tends to put on fat, it helps to score body condition and watch the neck regularly, and to plan rations with a vet or equine nutritionist.

Horses are herd animals and need the company of other horses. The DEFRA code states that isolation can harm a horse psychologically and that every stabled horse benefits from daily turnout to graze and socialise. Beyond turnout, the Andalusian needs regular, varied work under saddle or on the lunge, since it learns quickly.

Caring for the mane, hooves and teeth

Care is moderately demanding. The short coat is quick to groom, while the abundant mane and long tail take more time and need regular brushing out. Grooming a grey horse is always a chance to check its skin. The farrier should trim or reshoe the hooves as advised, usually every 4–8 weeks, and the teeth should be checked at least once a year by a vet or equine dental technician. Vaccinations and a parasite control plan, including faecal worm egg counts, are agreed with the vet.

Who the Andalusian suits

The Andalusian suits a rider interested in classical dressage, doma vaquera or elegant leisure riding who wants a sensitive, willing horse with plenty of presence. It suits less well someone looking for a horse that needs little work or schooling: an energetic young Andalusian should be trained by an experienced rider. Before buying, check the horse's PRE studbook registration and, in a grey, the condition of its skin. It needs daily turnout, other horses for company and a diet that allows for its tendency to gain weight. Visits from the vet, farrier and dental technician add up, so it helps to keep them recorded in one place.

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