Lusitano

About the breed

The Lusitano is a Portuguese riding horse of Iberian origin, known for its rounded, compact build, slightly convex head profile and natural talent for collected work. Its studbook is kept by the Portuguese breeders' association APSL, which manages it for the whole world. Lusitano horses compete today in dressage, working equitation and driving, and in Portugal they are also ridden in traditional mounted bullfighting.

An Iberian horse with a Portuguese name

The Lusitano is the Portuguese branch of the old Iberian horse, bred for centuries in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. A veterinary doctoral thesis from the University of Lisbon (Vicente, 2020), published by APSL, states that until 1942 the Iberian horse was one and the same breed in Portugal and Spain, known as the Spanish, Peninsular or Andalusian horse. When Spain created the Pura Raza Española (PRE) studbook, horses from the two countries began to be recognised as two breeds: the PRE in Spain and the Lusitano in Portugal. According to the same thesis, the name Lusitano appears in 1942 and comes from the Roman region of Lusitania.

An ancient-DNA study (Lira et al., 2010) found Neolithic and Bronze Age sequences in a mitochondrial group that today occurs only in horses of Iberian origin; the authors explain this by the possible use of local wild mares in an early domestication or restocking event.

The APSL studbook: closed since 1989

The Lusitano studbook is closed, meaning that horses of other blood cannot be entered. According to APSL, the studbook was created in 1967, and the APSL regulation describes it as a continuation of the work done by the Portuguese Equine Studbook from 1966 to the end of 1989. The 2020 thesis adds that the book remained open to new registrations until 1989; since then only the offspring of registered parents can be entered. APSL itself was founded in 1989 and, authorised by the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture, runs a single studbook for the breed worldwide.

Breeding animals must pass a morpho-functional test in which judges compare the horse with the breed standard; stallions are inspected under saddle and in hand, mares in hand. APSL states that around 50% of the breeding stock is now outside Portugal. The thesis estimates about 5,000 breeding mares worldwide in 32 countries, with Brazil, France, Mexico and Spain among the important breeding centres.

The Alter Real line and the old breeding families

The Alter stud is regarded as the oldest Portuguese stud still operating without interruption on its original site. According to the stud itself, it was founded at Alter do Chão by King João V in 1748 to supply the royal riding school with home-bred horses for High School riding; the first herd was made up of mares, mostly bought in Spain. The years 1842 to 1910 were a period of crossbreeding, and by the time recovery began the Alter Real was close to extinction. The recovery started in 1942 with 11 mares and three stallions; until 1979 it rested on those three stallions.

Alter Real, Veiga, Andrade and the National Stud (Coudelaria Nacional) are regarded as the founder studs of the breed, and a microsatellite analysis of the 16 main studs (Vicente, 2020) confirmed this. Horses from Alter are ridden today by the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art (Escola Portuguesa de Arte Equestre).

Height at the withers, weight and build

The APSL standard gives the average height at the withers, measured with a stick at six years of age: 1.55 m for mares and 1.60 m for stallions (about 15.1 and 15.3 hands). Records from the inspection of almost 17,000 horses (16,995 measurements) gave a mean of 157.8 cm. Individual horses can be smaller or taller, so the actual horse matters more than the average.

The standard describes the Lusitano as a horse of middle weight, "around 500 kilos", with rounded outlines and a silhouette that fits into a square. The studbook gives no other official weight. A longitudinal study by the Lisbon veterinary faculty weighed 34 foals from four studs from birth to 36 months and, from growth curves, estimated a mean adult weight of 544 kg; the individual estimates (427–722 kg) were calculated from growth curves, not from weighing adult horses. An adult Lusitano therefore weighs about 500–550 kg, and there is no official range.

According to the standard, the head is of medium length and dry, with a slightly sub-convex profile and large, almond-shaped eyes. The neck is arched and well set on, the withers long, the back nearly level, the loins short and broad, the croup rounded and slightly sloping, and the tail emerges in line with the croup, with long, silky hair. The legs show relatively closed angles, which goes with the breed's collected, elevated action.

Colours: mostly greys and bays

The APSL standard does not prescribe a single colour; it states that the most frequent colours are grey and bay in all their shades. Other colours also occur, among them the pearl dilution. A Spanish study (Sevane et al., 2019) reports that this dilution has so far been found only in the PRE and the Lusitano; it is a recessive trait, and carriers can be identified with a genetic test.

Grey also has a health side. Greying with age is a dominant trait that a study in Nature Genetics (Rosengren Pielberg et al., 2008) links with a high incidence of melanoma in grey horses in general, not in the Lusitano specifically. Because so many Lusitanos are grey, it is a fact worth knowing.

Temperament: brave but willing

The APSL standard describes the Lusitano as noble, generous and ardent, but always gentle and long-suffering. The 2020 thesis connects this with the breed's long use in war, cattle work and bullfighting, which called for a horse that is courageous yet calmly follows its rider. The same source notes that in Portugal Lusitanos are widely used in riding centres to teach people to ride.

As with any horse, though, a great deal depends on the individual, its schooling and its experience. A sensitive horse with a strong tendency to collect can easily be confused by a tense or inexperienced rider, so the Lusitano suits beginners only conditionally: with a well-schooled horse and under a trainer's supervision.

Movement and a talent for collection

The standard describes the Lusitano's paces as agile, elevated and forward-going, and very comfortable for the rider. It credits the breed with a natural tendency towards collection and a strong aptitude for High School work, together with courage and enthusiasm in "gineta" exercises, the Iberian riding tradition that covers combat, hunting, bullfighting and cattle work.

Working equitation, dressage, driving and bullfighting

Working equitation is an international discipline founded in 1996 that combines a dressage test, an ease-of-handling course, a speed round and a team cattle trial. The 2020 thesis reports that of 250 horses at international championships between 2002 and 2014, 115 were Lusitanos, or 46%. Portuguese teams are frequently European and world champions in the discipline.

The first Lusitano at the Olympic Games was the stallion Orphée, part of the French team in Barcelona in 1992. APSL reports that the breed has reached fifth place in the WBFSH dressage ranking of studbooks for the second time. In driving, two different Lusitano four-in-hand teams have won world championship titles, in 1996 and 2006. The breed is also used for leisure riding and classical equitation, with some good results in show jumping.

Portuguese mounted bullfighting (tourada) is a tradition that, according to the thesis, strongly shaped the selection of the breed. The horse needs courage, strength, a fast canter and the ability to change direction, stride length and centre of gravity very quickly. The APSL standard still lists bullfighting among the gineta exercises for which the Lusitano is suited. The same thesis stresses that working equitation is an important tool for functional selection in countries where mounted bullfighting is not practised or not accepted.

Lusitano vs Andalusian: what is the difference?

The Lusitano and the Andalusian (PRE) share an Iberian origin. According to the Portuguese thesis they have been recognised as two breeds since 1942, and the Lusitano has had its own studbook since 1967. The difference lies mainly in breeding goals. The Portuguese thesis states that the Lusitano stayed tied to field work, cattle and bullfighting, so canter quality mattered in selection, whereas PRE breeding, according to the same source, focused more on appearance and presentation. APSL holds that the Portuguese horse stayed closer to the original Iberian type. These are Portuguese positions. A 2026 genomic study of Baroque breeds found the Lusitano among the most genetically diverse of the eight breeds, but also detected signs of recent gene flow among the Iberian breeds and shared ancestry across Baroque breeds. In practice two horses can look very alike, so only studbook papers reliably confirm the breed.

Health: what studies of Lusitanos show

Several Portuguese studies have looked at Lusitano joints. A retrospective study from the University of Évora reviewed radiographs of 302 Lusitanos aged 1 to 12, taken between 2007 and 2019. Signs of osteochondrosis (OC/OCD) were found in 53.3% of the horses, mostly mild flattening; 16.6% had fragments. This is the result of one sample, not an estimate for the whole breed. The authors judge the prevalence similar to the PRE, with a lower share of fragmentation. The APSL regulation provides that stallion candidates may be X-rayed for signs of osteochondritis. Another study by the same group found a low prevalence of severe radiographic signs of osteoarthritis in 98 Lusitanos.

Researchers (Finno et al., 2011) described equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM) in a group of 15 related Lusitanos; the disease causes ataxia in young horses, appears to have a genetic basis, and all the horses examined had low vitamin E levels. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) has also been studied in Lusitanos, but without a figure for its frequency in the breed.

A closed studbook also means keeping an eye on inbreeding. In 146 breeding stallions the mean inbreeding coefficient was 7.93%, and semen quality declined as inbreeding rose. A study of Lusitanos in Italy found that in recent years 77.2% of foals were sired by only four stallions, and the authors advise caution in the choice of sires.

How long does a Lusitano live?

We found no reliable lifespan figures specific to the Lusitano. The Merck Veterinary Manual gives an average of 25–30 years for horses in general and adds that lifespan depends on health, care and size. That range is therefore general guidance, not a claim about the breed.

Keeping, feeding, exercise and care

A Lusitano needs the same basic care as any horse. The UK code of practice for horse welfare (DEFRA) stresses that horses are herd animals and should be able to socialise with other horses, because isolation can harm them. Stabled horses benefit from daily turnout in the field, where they can graze and socialise. The diet should be based on forage, hay or grass, available almost constantly outside exercise hours, together with continuous access to fresh water. Supplementary feed and minerals are added when grazing is inadequate, and the amount is matched to the horse's age, weight, condition and work.

The code advises that hooves be trimmed or re-shod by a farrier, usually every 4 to 8 weeks, and that teeth be inspected at least once a year by a vet or an equine dental technician. Vaccination and parasite control, including faecal worm egg counts, are planned with a vet. The breed standard describes a tail with long, abundant hair, which needs regular brushing out and keeping clean.

Who is the Lusitano for?

The Lusitano is a good match for a rider with some experience who is interested in dressage, working equitation or classical riding and has access to a good trainer. The breed is less established in show jumping, and it does not suit a beginner without expert guidance. It needs a stable with daily turnout, the company of other horses and regular, varied work. When buying, it makes sense to check registration with APSL or a partner association, and afterwards to keep records of vaccinations, farrier and dentist visits.

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