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PURE BRED HORSES
IBERIAN STYLE You may not be aware of the fact, but the Iberian Peninsula is home to one of the finest horse breeds and equestrian traditions in the world, and the Spanish version of it belongs to Andalucía. WORDS MICHEL CRUZ
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ncestors of what has become the modern Iberian horse are known to have been present on the peninsula for over 20,000 years, roaming its plains before helping mankind conquer nature in these parts and farm the land. The development of settlements, towns and indeed civilisations is intricately related to the horse, which plays a prominent role in humankind’s evolution. Without horse power, much of it would have slowed down considerably, so we have a lot to thank our equine friends for, and among those that have served us so well there are few breeds as noble as that indigenous to this peninsula.
98 / JUNE 2022 ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE
Famous already in Phoenician and Roman times, the Iberian horse was renowned for its speed, strength and grace, features that made it an empire builder here and abroad. Foreign powers took the breed back with them, and the invading Muslims added the bloodline of their own beautiful Arabian horses to it, creating a distinctive type that has been recognised as a breed in its own right since the 15th century. Not much later the Spanish conquistadores took this walking war machine, which gave them such an advantage in battle, to the far reaches of their emerging empire, and so began the long process by which the Iberian horse has spread across
the world. But make no mistake, for the Iberian horse, now known as the Pura Raza Española (the Pure Spanish Horse), is of this peninsula and remains connected to its land. The conformation characteristics established centuries ago, such as powerful neck and hindquarters, a thick mane and tail, and an elegant gait, remain the reference points when judging the purity and quality of today’s Iberians, whose close, almost identical, relative is the Lusitano from Portugal. Together, they helped in the creation of empires, but were also used to draw carriages, herd cattle, in bullfighting,
