Pura Raza Española (Andalusian) - Origin:

The Spanish province Andalusia is the place where the Andalusian Horse got its name and originated. Where the Iberian horse of Spain and Portugal are its ancestors. It was only 60 years ago that the distinction was made between the Andalusian and the Lusitano horse. The breeders in Spain are now refer to their horses as “Pure Raza Española” (Pure Spanish Horse or PRE) and they keep their own studbook. This horse is what much of the world refer as the “Andalusian Horse.” The Portuguese horse is now called Lusitano, and name taken from the old Roman name of Portugal, Lusitania.
The Andalusian Horse’s roots are going back deep in times, as far as to the prehistoric times. A drawings of the Andalusian horse was discovered on walls of prehistoric caves in southern Spain, dating to 20,000 – 30,000 BC.
Those prehistoric horses are the foundation of today’s Andalusian Horse. It is agreed by most experts that the Andalusian Horse was sculpted by various people and cultures that lived in Spain throughout its long life. The Iberian horse was influenced by horses that brought to the Iberian Peninsula by various groups such as Celts of France, the Romance, the Moors and the Carthaginians from North Africa. The Andalusian Horse breed began to influence various other breeds from the 15th century and on. The ancestors of today’s Andalusian Horse played a prominent role at the service of some of worlds’s greatest warriors, what grow the reputation of the Andalusian horse as one of the world’s premier war horse.
There are evidence that the Iberian horse was ridden as early as 3,000 – 4,000 BC. The Iberian cavalry was already a formidable foe when the Phoenicians arrived in Iberia in 2,000 BC and later on the Greeks in 1,000 BC. The Iberian horse was already regarded as a war horse without equal. It was even mention by Homer in his famous Iliad, at about 1,100 BC. Another famous figure, the Greek cavalry officer Xenophon from Sparta has described the Andalusian horse as "gifted Iberian horses" and praised their role in defeating the Athenians around 450BC. Using the Iberian cavalry in the Second Punic War (218-201 BC), Hannibal defeated the Romans several times.
It was only for a short while that Andalusian was displaced as the most popular war horse, due to heavily armored knights, and as soon as the firearm introduced, the Iberian horse was once again a mount of choice for royalty and cavalry officers.
It was then, that the Iberian horse became the "royal horse of Europe" and was present at every royal court. Academies for grand riding were formed in countries across Europe. The list includes Austria, France, Italy and Germany. Those academies have initiated the dressage and high school riding, allow it to flourish. The favored mount of these academies was Iberian horse for of its impulsion, forward motion and catlike agility.
"It is the noblest horse in the world, the most beautiful that can be. He is of great spirit and of great courage and docile; hath the proudest trot and the best action in his trot, the loftiest gallop, and is the most loved and gentlest horse, and fittest of all for a king in his day of triumph." That is what the Duke of Newcastle wrote about the Andalusian Horse, in 1667.
The Andalusian was the foundation for the Lipizzaner of the famed Spanish Riding School in Vienna. It played a role in the development of most of the German warmbloods, England's Cleveland Bay, Ireland's Connemara, the American Quarter Horse and Peruvian Paso.
The Andalusian horse displays an amazing versatility that has been present for centuries. The Andalusian's attributes of strength, athleticism, impulsion and kind temperament are still the fundamental characteristics of this royal breed. The Andalusian horse is used in dressage, jumping, driving
- both pleasure and competitive, trail, western pleasure and English pleasure. It is also a parade and exhibition horse without peer. Most interesting, we cannot forget that the Andalusian, for its love of people, is an awesome family horse.

Andalusian Horse - Characteristic:

The Andalusian Horse is strongly built, yet elegant to look at. Typical Andalusian stands 15.2 to 16.2 hands. The head is of medium length, rectangular and lean, and in profile, is slightly convex or straight with a broad forehead and well-placed ears. It have large kind eyes. The neck is quite long, broad, and well-crested in stallions. The mane is thick and abundant. Well-defined withers precede a short back; the quarters are broad and strong. The croup is rounded and of medium length. The tail is usually abundant, long, set low and lies tightly against the body. Approximately 80% of Andalusian are white or some shades of gray, 15% are bay and less than 5% are black, dun or palomino. In the early days of the breed all colors were found including spotted.
The Andalusian possesses a proud but docile temperament. The Andalusian is sensitive and particularly intelligent, responsive and cooperative, learning quickly and easily when treated with respect and care.

Why is the Andalusian Horse so rare?

The Andalusian Horse's conformation is very strong: arched neck, short-coupled, powerful body, strong hock action and impulsion. These characteristics of strength, natural collection, courageous, impulsion, agility and kind temperament were requirements of any war horse. The Andalusian was used as a war horse, to carry heavily armored knights into battle and was very popular in mounted armies.

As a result of their superior conformation and temperament, most Andalusians were killed off in the wars starting in 1492. Napoleon invaded Spain and conquered or killed a majority of the Andalusian war horses. The breed was then threatened with extinction, with only one pure spanish herd left.

This text is from www.kilimanjaroranch.com