Meet the Andalusian: The Original Dressage Horse

By Jayna Pellett

The amazing Andalusian horse! We are celebrating these horses as our February Breed of the Month. With pedigree records as old as the 15th century, this breed is rich in ancient history and specifically developed by breeders to excel as cavalry mounts – they are the original dressage horses.

Did you know that riders who choose an Andalusian as their dressage mount are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program, as the International Andalusian & Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA) is a participating organization? Stay tuned for more Andalusian-focused galleries and stories throughout the month of February!

The Andalusian, also known as the pura raza española (PRE) or Pure Spanish Horse, was developed by many cultures throughout the Iberian Peninsula, an area of land comprised of modern-day Peninsular Spain, Continental Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar, and a small part of Southern France. Cave paintings suggest that horses occupied this area as early as 20,000 to 30,000 BCE, with records specifically identifying Iberian horses as ideal cavalry mounts as far back as 450 BCE.

Due to their advanced record-keeping skills, ancient dynasties tasked Carthusian monasteries in the Spanish region of Andalusia with breeding powerful war horses, leading to the formation of the first Andalusian stud farms in the 15th century. These monasteries are responsible for some of the earliest known equine pedigree records, helping develop a healthy population of horses, and pioneering the advanced pedigree-keeping systems used today.

Ancient Eras

The population of Andalusians, named after their region of origin, steadily increased through the 16th century and spread by unique means – government diplomacy! As the primary producers of highly recognized and sought-after cavalry horses, the Spanish government gifted Andalusians, and their export rights, to upper-class citizens throughout the Mediterranean and northern Europe. By the 17th century, Andalusians had reached peak popularity all across Europe, particularly among royal families, and comprised one-third of the British royal studs.

“Comparing the best horses, I give the Spanish horse first place for its perfection, because it is the most beautiful, noble, graceful and courageous.”

— Salomon de la Broue, head groom to King Henri IV, circa 1600

19th and 20th Centuries

Unfortunately, frequent warfare and disease wreaked havoc on Andalusian populations through the 19th century. Being renowned war horses, Andalusians carried soldiers into several prominent wars, including the War of the Oranges, the Napoleonic Wars, and the Carlist Wars. But as a result, a dramatic number were stolen or killed by opposing forces, and populations declined rapidly. Despite the recurrent attacks, Andalusian breeders successfully concealed one herd from invaders and later used this herd to repopulate the breed.

Then, tragedy struck again. In 1832, an Equine Influenza epidemic swept through Eurasia, and all but one small group of Andalusians, based at the Cartuja Monastery, were decimated. While the epidemic resolved and Andalusian herds began to recover in the late 19th century, England introduced the ever-so-popular Thoroughbred, and other European breeders shifted their focus to classic warmbloods, further depleting Andalusian numbers. After experiencing such a massive depopulation, Spain banned the international export of Andalusians and did not lift the restriction until 1962. Still, strict regulations and guidelines prevented the breed from spreading readily.

20th Century

Beginning in 1990, Spain relaxed the rules on exporting Andalusians, and despite being scarce in population, the breed has since spread across the globe. Following the newfound influx of Andalusians in the United States, the American Andalusian & Lusitano Horse Association (AALHA) and the International Andalusian Horse Association (IAHA) merged to form the International Andalusian & Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA) in 1995. 

After a 2010 consensus, there were over 185,000 registered Andalusians worldwide, with 15% living outside of Spain. The IALHA, in particular, boasts over 26,000 registered Andalusians in the United States and 1,200 new registries yearly.

Today’s Andalusian

Centuries of selecting this breed to carry armored soldiers and artillery have provided them with muscular, weight-bearing bodies featuring a short back, broad chest, and well-rounded hindquarters. At the same time, they remain refined enough to maintain a high degree of agility and athleticism. The minimum height for Andalsuians, as set by the Spanish government, is 15.0 hands for stallions and geldings and 14.3 hands for mares, but males and females tend to average 15.1 hands and 15.0 hands, respectively.

Although breed standards permit most coat colors, 77% of all Andalusians are grey, 15% are bay, 5% are black, 2% are chestnut, and 1% exhibit diluted or other colors, such as buckskin, palomino, cremello, pearl, etc. Andalusians are also known for their elegant portraits, highlighted by a straight or slightly convex profile, and their famously thick manes and tails.

One of the more defining traits of Andalusians is their movement. When establishing the breed, registry standards strongly discouraged poor elevation and irregular tempo, helping create the naturally elevated, expressive, and rhythmic gaits that Andalusians exhibit today. In 2001, veterinary science researchers at the University of Córdoba collected and compared the biomechanical characteristics of Arabians, Anglo-Arabians, and Andalusians. While they determined that Andulsians are less likely to over-track from the hind, researchers found they have significantly greater flexibility in their fetlocks and forelimbs overall. These characteristics, paired with a strong body capable of advanced collection, directly contribute to this breed’s historical and growing success in dressage.