Characteristics and description of the Iberian breed of horses

The Iberian horse breed is ancient and noble, distinguished by innate elegance and amazing flexibility. Since ancient times, its representatives have accompanied brave knights and brave warriors, rulers of empires and philosophers. It is this breed of horses that Homer mentions in his works as “sons of the wind”, and horse images can be found in ancient Greek drawings that have survived to this day.

Iberian horse breed

Short story

Iberian horses are named after their place of origin: the first mention of these graceful horses indicates that they appeared on the Iberian Peninsula in the territory of modern Spain and Portugal, which were inhabited by Iberians. To date, there are 2 subtypes of the breed:

  • Andalusian, originating from the territory of Spain;
  • Lusitano, originating from the territory of Portugal;
  • alter real, which is in an intermediate position and geographically related to the Portuguese subtype, but in its features is closer to the Andalusian.

Iberian horses were kept in their stables by many European rulers. Strabo and Pliny, Xenophon and Julius Caesar were admirers of the refined and slightly hook-nosed breed.

Iberian breed in the 16-18 centuries. actively imported to Russia. Here they were called Spanish horses and kept in palace factories, and also used for breeding. Iberian horses became the ancestors of the Oryol trotting and riding breeds.

In the Baroque era, the tastes of horse breeders changed a bit: preference began to be given to heavier and taller horses. Increasingly, new breeds began to be used instead of Andalusian horses: the Neapolitan, and later the English Thoroughbred. For the preservation of the pure Andalusian breed, it is worth thanking the Carthusian monks who lived in the monastery of Jerez de la Frontera and had their own stud farm, which specialized in purebred Andalusian horses.

Important! Since 1967, stud books of Iberian varieties have been kept separately, so many sources list the Portuguese and Spanish lines as separate breeds.

Exterior

The color of Iberian horses may vary, depending on the subspecies. For example, for Andalusian horses, the gray color is considered the most valuable, and for representatives of the Portuguese line, gray and rich bay coat color. Alter real horses most often have bay and dark bay colors. The height of the Iberians does not exceed 170 cm and averages 150-162 cm. Of the characteristic features of the exterior, the following are distinguished:

  1. Large forehead, large almond-shaped eyes.
  2. Nose slightly hooked or even.
  3. Elongated neck forming a steep angle.
  4. Shortened powerful body with a rounded croup.
  5. Long hair on the tail and mane, most often wavy.
  6. Powerful legs with clearly protruding bones.

Remotely, the Iberian breed resembles the oriental horses of the Arabian type in its exterior, however, the Iberians are distinguished by a unique sense of balance, good physical performance, and an excellent braking moment.

Characteristics of character

Representatives of the Iberian breed of horses are very domestic, they become attached to the owner and easily make contact during the work process. The main character traits are a balanced temperament, quick wit, kindness towards a person, successfully combined with courage. Due to its merits, this breed has been considered the best for military affairs and arena for many centuries.

The appearance of representatives of the Iberian breed of horses

The appearance of representatives of the Iberian breed of horses

Use of horses

The Iberian line is now used in areas where flexibility, grace and elegance are needed:

  • graduate School;
  • show bullfight;
  • jumping;
  • team.

For riding among the representatives of the Andalusian subspecies, only stallions are selected. They do not need to be castrated: despite the huge supply of energy, they are distinguished by obedience and good disposition. Such horses are used in the Spanish mounted police: they use the traditional equipment in the form of a saddle and bridle with one mouthpiece. Andalusian horses begin to be trained in dressage at the age of 3 years.

For equestrian bullfighting – a traditional mass spectacle in Spain – horses are trained for 6-7 years. A horse participating in a bullfight must have extraordinary agility, quick wits and maneuverability. She seems to be a continuation of the rider and sensitively understands his every movement.

When using Andalusian horses for harness, as a rule, “fives” are formed: three horses are placed in front and two behind. Brightly decorated representatives of the Spanish breed look very impressive in harness.

Maintenance and care

When keeping the Iberian breed, it must be taken into account that these animals can hardly endure the restriction of freedom, therefore they are placed in stalls with an area of ​​at least 9 sq.m. The room should contain individual stalls, swing doors, high-quality ventilation. The floors in the stalls are made waterproof, covered with straw and peat. Be sure to provide a room for storing inventory, a catering unit and a forge in the stable. At the stall, paddocks are organized so that the horses can constantly be in the fresh air. It is also important to have a fenced meadow or clearing for grazing.

The average life expectancy of an Iberian is 25 years. In order for the horse to be healthy and active, it is necessary to follow the basic rules of nutrition. The daily diet should include not only oats, hay, wheat and rye, but also legumes, apples, beets, carrots and potatoes. Before serving food, the horse should be given plenty of clean water to drink. Meals are organized in fractional, frequent and small portions. When feeding with dry mixes, the serving volume is calculated by weight: 100-2 kg of dry food is consumed per 3 g of weight. For young horses, the feeding rate is increased by 15%.

When caring for an Iberian horse, daily cleaning, regular hoof inspection, and changing of horseshoes every 30-40 days are important. Also, sometimes a horse can be let out without horseshoes for a short rest (about once a year).

The blood of the Iberian breed flows in all modern representatives of saddle horses, including such breeds as the Criollo, Appaloosa, American Saddle, Paso Fino, Cladruber. Due to their character, temperament, beauty, grace, proud gait and amazing ability to learn, Iberian horses still remain one of the most valuable breeds among professional horse breeders and wealthy people.

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Anna Evans

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