A look at how these fairy-tale breeds can be within reach of the everyday horse owner.
For many people, owning a member of the Baroque family of horses is a far away dream. Known for their athletic ability, flowing manes and jaw-dropping beauty, they are often referred to as a Òfairy-taleÓ breed. Despite Baroque breeds often being small in number and sometimes difficult to locate, we talked to some lucky owners and discovered that finding one of these beautiful horses to buy is a dream that could come true.
Andalusians, Lusitanos, Lipizzans, and Friesians all fall under the banner of ÒBaroqueÓ breeds because they share the same ancient heritage, dating back to the Iberian Peninsula and 25,000 B.C. ÒSpanishÓ horses, as they were known, were used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans as cavalry mounts. As history progressed, the breedÕs strength, agility and bravery made them favorites in warfare. Only in the last 100 years have these breeds started to reach America and now that they have, their versatility and temperaments are making them hugely popular. Despite this, breeding regulations are strict and if you are serious about owning a piece of history you have to have patience and the time to search.
Andalusians and Lusitanos
The breeds of horses known in the United States as the Andalusian and Lusitano are cousins, who trace their genetic roots back to two studbooks: one in Portugal, the other in Spain. For years, the studbooks in those two mother countries allowed cross-registry, and the horses were recognized as the same breed. When political maneuverings closed the studbooks of Spain and Portugal to each other in the late 1960s, people outside North America began to treat the two bloodlines as different breeds.
In 1967 Lusitanos were given their own studbook, and since then the number of purebred foals registered with the studbook has peaked at 1,800 in 2000.
The International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association believes that all purebred horses, whether of Portugese or Spanish descent, should be referred to as Andalusians and the association maintains the Purebred Andalusian Studbook, in which horses of both bloodlines...
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