The Lusitano is a pure breed of horse, usually used as a saddle horse though he is also prized as a light driving horse. He is compact, highly manoeuvrable, intelligent, brave and agile. He is hot-blooded, like Arabs and Thoroughbreds - the foundation stock for the modern Thoroughbred contained a considerable amount of Lusitano blood.

The Lusitano is also a very attractive breed of horse, though this is largely fortuitous - the Lusitano has been selected for countless generations for functionality in battle and, later, in the bullring, rather than for looks.

Why is the Lusitano as he is?
The Lusitano horse originated in the hilly and rough areas of the Iberian peninsula. The mountainous terrain moulded him into an agile horse, able to leap and keep his footing like a mountain goat. He had to learn not to panic - no use running blindly over a 1000' drop! He also had to be hardy, to survive the extremes of weather and the rough surroundings.

Thousands of years ago, men noticed these characteristics and began to prize him as a war horse. He could out-manoeuvre the opposition and could be relied upon to keep his head. The mountain horse was refined into an animal that could anticipate his rider's wishes and, crucially, keep his rider as far as possible out of danger, whilst exposing himself to the risks of battle. He was used as a dignified and responsive mount upon which courtiers refined their equestrian skills in the movements of the High School.

The Lusitano fell somewhat from favour in this country when cross-country pursuits became popular in the nineteenth century. He was used less as a war-horse as battle tactics turned to flat-out charges rather than tricky close-contact warfare.

Instead, he has been deployed as a mount in the bullfight - a stylised form of battle, still requiring the same characteristics of bravery, intelligence and agility from the horse. Accordingly, he has continued to be selected for these qualities until the present day.

For more information about the breed and its history, I recommend Sylvia Loch's The Royal Horse of Europe, published by J A Allen & Co Limited. A special discounted rate for J A Allen & Co Limited books is available for Lusitano society members - please contact Jane Lloyd Francis (Tel: 01650 511222)

But I don't want to bullfight - what else can he do?

As the appeal of the Lusitano has broadened in recent years, he has turned his hoof to many different pursuits. He is still highly-valued as a mount for classical dressage.