The Lusitano horse

The Lusitano horse looks already very beautiful the first time you'll meet him. He is imposing without loosing his grace and elegance. When you start riding him you're convinced!

Below you'll find the 'Official Racial Standard' according to the Associação Portuguesa de Criadores do Cavalo Puro Sangue Lusitano APSL or the Portuguese Lusitano Breeders Association when translated.

TYPE - Middleweight (weight around 500 kgs.) "Medium lined"; sub-convex profile (with rounded outlines); a silhouette that can be fitted into a square.

HEIGHT - Medium; at the age of six years, the average height, measured at the withers is 1.55m (nearest conversion 15.1hh) for females and 1.60m (15.3hh) for males.

COAT - The most appreciated and esteemed are all shades of grey and bay.

TEMPERAMENT - Noble, generous and ardent, but always gentle and able to support duress.

MOVEMENTS - Agile, elevated forward, smooth and having a great facility to carry the rider in comfort.

APTITUDE - A natural ability for concentration, with a great disposition for High School work; courage and enthusiasm for the gineta exercises (combat, hunting, bullfighting, work with cattle etc.).

HEAD - Well proportioned, of medium length, narrow and dry, with the lower jaw not too pronounced and the cheek inclined to be long. Slightly sub-convex profile with slightly curved forehead (in advance of the eyebrows' bones); the eyes, tending to an elliptical form, are big, alive, expressive and confident. Fine, narrow and expressive ears of medium length.

NECK - Of medium length, with fine hair line, deep in the base, well inserted between the shoulders, rising up arched from the withers without convexity, ending at a narrow and fine junction with the head.

WITHERS - Long and well defined, with a smooth transition from the back to the neck, always higher than the croup. On adult stallions is sometimes covered with fat but always prominent from the shoulders.

CHEST - Of medium size, deep and muscular.

RIBCAGE - Well developed, long and deep, slightly arched ribs obliquely inserted into the spinal column giving rise to short and full flank.

SHOULDERS - Long, slanting and well muscled.

BACK - Well placed, tending towards the horizontal and making a smooth connection between the withers and the loins.

LOINS - Short, wide, slightly convex, well connected with the back and croup with which they form a continuous line.

CROUP - Strong and rounded, well-balanced, slightly slanting. The length and width of identical dimensions; harmonious convex profile with the point of the hip unobtrusive, giving the croup a cross section of elliptical shape. Tail with long, silky and abundant hair gently emerging from the convex line of the croup's profile.

LEGS - The forelegs are well muscled and harmoniously inclined. Upper arm straight and muscular. Knees are thick and dry. The cannons tend to be long, dry and with well-pronounced tendons. The fetlocks are dry, relatively big and with very little hair. The pasterns are relatively long and sloping. The hooves are of good constitution, well formed and proportioned without being too open; the line of the coronet is not very evident. The buttock is short and convex. The thigh is muscular, normally short and oriented in such a way that the patella gaskin is in the same vertical line as the hip-bone, or point of the hip. The legs are normally long, placing the point of the hock in a vertical line with the point of the buttock. The hocks are large, strong and dry. The hind legs form relatively closed angles.
 

Bloodlines

Below the four most important bloodlines are described.

1. Veiga

Almost 200 years ago Rafael José da Cunha founded a stud farm named 'Quinta da Broa', situated in Azinha do Ribatejo. Among the herd there were also two stallions from Alter Real (the national stud farm owned by the king). These stallions were gifted by King Dom Fernando (the first stallion) and his son Dom Pedro V (the second stallion). After some time the farm was inherited by Eng. Manuel Tavares Veiga. His work and vision led to remarkable results which made the stud farm respected as the founder of the new Lusitano generation.

The Veiga blood line produce the most pure Lusitano horse as esteemed in the ancient times when they were used for war. They are courageous, high spirited and very obedient.

2. Alter Real  3. Coudelaria Nacional

In 1748 the Portuguese King Dom João V, founded a stud farm in Alter do Chão named 'Alter Réal'. Today this stud farm has developed also a school for several disciplines in the equestrian sports and for other farming and stockbreeding educations. All this is surrounded by a museum, a restaurant, a shop etc. etc.

The Portuguese School of the Equestrian Art (Escola Portuguesa de Arte Equestre) use the Alter horses for riding and shows. But also the Government and the State police uses the Alter horses.

The stud farm started with bay coloured horses, this colour is still being seen as one of the identifying marks of the Alter horse. From the first start (almost 250 years ago) all data and information is being kept very careful and well in writing. Nowadays these writings are still being used as a source of information.

On the initiative of the Governments' Department of Agriculture of Portugal, there was founded another National stud farm known as the Coudelaria Nacional. This stud farm was meant for giving support and assistance to Alter do Chão. Both farms used Spanish bloodlines (Cartujanos). Only recently (1967) the studbook of the Spanish horses (PRE) and the Lusitano horse got separated

4. Andrade

The Andrade horses are a little taller, more compact and have a more rounded shape the the other Lusitano's. The profile of their nose is straight. Their movements are elegant and functional. They have a high ability for concentration. All these attitudes makes the 'Andrades' very suitable for the Classic Equestrian Art. The Andrade line has a calm and very soft temperament.

According the Portuguese studbook there are 6 stallions and 1 mare registered, who form the base of the present Lusitano horse:

Destinado
Hermanos, stallion born in 1930, from Alegre II (DH) and Destinada (DH)

Hucharia
Coudelaria Nacional, mare born in 1943, from Cartujano (APT) and Vizcaina (MRB)

Marialva II
Antonio de Melo, stallion born in 1930, from Marialva (APM) and Campina (APM)

Primoroso
Hermanos, stallion born in 1927, from Presumido (DH) and Primorosa II (DH)

Regedor
Alter Real, stallion born in 1923, from Gaivoto (AR) and Gavina (AR)

The portugese King Don Jose on the Alter Real stallion "Gentil"

                  

Known Lusitano Stallions (source: Quinta da Bétula)