The Lusitanian horse , or lusitano, is a Portuguese horse breed closely associated with the Spanish Andalusian horse. Both of these breeds were spread on the Iberian Peninsula, and until the 1960s were considered one breed of horses, the so-called Iberian horse, named for the Iberians , the oldest population of the Iberian Peninsula. It is known that horses have been present on the Iberian Peninsula since ancient times, and by 800 BC. er The region was famous for its fighting horses. After the Arabs conquered the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD, the horses brought by them (Sorraya and Berberia ) mixed with the local horse population. The breeding books of the two breeds have been maintained separately since 1967, and the Portuguese branch of the Iberian horse was named the Luzitan horse, in honor of the ancient Roman name of Portugal. Several times the breed was on the verge of extinction, the number reached several heads in one stable.
| Lusitanian horse | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Specifications | |
| Growth | 162 cm from stallions 155 cm at mares |
| Weight | 550-600 kg |
| Breeding country | Portugal , Brazil , France |
| Origin | |
| A country | Portugal |
| Time | 1967 |
Lusitanian horses are usually gray, bay or black. Currently, they are usually used for dressage and bullfighting.
On average, the growth of Lusitanian stallions is 162 cm, and mares are about 155 cm. Weight is from 550 to 600 kg. Their heads are proportional, of noble forms, with a slightly convex profile. The eyes of the horses of the Lusitanian breed are large, almond-shaped, the ears are of medium length. The neck is not too long, beautifully arched in the form of an arch, set high, with a developed crest. The body is wide, deep and rounded, the croup is powerful with a low set tail. The legs of the horses are tight.
The Lusitanian breed is not as numerous as the Andalusian: there are only about 2,000 Luzitan queens throughout the world, and only half of this herd is in Portugal. Much of the horses of the Lusitanian breed are concentrated in Brazil (600 queens) and France (200 queens).