The AndalusianÂ
Different advocates of the Pure Raza Espanola (PRE) either support or deny the presence of Arab blood in the
Andulusian. However; while the Iberian Factor
(Sylvia Loch's term to encapsulate the collective genetic
characteristics of these horses) is undoubtedly dominant and pre-potent
over other breeds, it is not unusual to find Pure Spanish Horses
bearing all the marks of an oriental ancestry.
There are various theories argued about,
relating to accidental or deliberate 'contamination' of the Spanish
Horse by the introduction of Arab blood over the centuries of wars that
have swept the Iberian Peninsular.
For those interested in further reading on the PRE it is worth visiting Yeguada Alemany-Bird web for the PRE history.
Regardless
of the trends in opinion, it is a matter of record that as a result of
years of internal turbulence the breeding stocks of Spain's noble
fighting horses had by the mid-nineteenth century been seriously
depleted. As a result of this shortage of good breeding horses,
specially selected Arabians were imported in 1850,1884 and 1885 to
officially upgrade the Andalusian.
The modern Pure Spanish
Horse is now genetically diverging into two distinct types of horse;
the classical old(sometimes referred to as 'Carthusian' type)
Andalusian and a new oriental Andalusian.
The bullring and competitive sports found that the best horses to
perform the demanding High School manoeuvres of close contact fighting
(as performed at the Spanish Riding School of Vienna), were those that
tracked up behind and that naturally inherited a highly developed
muscle structure. Obviously, at the end of full working lives the best
horses to have survived the rigours of the bullring were those that
retired to stud. Thus the stresses of the work eliminated from
breeding, those with genetic characteristics that could not meet the
physical demands required of a fighting horse. Performance has isolated
and concentrated the genetics of the traditional, powerful compact
fighting horses of the old classical Iberian favoured in the days of
the Conquistadores.
The fiesta and the pleasure industry, on the other-hand, has
selectively bred a new lightweight showy parade horse displaying more
of it's oriental ancestry. For the comfort of the rider and pillion it
is not desirable to have a horse with well developed croup and that
tracks up behind. Thus in this case it is the aesthetic demand for
beauty and elegance that has led to a concentrating of the Arab
genetics that was introduced originally to upgrade the Andalusian.
Perhaps
the easiest way to understand the differences and how they can exist in
one breed, is to think of the physical differences between the flat
racing Thoroughbred and the heavier National Hunt Thoroughbred.