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• Lusitano history
  • History 2
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Lusitano history

Puro Sangue Lusitano
History of the Lusitano horse © Gemma van Dijk

The earliest records of horses in Portugal can be found in Escoural in the Alentejo province, dating back 17.000-13.000 BC. Even then the horses showed grace and splendor. Their speed brought them into the Roman Hippodrome. The art of fighting on horseback (Gineta) as done by the inhabitants of the Iberian peninsula became famous after defeating the Carthagians. In the 17th and 18th century they became royal horses at the courts of Europe, at which time the Classical Riding Schools were founded. Nowadays there is not a modern breed which has no Iberian blood in it. With such a heritage, this breed can definitely be called fascinating.  

Portugal and Spain were conquered by the Moors in 711 AD. After they were defeated by the crusaders the people started breeding with the indigenous horses (e.g. Sorraia), the Barb horses from Northern Africa which were left behind and horses from the north. Arab horses have not been used a lot in Portugal. Portugal became an independent country in 1247, but the south of Portugal and Andalucia in Spain were still not independent. Horse breeding was centered around the Tagus river (Ribatejo) in Portugal and around the Guadalquivir (Andalucia) in Spain. The Pura Raza Española therefore has the same roots as the Lusitano and only after this time the breeds became separated. Iberian horses have been very important in breeding most European and American horses. If we want to analyse the name 'Lusitano' it means a horse bred in the old Roman empire Lusitania (=modern Portugal).