The Three Known Portuguese Horse Breeds
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One of the famous Portuguese exports in the Equestrian world is the Lusitano horse breed that is now the favorite in many countries that have an equestrian tradition. Apart from Portugal, you can see a thriving breed of Lusitano horse in France, Brazil and Mexico. Needless to say, the major European countries with the same tradition have them as well like Italy, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK. You can also see them in the US, and Asian countries like Thailand and the Philippines as well as African and Latin American countries.
So what makes the Lusitano horse the best Portuguese horse breed and one of the best thoroughbreds in the world? It’s the regal stature and demeanor as well as walking gait that makes it no less a match to the regal aristocrats and royalties anywhere on the planet, particularly among the elite in Europe where equestrian games and sports figure prominently as the pastime of the rich and famous.
The Lusitano horse didn’t start out as what it is today, but is more a product of interbreeding with foreign horses introduced into the Iberian Peninsula by conquering armies of Carthage, Rome and Arabia over the last two thousand years. It wasn’t until 1942, when the veterinarians of the National Stud registered the name in the Portuguese Stud Book to identify the horse with the characteristics of the breed we know today as Lusitano, that the name of the breed became known and it was only in 1967 when it was officially recognized as part of Portugal’s heritage.
Other Breeds
There are two other less known Portuguese horse breeds that trace a common ancestry with the Iberian Pony and the Iberian Horse. These are the Garrano and the Sorraia breed, respectively. The Garrano is more of a pony with its bulkier neck profile and short legs which had their features drawn in the prehistoric cave drawings in Altamira and La Pasiega.
The Sorraia, on the other hand, is more horse-like with a taller stature but without the grace and commanding presence of the Lusitano. It has been depicted in the cave drawings in La Pileta (Malaga, Spain) dated from 20.000 B.C. and at Escoural (Alentejo, Portugal) dated between 17.000 B.C. and 13.000 B.C. and was first spotted by Dr. Ruy D’Andrade in 1945 roaming the valley where the Sor and Raia river tributaries merged, hence the name – Sorraia.
Both breeds are now seen mostly in rural farming communities as a means of transport and for farming purposes.
