The Iberian Horse is the most ancient riding horse known to man.  Both the Spanish and Portuguese horse originates from the Iberian Peninsula. The Andalusians (Spanish) and the Lusitanos (Portuguese) are different branches of the same breed and in fact has been proven through DNA blood testing at the University of Kentucky in which test results showed that there in fact is no difference in genetic markers or variability.

The first dressage horses were powerful horses; at the best time of classical dressage riding "à la française", the horses used were almost always Iberian horses.  Did you know that most native breeds in the United States can trace their heritage directly to the Andalusians that came to this country with the Conquistadors?  Some of those breeds are the Quarter Horses, the Paint, the Mustangs, the Appaloosas as well as all the gaited breeds. Did you know that eighty percent of all modern breeds can be traced back to the Iberian horse?  Did you also know that DNA testing has confirmed the fact that the Andalusian is an ancestor of the Percheron, Hackney, Friesian, Cleveland Bay, Thoroughbred, Welsh, Connemara and Lippizan.

In today’s quest for the super horse, the warmblood has been developed.  The reason for this innovative concept came when the “breed standard” of the Andalusian and Lusitano was not quite suitable for competitors seeking to excel in open competition. The warmblood breeds are a result of environmental factors that include regional economics and culture. The influence of Iberian blood however remains in all modern warmblood breeds today. The development of warmblood breeds primarily is through a process of selective breeding of the Iberian horse, rather than from the introduction of outside influences.

As the needs in equestrian competition have changed due to the necessity of superior physical capabilities as well as the ease to perform higher levels of training while maintaining complete soundness, that can be commonly found in many warmbloods that come from draft type ancestors shown in the old German studbooks and the Dutch histories. By crossing the large-bodied breeds to smaller horses with finer bones structure and slimmer legs, soundness problems such as ringbone, splints and founder become a significant problem. Therefore it should come as no surprise that the ideal “super horse” can be simply created by combining the strength, intelligence and dense bone structure of the Iberian horse to that of the Draft or Thoroughbred.  

Simply watching an Iberian Sport Horse perform enables the population to understand why this breed has the potential to become the worlds most sought after sport horse. Not only is soundness of limb a necessity, but just as importantly is soundness of mind. Highly intelligent with a willingness to please makes the Iberian an utmost candidate for an equine partner.

The Iberian Horse is not well known in the world of Sport Horses today due to the lack of availability of the horse which has led to a lack of knowledge of this rare and magnificent breed. However, on October 19, 1964, “Rebuscada” was the first Andalusian to set her hooves on American soil since the time of the Conquistadors. Since that time, there has been a steady increase in the popularity of the breed, stifled only by the lack of number of horses.  

Equestrian riders will tell you that once they have owned an Iberian horse, they will never return, because the strength, stamina and intelligence is second to none, not to mention they bond unbelievably to their riders and become lifelong companions in most cases. The Thoroughbred and Andalusian cross have long been the most desired Hunter/Jumper and Eventer in Australia. John Whittaker, the leading jumper in the world, has stated that this cross makes the best jumper in the world, bar none.