Buying a Lusitano from Portugal

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Belle-Rua

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Hi, just wondering if anyone out there has any advice to give me on a possible purchase from Portugal. I wasn't planning to buy but fell in love with a Lusitano out there and now I'm a little stumped as to what would be involved to purchase.

Any recommendations for vets, transporters, legal issues etc would be much appreciated.

Any tips on what Lusitanos are like in a colder/wetter climate would also be helpful (I live in Ireland so it's not exactly sunny Portugal!) feeding, feet/farriers, getting mud out of that lovely long mane...!
 
I spent several summers working on a Lusitano stud farm (in Portugal) and whilst they are fantastic horses they are often not for the faint of heart and can quickly go wrong if not in the correct hands, I would just be extremely careful who you buy from as there were a lot of unscrupulous sellers around where I worked.
 
Thanks Winnie, I'll try speak to Cortez and get some advice.

Michen - did you feel that they were sharp/strong and uncontrollable? I've ridden and owned horses for a while but never a Lusitano. The one I fell for wasn't the flashiest or the biggest (he's actually more a pony than a horse) but I felt incredibly safe on him which was part of the appeal.
 
I can't help with a lot of your questions as I'm not quite there yet but I know a lot of people have used Parkers International for transport, I am bringing a PRE over next month and will be using them.
 
The ones I rode were mostly stallions with the odd mare, I found them sharp if they weren't worked consistently and using their brains! They were the most wonderful rides though, but sensitive and needed lots of understanding. Some of the ones that came on to the stud had clearly been handled roughly and had a tendency to over react but that said they are super fast learners.

I'd defo chat to Cortez and also depends where you are buying the horse from and obviously its CV!


Belle-Rua said:
Thanks Winnie, I'll try speak to Cortez and get some advice.

Michen - did you feel that they were sharp/strong and uncontrollable? I've ridden and owned horses for a while but never a Lusitano. The one I fell for wasn't the flashiest or the biggest (he's actually more a pony than a horse) but I felt incredibly safe on him which was part of the appeal.
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He's a gelding which probably makes him slightly easier - I struggled with the stallions, bit too much horse for me! He is only 5 though so I think I'll have to consider that. I'm pretty confident with the place I'm buying from and they've offered to keep him on for a while longer (obvs with me paying livery!) to train him and me a little further. I've just had some bad luck with horses being injured over the years so the idea of vetting abroad, travelling AND a different breed than I'm used to is making me a little nervous.

Thanks BionicB, I'll definitely look into Parkers. Hopefully your PRE makes it over safe and sound.
 
I have a pre mare that came from Spain (not imported by me though) I have found her to be the most relaxed easy horse I have ever had, I hack alone for miles and I am yet to see her spook at anything!
Just wanted to add this as I had the impression they would be generally quite hot and need managing but have found her to be the opposite!
I will say its proved hard to find a farrier that suits her as I was told they must be shod 'the Spanish way' and whilst farriers claim to know what to do I learnt the hard way that you do need to be careful with this!
 
Lusitanos can be incredibly sharp-much depends on the lines (I've had two-both bred in Portugal). They are very sensitive and so can be very trainable but also apt to try and take charge if they think you arent up for it (if they were a dog they'd be a GSD or BC). My first one was extremely bold, the current one not so much although he's a very kind horse. My last one I lost to melanoma at 11, think he was my horse of a life time once I learned how to ride him.
I've also seen other people import them and it go very right and very wrong and they also have the metabolism of a native pony so be warned. happy to chat by PM.
 
Just a few things to be wary of:

1) It is very unusual for the Portuguese to geld, especially at a young age - you may want to enquire as to why he was gelded.

2) Due to the climate, Lusos in Portugal are usually not used to grazing; they often need to be habituated to grazing by a very slow introduction of grass when imported.

3) Imported Lusos are very prone to EMS. They generally need a very low starch/sugar diet, and careful monitoring of how much grass they are eating

Points two and three are usually not an issue with British bred Lusos.
 
Hi!

I bought my Luso mare from Portugal. I bought her unseen direct from a trainer people on my yard and area had bought multiple horses from (all were as described and were great horses). To be honest, I would normally never buy unseen but this one worked out brilliantly!

As people have said, they are wonderful and smart horses but can be sensitive and a bit hot at times. They are used to being ridden in the Portuguese style and I have found that classical methods work best with them.

I introduced her to being out in the field slowly as she was kept in the stable at Portugal. I was probably over careful as she loves being out. Only issue I have with her is that she is very dominant with other horses in the field and suffers no fools!

I struggle to keep the weight off her. Haylage and spring grass make her rather fat and it's hard to give her time out and space to run whilst stopping her from becoming too big.

Also, if you are planning on getting the horse vetted you will have to do it again in the UK if you want to insure as most insurance companies do not accept foreign vettings.

As someone else has said, they aren't normally gelded without a cause but it doesn't mean he isn't a nice horse :)

Transport and vet check were all organised for me by the person I bought her from so I can't help you too much there.

Picture just for fun :)

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I don't think I would ever buy another breed now. I am totally smitten.

I hope it works out for you and post pictures if you get him!
 
aliby said:
If you are in NI rather than ROI have a look at the Luso Breed society GB website, they have some information on buying and importing, change of ownership etc
http://www.lusobreedsociety.co.uk/buying-and-owning/
and they also have a fb page if you want to ask there
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lbsgb/

I also know people who have used Parkers for transport and been v happy with them.
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Any Lusitano or PRE horses imported into Ireland should be registered with the UK breed societies - they look after the paperwork for Ireland too.
 
Michen said:
I spent several summers working on a Lusitano stud farm (in Portugal) and whilst they are fantastic horses they are often not for the faint of heart and can quickly go wrong if not in the correct hands, I would just be extremely careful who you buy from as there were a lot of unscrupulous sellers around where I worked.
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There are MANY unscrupulous sellers, be sure to view the horse in person, try it, and find your own vet (by asking on here for recommendations). I've been stung a few times, and I've given up now, as I've ONLY come across the unscrupulous ones, even if they're "reputable breeders" you still have to be careful. The same goes for Spain and PRE's. You absolutely must view the horse yourself. Do not buy unseen, I've seen this go horribly wrong with friends...one friend bought unseen and accepted the sellers vet report, only for the horse to be dead within a month, and of course have fun trying to find the seller again!!! Also cross-border legal action is pretty much impossible, so you must go there and do your vetting with xrays and a blood test.
 
Andiamo said:
There are MANY unscrupulous sellers, be sure to view the horse in person, try it, and find your own vet (by asking on here for recommendations). I've been stung a few times, and I've given up now, as I've ONLY come across the unscrupulous ones, even if they're "reputable breeders" you still have to be careful. The same goes for Spain and PRE's. You absolutely must view the horse yourself. Do not buy unseen, I've seen this go horribly wrong with friends...one friend bought unseen and accepted the sellers vet report, only for the horse to be dead within a month, and of course have fun trying to find the seller again!!! Also cross-border legal action is pretty much impossible, so you must go there and do your vetting with xrays and a blood test.
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I would second the advice to go and see/try the horse (which the OP has done), but ANY horse can go lame/wrong/dead despite all the vettings in the world. I don't bother vetting anything under 10K.
 
I live and work on a yard in Portugal with a number of lusos, and I think most of the important things have been covered here already! They are extremely good doers, as out here we have next to no grazing (unless the horse is based in the alentejo or up in the very north where the winters do bring some grass)

They can also be very sensitive but in the right hands, extremely trainable. Do you know what work the horse was doing previously? That will tell you a lot about it's temperament etc..
 
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