Iberian/Spanish horses honesty please!pro's cons

[tallyho!]

Oh right, well Fiona Foy is right on your doorstep! I would recommend her if you are thinking of buying, you should look at her website: Or you could go to one of her clinics in Dorset/Wilts and have a chat.

http://www.fairviewfarmandalusians.co.uk/index.html

Also, there is a stud in Shepton Mallet:

http://maryssprestud.com/default.aspx

And Dorset:

http://roblestud.com/default.aspx

 

[SaharaS]

TallyHoHo HUUUUUGE THANK YOU! also had a very kind offer to visit a lady near me so this is all very exciting ))

 

[SpanishNeddy]

Just to add to other comments. I imported my PRE from Spain 18 months ago now and he is one of the super sharp ones people talk of! Although I did buy him knowing he had trust issues and as others have touched on this can be an issue in the breed.

He has been a HUGE rollercoaster ride for me....BUT i love him to bits, he is such a sweet and loving boy who really wants to please. He unfortuntely after we backed him bolted when he got worried about things and I mean proper 'true bolting'....very terrifying. Like others said, if you have one with issues you need professional help, which is what I did have to get (costing a lot of money!). Also, I found it difficult getting help as most pro riders do not understand the breed at all (like you can not get angry or raise your voice etc I found they tried to treat him like a warmblood which doesnt work!!).

He just worries about everything bless him, but he is a 1-2-1 horse and totally trusts me. As an example if someone he doesnt know throws a rug on him, he would have a meltdown and sit on the floor! but you would not think it so much now and when people see me do it he is fine. But as I say he is a lot better than he was. They are quite late developers (in the brain my one anyway!) I have heard. My boy has also grown a few inches and has got quite chunky too (he was weedy when I imported him).

My boy has fabulous feet too, no shoes it is great!

Saying all of the above my boy does surprise me! like Ive taken him to a few shows (in hand!!) and he was perfect! not a foot out of place. He loved it and really enjoyed himself. He is also very good to hack and is actually less spooky hacking than in the school. He also loads in the lorry fine and is quite happy to go out.

It made me chuckle about what someone elses post said about them thinking they are the most important horse on the yard. SO TRUE! my boy just loves himself and if I stroke another horse in view, his expressions tell me everything, so funny. He also is a monkey to catch if other horses are bought in from the field first.....he thinks he should be first!!

All in all amazing breed, would never have anything else again. BUT like everyone says, go and see some before you buy! they are quite complicated!!!

Hope that helps

 

[SpanishNeddy]

Also, I have heard they are not good with sugar/mollasses. But my boy does not seem to react at all to this at all. He is also not a great doer as eats quite a lot to be honest!!

He has however adapted to UK life very well. I bought him as a neglected horse, so I think he is just happy to be fed and looked after
He loves a kiss, cuddle and groom!

 

[tallyho!]

Do you mean sharp as in temperament or intelligence?

I hope the latter because it would be very wrong to brand the whole breed as being sharp tempered as this is untrue.

If you ever visited some of the breeders in the UK as I have or been to the breed show, all I see are very calm friendly horses with to die for temperaments and super friendly. I have dealt with some not so nice individuals but it is not representative of the WHOLE breed!

This is not a fair representation.

 

[luckyhorseshoe]

Like any breed, there are extremes.

However, my little lady is my horse of a lifetime. She is so brave, genuine and fun to have around. I have too many stories of things she has done, like when there was a bag in the hedge around her paddock, i went and retrieved it and showed it to her. She said thanks, took it off me and galloped off with it, scaring all the other horses on the yard. She clearly thought it was a toy for her!

She is highly sensitive as others have said, she picks up on emotions and everything has to be perfect: saddle, back, feed you name it. If anything is slightly out, she will let you know straight away. My trainer calls her princess

She has a very active brain and therefore needs a varied work routine: lungework, groundwork, schooling, poles/jumping and hacking.

I'm not going to say that she's perfect, she can be sharp and sometimes lively in the winter but she is a 5 year old competition horse and to some extent that has to be expected.

 

[SaharaS]

Also, I have heard they are not good with sugar/mollasses. But my boy does not seem to react at all to this at all. He is also not a great doer as eats quite a lot to be honest!!

He has however adapted to UK life very well. I bought him as a neglected horse, so I think he is just happy to be fed and looked after
He loves a kiss, cuddle and groom!

Thank you for your posts SpannishNeddy, he does sound a lovely boy despite his moments, but really the more owner snippets I hear of them, I think they just sound very full of passion & fire..just as people say the men & women are fiesty!..just some seem a bit more into flamenco ..others siesta! Where abouts in Sussex are you? I was in Arundel....please give my love to the chalk.......missing it TERRIBLY!I've always gone subconsciously for horses that were insecure worried or had little problems to solve, so am very glad I have posted on here...hindsight is a marvellous thing which hopefully I'll have researched my way out of a problem at worst and into some great forethought & cunning being hopefully a step ahead if I do happen to do my usual & pick the one that is less than straight forward! Interesting also to hear about your boys feeding/condition keeping... wonder if there are any Lippizaner lovers reading this...I know how amongst native breeds they all think their breed is best...even between the welsh sections..you just KNOW there are cliques..I'm wondering if the Luso & Lippizaners are said to be sharper because they are or because the people i'd spoken to were biased towards the Andalusians...and vice versa. I have been burried deep in website research & next week going to try get out & meet a few...am going to be very good & get slightly obsessive about it I think! Funniest of things, had not mentioned thoughts of a new horse to Mum and she brought a letter & photos from a friends wedding, in Spain-she lives near Malaga i think ...the bride rode to her wedding on a PRE stallion in her wedding dress!...the photos were spine tingling to say the least....one had just their faces, she was looking up into the horses face and her was looking down into her eyes...I see what you mean now about the real connection & communication...it was just adoration...oh btw...there was a shot with the groom in too, but I don't think he got much of a look in...very much upstaged by a very stunning stallion on his own big day...but from what you have all said, I had to laugh!how true!

 

[SaharaS]

Do you mean sharp as in temperament or intelligence?

I hope the latter because it would be very wrong to brand the whole breed as being sharp tempered as this is untrue.

If you ever visited some of the breeders in the UK as I have or been to the breed show, all I see are very calm friendly horses with to die for temperaments and super friendly. I have dealt with some not so nice individuals but it is not representative of the WHOLE breed!

This is not a fair representation.

I understood it as just being her horse and didn't take it in a derogatory way to the breed...or her horse either...STILL not been put off!...infact i think I am becoming slightly addicted...(Tallyhoho particularly to blame for giving me some very good sites to trawl...one of your ladies is less than a mile from my horses and another very close to where I buy my feed...tho they seem to be best kept secrets in the area!) I keep thinking what people often say about tb's and have this fully in mind when I listen to new things...I know most of mine usually behave like angelic rocking horses in comparison(-not the terrified looking faces tho!)- to the stereotypical tb...not in the beginning, but more often than not now...so have not read anything here yet that has worried me or that I've taken as derogatory...they are all animals and all individuals...and the more i hear, the more i like..

 

[SaharaS]

Like any breed, there are extremes.

... like when there was a bag in the hedge around her paddock, i went and retrieved it and showed it to her. She said thanks, took it off me and galloped off with it, scaring all the other horses on the yard. She clearly thought it was a toy for her! .

LOVE this!!! My dog loves doing this and i have a pygmy goat that does the same...usually dog takes hay nets/goat sets off with keys .. the new forest he was son of the purple monster that hides in hedgerows & jumps out from behind leaves...usually with a schooling whip to chase you AND whallop you with...a tarpauline that was locked firmly out of reach even for a giraffe...and one who can & still break into cars...especially if they have feed sacks in whether Dodson & Horrell or M&S!;-/

 

[dressagedreamer]

LOVE this!!! My dog loves doing this and i have a pygmy goat that does the same...usually dog takes hay nets/goat sets off with keys .. the new forest he was son of the purple monster that hides in hedgerows & jumps out from behind leaves...usually with a schooling whip to chase you AND whallop you with...a tarpauline that was locked firmly out of reach even for a giraffe...and one who can & still break into cars...especially if they have feed sacks in whether Dodson & Horrell or M&S!;-/

my boys have a fantastic aim with their feed buckets, they can gauge the exact time to sling it over the door catching the yard staff square on the back of their heads. Running around with branches seems to be their game of choice which seems to upset the others.

One other thing about my boys, both of them are not great grazers, what I mean is, a couple of hours out is all they want, then they rather be in noshing on hay. Also the food intake is very low (hard feed) I don't feed food high in sugars as I worry about laminates which they are prone to, or so I believe. Feeding them as a native seems to keep them happy, although my two are also on the plump side, or to quote my vet "mmmm make a nice show pony" !!! LOL

Spanish horse are truly the most fascinating, complicated, frustrating, funny, intelligent, loving, loyal, beautiful, clever balls of hairy love. Go for it, go find your dream horse. BUT look carefully.

 

[SaharaS]

my boys have a fantastic aim with their feed buckets, they can gauge the exact time to sling it over the door catching the yard staff square on the back of their heads. Running around with branches seems to be their game of choice which seems to upset the others.

Spanish horse are truly the most fascinating, complicated, frustrating, funny, intelligent, loving, loyal, beautiful, clever balls of hairy love. Go for it, go find your dream horse. BUT look carefully.

the sense of humour makes them almost human from what your's do!My new forest colt was a great bucket slinger too...poor milkman & postman were soon VERY well trained..but both complete suckers which he sussed out..I think he was a wanna be spanish horse..he certainly took offence at being littlest & used to climb on things & call & fling him self off very exhuberantly.. oh and don't worry i will look carefully...also have plans to hijack you and tallyhoho & a few others for the retail therapy part!

 

[SirenaXVI]

I have had PRE's for nearly 20 years, have bred a couple and compete my mares regularly. I have both British and imported, the British bred one is the horse in my Avatar (Sirena) and she is definitely my horse of a lifetime. I bought her from a British breeder as a weanling and she is now 13 - eek! She was hot headed as a youngster and would have been quite dangerous in the wrong hands - now I would put my granny on her. I have another, also British bred and also bought as a weanling and I can quite happily say that she was THE most difficult youngster that I have ever owned, very bright (they all are) over confident and dominant, she required black and white training and also needed to be kept busy mentally, she is a super horse now but it was blood and tears getting her to that stage. My current 3yo (homebred) is a complete doddle in comparison.

I also have two imported mares, one came over as an unbacked 4yo and I bought and backed her as a 5yo she is a dream on the ground, affectionate and polite. Ridden she is very opinionated but when on your side is absolutely superb, my trainer calls her a 'thinking' riders horse. The other is my brood mare who came over as a 2yo, she is also opinionated and attention seeking but very affectionate and polite, she is the mother of the filly from hell I mentioned above and was fairly difficult until she grew up!

I guess what I am trying to say is that they are, like any horse, all different, although as a general rule, they are intelligent and sensitive and need correct handling, you cannot be rough with a spanish horse, they will never ever forgive you, BUT you HAVE to be the leader. One other thing I have found is that they seem to have a inate sense of fairness, they will take a telling off if they are obviously naughty, but expect fireworks if you discipline them unfairly.

It was once said to me, and having dealt with both stallions and mares, that the spanish girls can be infinitely more complicated than the boys, so, although I know that you do want a mare, be prepared to look at geldings as they may be your answer.

I agree with those that say that they are of the opinion that they are the most important horse on the yard, with a yard of 5 (soon to be 6) mares, you can imagine what it is like here!

I disagree with the poster who said they had bad feet - all of mine are unshod and all of them have superb feet. I have only known one (an imported stallion) to have bad feet and that was because whilst in Spain his feet had been very badly looked after.

They are very good doers though and do not require much hard feed, mine get mostly good fibre and a balancer, when fed too much starch they either get above themselves or can develop laminitis. They can also be quite an 'itchy' breed.

You are right to be wary of any breeder/dealer who tells you that Spanish horses never misbehave, treated right they don't but when they do misbehave they do it with real feeling!

I have seen more than one or two spanish horses labled as 'problem' horses because the people who bought them were of the mistaken belief that they were 'easy', they are if you treat them right and once you have gained their trust they will go to the ends of the earth for you, treat them wrong and you have a real problem on your hands.

Would not own anything else

 

[SpanishNeddy]

Yes thanks Sahara was talking about my boy

Ahhh it is so nice talking to other Andi owners

I could talk about my boy ALL DAY!! they really are fantastic horses. My boy was very grumpy this morning, did not take me long to work out why though. The yard did him last night, so he had his routine broken.....haha such a diva he makes me chuckle

My boy also is happy with just a few hours out in the field, he likes coming into his house to munch on hay! although saying that he has been on box rest (following an operation) for the past 3 months and is fine....as long as he is fed he is happy lol.

Having read lots about feeding them I am going to change my boys feed I think. He is on normal stuff with sugar in at the moment, has always been fine, but maybe it contributes to his sharpness I'm now thinking. So will try some sugar free feed.

Fabulous horses they really are

 

[SaharaS]

I have had PRE's for nearly 20 years, have bred a couple and compete my mares regularly. I have both British and imported, the British bred one is the horse in my Avatar (Sirena) and she is definitely my horse of a lifetime. I bought her from a British breeder as a weanling and she is now 13 - eek! She was hot headed as a youngster and would have been quite dangerous in the wrong hands - now I would put my granny on her. I have another, also British bred and also bought as a weanling and I can quite happily say that she was THE most difficult youngster that I have ever owned, very bright (they all are) over confident and dominant, she required black and white training and also needed to be kept busy mentally, she is a super horse now but it was blood and tears getting her to that stage. My current 3yo (homebred) is a complete doddle in comparison.

I also have two imported mares, one came over as an unbacked 4yo and I bought and backed her as a 5yo she is a dream on the ground, affectionate and polite. Ridden she is very opinionated but when on your side is absolutely superb, my trainer calls her a 'thinking' riders horse. The other is my brood mare who came over as a 2yo, she is also opinionated and attention seeking but very affectionate and polite, she is the mother of the filly from hell I mentioned above and was fairly difficult until she grew up!

I guess what I am trying to say is that they are, like any horse, all different, although as a general rule, they are intelligent and sensitive and need correct handling, you cannot be rough with a spanish horse, they will never ever forgive you, BUT you HAVE to be the leader. One other thing I have found is that they seem to have a inate sense of fairness, they will take a telling off if they are obviously naughty, but expect fireworks if you discipline them unfairly.

It was once said to me, and having dealt with both stallions and mares, that the spanish girls can be infinitely more complicated than the boys, so, although I know that you do want a mare, be prepared to look at geldings as they may be your answer.

I agree with those that say that they are of the opinion that they are the most important horse on the yard, with a yard of 5 (soon to be 6) mares, you can imagine what it is like here!

I disagree with the poster who said they had bad feet - all of mine are unshod and all of them have superb feet. I have only known one (an imported stallion) to have bad feet and that was because whilst in Spain his feet had been very badly looked after.

They are very good doers though and do not require much hard feed, mine get mostly good fibre and a balancer, when fed too much starch they either get above themselves or can develop laminitis. They can also be quite an 'itchy' breed.

You are right to be wary of any breeder/dealer who tells you that Spanish horses never misbehave, treated right they don't but when they do misbehave they do it with real feeling!

I have seen more than one or two spanish horses labled as 'problem' horses because the people who bought them were of the mistaken belief that they were 'easy', they are if you treat them right and once you have gained their trust they will go to the ends of the earth for you, treat them wrong and you have a real problem on your hands.

Would not own anything else

Thank you SirenaXVI yet another VERY helpful post having had several over a good long time, how do you find them when you have to have someone else in to look after them...holidays/emergencies..once they are settled have you found you have to be particularly careful who you involve (as we all would anyway-I must be the WORLDS WORST!)or do you have to introduce them gradually & 'train them together' so you are comfortable leaving someone else in sole charge & the horses are safe? Its hard enough leaving my lot in anyones care, which I have to admit is a big rarity as you do nothing but stress before you go & make sure everything is spelt out in idiot proof form and that as much as possible is done pre prepared...and then spend the entire time away wondering & waiting for the inevitably forgotten call from groom to safe she is still alive & all are still alive, fine, pooing eating drinking & happy....yes am even guilty of this if I abandon them for half a day!

The other question i had as you seem to have had several mares...I was told it is very much frowned upon to have an andalusian mare with a mane and that it was a serious faux pas to not hog it...is this or has this ever trully been the case or is it simply owners disctretion just with some being a bit picky& sniggery about it..I understand for showing etc there may be rules to adhere to , but it did make me wonder if her mares were not simply hoggged as they were itchy ones and she was trying to baffle me with breed preferneces to cover it up...I've no issue with hogging as have had polo ponies but I do love a nice mane and would prefer a mane than not unless it was for the horses health...thats just me (admittedly I threaten them all with the clippers when they go burr hunting & come in brandishing mud dreadlocks looking very pleased with themselves!) Again I know the breed societies will have their view, but nice to know from owners side too if like me you are a rebellious one! Re the gelding mention too...I am grateful for this but more down to my mare than to me...anything for an easy life...tho she would have a whole herd of boys if she had her way...its just me having a hindsight moment & trying to stick to my guns...otherwise would not be selling my boys..had her since she was 7 and she's 26 in March...lets just say we both like to be in control, but in reality we negotiate & compromise so I'm in control but she has to pretend she is if the others are looking...and I just have to hold her hand (hoof) for the scary bits! Hmmm i think this could be interesting if a new diva mare arrives...possibly I might be in the process of deciding on a slightly older or at least more matured mare to hopefully miss a bit of the more testing younger years if they are that late to mature...Crikey...if i read what I've just written even three years ago I would be rolling on floor laughing...I think i have turned sensible & might be looking for a tranquil easy life...or been abducted by aliens....x

 

[SirenaXVI]

The only problem I ever had with other people handling my horses was with the aforementioned filly from hell, I had a livery here (never again!) who in return for me doing her horse in the mornings, brought mine in at night (I only had three then ), the filly, then a 2yo, who had settled nicely by that time, suddenly started misbehaving again, quite badly. It turned out that she had reared and frightened the livery who had let her go, it was sorted very quickly with judicious use of a serretta but I did not let the livery handle her at all after that. Filly, now 7 is fine now.

To be fair, although mine are all divas, their ground manners are very good and I have never had a problem. I do, however, make sure that the person is competent and I make up all feeds (as far as possible) before I go away. If I am away on business my non horsey OH looks after them with absolutely no problem at all. I cannot say that they miss me but they do welcome me back, so, don't worry too much - you will drive yourself insane!

Re the 'trimming' of mares (never hogged - you don't hog it flat to the neck but rather to a point) manes and tails, yes, it is traditional but is down to owner's discretion, and it is perfectly acceptable for a ridden mare to be untrimmed, I do trim the youngsters and the broodie but of the ridden mares, one is trimmed and one isn't. Both do BD but I show the younger one fairly seriously and I also think she suits being trimmed as she has a super neck amd head but I leave her tail and forelock au naturel - you can see pictures in my profile album so you can make your own mind up. You will also see pictures of my filly with both her forelock and main trimmed' Although they can be itchy, the trimming is nothing to do with this, the reason is quite simply that in Spain, the mares live out in a herd, the tails are trimmed because it is more hygienic for a brood mare and the manes to prevent tangling etc. ALL spanish youngsters are trimmed as foals but then the colts are not touched again, the spanish believe that this encourages good hair growth. I suppose purists can look down on a mare not correctly trimmed in the showring, but you do see them here in the UK - never ever seen one untrimmed in Spain.

Finally, there is nothing mystical about owning a spanish horse, yes they are different because of their intelligence and sensitivity, but they are HORSES at the end of the day (albeit it imho very special horses) they do need to be treated with fairness and good old common horsesense so not for the novice owner perhaps, but you seem to have the experience behind you - as long as you don't 'over think' things lol

 

[tallyho!]

Sorry SpanishNeddy... I was a bit OTT there wasn't I. I apologise, I realise you were just talking about yours.

I once had the pleasure of knowing an 'interesting' spanish boy... he was an orphan, a stallion and was an extreme example. All the rest on the yard were "normal" even the other stallions were a dream. In the end only one lady got on with him, I had had enough of boob-biting and toe-crushing! They came to an understanding and he chose her as his human companion, I wasn't a 'friend' enough in his eyes... even now i think this shows how sensitive they are emotionally. He was just a baby deep down and needed a "mum" and I couldn't be that to him because he scared me! I tried not to show it, but he knew and it made him nervous. I loved him dearly but I knew we weren't a pair.

I honestly don't think he ever got over his real mum dying. Obviously this does not represent the breed either!!! It does show what emotional animals they are though. More so than any other breed I know.

On the whole, they are very loving, kind and make you feel as if you ARE a friend. I honestly believe they "think" a lot more than cold-blooded breeds e.g. my cob. He is no thinker... he's more of a do-er! But they can shut you out, shut down and ignore you very fast! I prefer the mares

 

[SpanishNeddy]

No problem Tallyho

Oh that is sad, poor boy. Yes I agree they really do love company don't they. I have really noticed this since Hermoso has been on box rest, he literally stops to look at horses when we walk past bless him, and I have to groom him everyday as he loves the contact. He is a big baby really!!

Although he is a 121 horse, of course other people do him and he is a hundred times better than when I first got him (you could not even touch his mane or pick a leg up!). He was so bad that he would not eat any food unless I gave it to him!! smarty pants or what (I think he thought they were trying to poison him lol!). It is all down to trust with him and when he knows you he is fine. He is guess had a bad experience in spain. But he can be cheeky now, like scraping the ground in front of me (which he would NEVER have done before) so I can be firm with him, but it is all calmly with him, you can not shout, he gets in a panic otherwise.

He to has excellent manners as others have touched on and at the moment I am at the stage of in hand walking him. He has been in for 3 months so far and is (as you can imagine!) desperate to have a rodeo! which he does BUT when he gets to the point of any tension on the lead rope he will stop as he knows he is being naughty
He would never dream of pulling away or anything. He is like a dope on a rope generally.

All in all he is a 'normal' horse now, but with a tendancy to be sensitive to other people and may overeact in certain circumstance. He is my perfect boy and me and my family love him to bits.

It really has been an amazing experience to see him get much more confident and so happy since I imported him he is getting much more brave and will sniff things that worry him as opposed to running like he used too. My big brave boy

I have uploaded lots of videos of all of this, so if you're interested (and bored enough to want to watch them!!) let me know and I will post link.

See I can talk about him allllllllllll day

 

[BeesKnees]

As others have said, so much is in the bloodlines. Some bloodlines are known to produce hotter horses.

I bought my first PRE from St Piran's Stud in Cornwall. They import, and breed their own and will give you excellent advice. I trained with Rach there and at clinics with Peter Maddison Greenwell.

My experience of PREs has been nothing but positive. Get a good one and they are brave, with a very calm temperament, super intelligent and with a great work ethic. My 3 yr old met pigs our first hack together and after a quick look just walked past! In Spain at the breeders I bought from, the stallions and mares often work in the arena together with no fuss. BUT as others have said, they are not mollycoddled in Spain, so you need to be firm, confident and clear with them.

Do your homework, research bloodlines, breeders etc. There are a lot of lower standard PREs that have been imported into the UK now, so be careful. With PREs you do tend to get what you pay for, although of course there are always exceptions.

 

[Pauli]

Hi, I havent read all the other posts. But I as I read in a few about sharpness etc, if you go for an Andalusian make sure you now where he comes from and how he has been handled. I have trained Andalusians and they can be quite bouncy when you ride them properly (many people unfortunately ride them way to short so that they do little tiny steps but are soft to sit, but that is not good for them). Other than this I can only say Andalusians are great if you understand them. Spanish horses are very intelligent and if they are mistreated they can be very difficult. One of the Andalusians I once trained had a lovely owner and she did a few little mistakes, she did not mistreat him or abuse him but she did not understand his body language and as she was not very confident that went into a terrible direction where the horse tried to kill her and himself.....Not nice, but after lots of training they are now the absolute dream team!

However, I can also say that Lusitanos are awesome! They are intelligent and understanding. My Lusitano mare is the best! She thinks she is the Queen in the yard and loves extra attention. I can ride her after not riding her for ages and she is still well behaved and always motivated to work and do things She made some very bad experience before I got her, but she noticed that I understood her needs and I never had a problem with her. I know many Lusitanos and I have to say all off them are well behaved, fun to ride and they always look out for their rider

But all in all if you are having back pain I would recommend a horse which does not have as much movement in the back as iberian horses do.

 

[tallyho!]

As others have said, so much is in the bloodlines. Some bloodlines are known to produce hotter horses.

I bought my first PRE from St Piran's Stud in Cornwall. They import, and breed their own and will give you excellent advice. I trained with Rach there and at clinics with Peter Maddison Greenwell.

My experience of PREs has been nothing but positive. Get a good one and they are brave, with a very calm temperament, super intelligent and with a great work ethic. My 3 yr old met pigs our first hack together and after a quick look just walked past! In Spain at the breeders I bought from, the stallions and mares often work in the arena together with no fuss. BUT as others have said, they are not mollycoddled in Spain, so you need to be firm, confident and clear with them.

Do your homework, research bloodlines, breeders etc. There are a lot of lower standard PREs that have been imported into the UK now, so be careful. With PREs you do tend to get what you pay for, although of course there are always exceptions.

I agree.. I think bloodlines have a big part to play

 

[BeesKnees]

But all in all if you are having back pain I would recommend a horse which does not have as much movement in the back as iberian horses do.

I would agree broadly with this, and I had to give up riding due to back problems! However as a caveat I would say that, again, bloodlines and confirmation, as well as the level of training, will determine how comfortable the horse's movement is to sit to.

There is a movement within the breeding in Spain to produce taller, bigger PREs for the modern dressage needs of ground covering and flashy extension. Mny of theses horses are not as close coupled. IMO this is not necessarily a good thing for the breed, but im a bit of a purist!

One other thing to the OP - beware young Spanish horses advertised as already doing a lot of advanced lateral work and the 'tricks' (spanish walk/piaffe/passage etc). Iberians find that stuff relatively easy which is one of the things that makes them so wonderful, but because people know this sells horses to unsuspecting buyers, they will often rush them through and neglect the basic levels of training, causing all sorts of problems for the new owner.

 

[SaharaS]

you will drive yourself insane!

Finally, there is nothing mystical about owning a spanish horse, yes they are different because of their intelligence and sensitivity, but they are HORSES at the end of the day (albeit it imho very special horses) they do need to be treated with fairness and good old common horsesense so not for the novice owner perhaps, but you seem to have the experience behind you - as long as you don't 'over think' things lol

(drive??I already am!!)

thank you for all this...esp the last bit about not being mystical...as you also seem to have sussed me out totally...I was in grave danger of overthinking...but atleast I will not be rushing in blind!stubbornly perhaps, but well thought out plan!

I once had the pleasure of knowing an 'interesting' spanish boy... he was an orphan, a stallion and was an extreme example. All the rest on the yard were "normal" even the other stallions were a dream. In the end only one lady got on with him, I had had enough of boob-biting and toe-crushing! They came to an understanding and he chose her as his human companion, I wasn't a 'friend' enough in his eyes... even now i think this shows how sensitive they are emotionally. He was just a baby deep down and needed a "mum" and I couldn't be that to him because he scared me! I tried not to show it, but he knew and it made him nervous. I loved him dearly but I knew we weren't a pair.

I honestly don't think he ever got over his real mum dying. Obviously this does not represent the breed either!!! It does show what emotional animals they are though. More so than any other breed I know.

On the whole, they are very loving, kind and make you feel as if you ARE a friend. I honestly believe they "think" a lot more than cold-blooded breeds e.g. my cob. He is no thinker... he's more of a do-er! But they can shut you out, shut down and ignore you very fast! I prefer the mares

Ah I'm so glad he found his new friend..poor little chap, but atleast you did your very best for him...it is very true tho, I have had one like that before, not an orphan and as lovable as anything, but some people jsut click with some horses and as lovely as he was, we just didn't click...had a wonderful time bringing him up but when I finally sold him he went to a perfect home where he is centre of attention to his hearts content..I hope your boy is too.x

 

[SaharaS]

Beesknees,Pauli & TallyHoHo thank you all...esp about the lines..I've been interrogating my friend & her Lusitano mare who I have ridden last year..I loved her as she felt very much like my mare! she has put me in touch with a friend who has a stud and another that was mentioned on here too...both relatively local and I'm arranging a visit/natter....and a lady on here has also invited me to see hers & her friend has a luso too...does anyone have any Lippizaner knowledge? just for balance! I know one of the two ladies I'm going to see is mega up on the which lines to go for & which to avoid like the plague and she seems to take it personally so that gives me confidence-i have always found it hard to trust others when it comes to decisions particularly over horses, but this seems not to be feeling alien so I'm looking forward to meeting up with her.

Re my back...the only genuine pain free time i have is when I'm on a horse...I will hurt after regardless and hurt when i haven't ridden so the action really won't worry me...its the next day that will!!;-) I am still going to take this into extra serious consideration still tho and see if I can ride a good few just to be doubly sure...my main concern while riding is applicable to any horse..simply that there are times when you need to be stronger than usual & put your leg on harder than usual or pull from the ground if they messing about/or pull/do what ever it takes stop getting tanked off with...my condition means I don't always have that little extra to be able to give that little extra if they aren't listening...but that said,wherever possible I like to ride sensitively and calmly/quietly as possible so I genuinely haven't had any need for this on any of my older(mature) horses...its more the thing you would only occasionally need, but for example, some mornings I take 3 hours to be able to get up & straighten up without using my arms to straighten my legs...so have to set my alarms mega early to wake slowly just incase...& some days I struggle to lift a kettle or even a light mobile to my ear(the mobile not the kettle!!) other days you can't contain me!I find i usually ride later in the day as everything is awake & stopped hurting or I've owrked through it and riding helps so much as i'm totally supported compared to when i'm not on a horse...so if that makes some kind of remote sense,the only thing i think I would avoid is anything too broad -I had several accidents before this one, so tend to avoid cobs or anything weight carrying, but am only 8 &a half stone & get on well shape wise with TBs ...but don't feel right on arabs...so from this you'll quickly guess I'm a fussy one!there's no danger of me buying anything just because i like it ...it has to be really right!(I bad enough shoe shopping!on the plus side, I know my mind so from the sellers point of view, I tend to know almost instantly if its not the right one...also I've had buyers from hell so I will try to do everything possible to be as honest with the seller as i can before i even come and view...that way no one gets messed around or the painful process drawn out any longer...I know I'm terrible I need to know yesterday & hate waiting to hear what people think!I'm really excited about this now tho....see you STILLL haven't put me off! My 3yr old (rising 4) is now advertised and video on youtube...just got to concentrate hard & figure out how much i can ask/accept ...oh & find my perfect forever home for him.....I hate this bit!!!x

 

[SaharaS]

thank you Beesknees...very pleased to know that...tho hoping i will find something on a nice uk yard that was born here and brought up by someone nice ...once I've decided upon bloodlines etc....I'm also not keen on anything being started too young and so its not just over facing problems I want to avoid but medical ones & emotional ones too... I will ofcourse post the second i think I have found something rest assured!!

 

[Andiamo]

*Maddy&Occhi* - loved your post, you summed up PRE's beautifully.

I have one of the high spirited ones, he had no trust at all when he first arrived in the UK. Thought he was the most important horse in the world, he would stamp his feet and toss his mane indignantly with a very arrogant look on his face! He has calmed down quite a bit from then (that was May 2011).

He was a bolter (still is occasionally), in the first few months when I got him, the bolting was very often, extreme, terrifying, completely uncontrollable - caused by little or nothing (invisible gremlins).

He is extremely intelligent, learns very quickly, loves to do new movements and tries his heart out to do it right.

He has sheared heels, like some other posters have mentioned. They've gotten a lot better, and I spray them with 10% iodine (recommendation from the farrier) to help them stay clean & healthy.

Saddle - saddling this boy was very tricky. He is now successfully in a Wow saddle, Competitor dressage saddle. It is fabulous, it will grow with him (adjustable headplates), and it gives plenty of room for his growing shoulders. In fact, his shoulders broadened and filled out, became more muscular within 2 weeks of using the saddle. The saddle gives lots of room for the swinging action of the PRE's shoulders, and it visibly transformed his movement immediately. Wow saddles are really **Wow**!!
I got the extra deep seat, to help keep me on during the hairy moments!!

At his first show, he was extremely wound up, bolted crazily in the warm up...(haven't been to a second one yet, I am still trying to psyche myself up for it!!!)

Well, that's all the bad stuff. The good bits are:
- he's incredibly beautiful
- very clever
- very affectionate
- he is a very sensitive ride
- he never gets tired
- beautiful movement
- he has improved massively / transformed in a 6 month period (he was unmuscled and weedy when I got him)
- feels great when he's "through" - he's heaven to ride at these times!
- he is talented with huge potential, people say he will/could excel at PSG

My previous horse was a WB, a Hanoverian out of Donnerhall, bought at the elite auctions in Germany. He broke me into a few pieces, and destroyed my confidence with his unpredictability. So, I switched to a PRE in 2011. The PRE is at least predictably unpredictable...so I am always on my guard, and ready for anything. Whereas the WB would lull you into a false sense of security, he'd be really laid back but then explode out of nowhere!! (£5000 of vet's tests found no health problems...).
My PRE is 16.1HH, and I find I can handle pretty much anything he throws at me, being quite small. With a WB, all that naughtiness is amplified when they are 17.3HH, and it is harder to stay on (as I found out)!

I would recommend a PRE, but the sharp, hot ones are not for novices.
There are some laid back ones, they would be anyone's ride.
You just need someone you can trust to help you buy the right one for your level / ability. As with any breed, there is a huge variation of temperaments within the breed, it is not a one size fits all.

 

[dressagedreamer]

I have one that is a sharp boy, he is sweet, gentle, kind, intelligent and will try his best at everything asked, he is athletic, stunning and I trust him with my life, although he is sensitive and can get very worried. My other boy is totally opposite, although he to is intelligent, sweet, kind, intelligent and try his best to do what is asked of him and I trust him with my life. You need to listen to these horses, trust them and allow them to express them selves without the fear of punishment. To reward them for everything they do and to understand them. I utterly adore my boys and I know that I am the luckiest person alive to have the chance to share my life with them

 

[Pepito]

I love this thread!

You are all making me feel so much better - I have a lusitano gelding, the most beautiful, affectionate gorgeous boy in the world. Quick to learn, responsive, intelligent. Love him to bits.

I'm in no way an expert rider but have managed with help of a trainer to bring him on from having done nothing but hack to being able to do dressage and jumping.

At the moment though we're having a miserable time at the yard as he won't stay in his field. He jumps out, runs out, goes under/through the fence, regardless of it being on the mains.

Having read this thread I feel so much better - could it perhaps just down to his breeding and he's not keen on grazing? In which case I wouldn't feel so bad about keeping him in.

We're thinking about turning him out only a few hours a day - has this worked for any of you?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

At the moment though we're having a miserable time at the yard as he won't stay in his field. He jumps out, runs out, goes under/through the fence, regardless of it being on the mains.

does he have company? does he have the company he wants?

my old lusitano wouldn't be kept in any field he didnt want to be in. he'd jump out and back again and would jump wire, tape, post and rail. He was a lovely horse but quite bossy and in charge in the field-so if he thought he should be in with the others to be in charge, he would just go do it! Once I had a couple of others and had them in my own stable little herd, he was quite happy just being with them. although if you tried to put him next door, or even a field within a field when he was rehabbing from an injury-he would just jump out (including a 3 strand, 4ft electric tape with a stride to take off). He was quite matter of fact about the whole thing, he didn't get stressed, he would just jump in and start eating. I am just currently reinforcing my fencing for the new one coming in the spring lol.

 

[MagicMelon]

both boys are brave, loving, funny, cheeky, expressive and communicate all the time. This is the key with this breed, or with my two boys, you must learn to listen to them, be gentle, quiet and honest with them. They are all divas and believe they are the only horse in the yard that is of importance

A spanish horse with issues, needs some professional help, if you start off going down the wrong road with a spanish horse and it looses its trust in you, it takes a long time to get it back. No harsh voice, no physical punishment although they need discipline but more of a leadership thing.

I have a Lusitano x TB and have say that all this applies to him as well. He very much takes on the Luso side in his temperament. He's very sharp and it took me about a year to figure out how he worked (he did bronc me off a few times in this time as he was also cold backed!), but once he trusted me that was it. I competed him for years up until last year when he injured himself so is now retired, but we have the best relationship. It's a quiet thing, he's a very very quiet horse who shows affection in his own shy way but we trust each other completely (brilliant for eventing). He tried his absolute heart out for me at all times. But he was quirky, like he'd spook at jumps round the arena and have an anxiety attack in the XC warm up but as soon as the bell went or the start box count down began, he knew his job and got on with it brilliantly. And wow was he clever! You would never dream of smacking him or that would be the end of trust and he would never have responded to that as he was a worrier. I would absolutely have another Luso, part bred or pure. I've been looking at a Luso part bred just recently. So maybe dont discount a part bred (cheaper too!)?

 

[Pepito]

He does it whether he has company or not unfortunately. He likes a mare that we've kept him with but they were separated because he was mounting her (he's been rig-tested and negative but think it's learned behaviour).

I just think he gets bored and decides he doesn't fancy being in the field anymore!