Lusitanos

A

Annabel47

New User
Joined
13 February 2007
Messages
1
Location
Cornwall
Visit site
Hi,
Does anyone else feel that Lusitanos are becoming really popular for dressage?
It seems to me that they are and having seen them in action I am not surprised. They don't have the big warmblood body but oh boy do they move beautifully and with such power and grace.
Luso lover
 
The Iberian horses are becoming more popular for sure and rightfully so as they are generally lovely natured, intelligent horses.

I wouldnt, however, consider one as a competition dressage horse unless I could afford to pay for the absolute cream of the cream (in which case, *finding* these horses then becomes an issue). There are some that do well but generally, the warmbloods with the big, flashy paces do better. (Please note, im talking at the higher end of the competition scales). Many of them have a tendency to dish rather a lot too. There will always be exceptions of course.. but for competitive purposes, I'd go warmblood.

If I wasnt too fussed about the top end competitions, I'd be very tempted (and infact, am!)
laugh.gif
 
i agree with the above
as a breed WB are better suited to higher level dressage than iberians.(by which i mean PSG and international)
they can tend to find extensions and moving straight hard.
they are wonderful horses though its just the way they are built and bred.they all tend to dish some rather badly.they are built for the collected work and can excell at that-al;though they can have an issue with keeping the paces pure and regular(but then so can any horse!) they can tend to slip into non FEI and BD movements easily too-like spanish walk, although it depends on who is training and riding them of course.
they feel very odd to ride too-very upright and back into your face.they would be quite hard to encorage to take the rein forward and lengthen(the ones i rode were stud stallions and a gelding)
for the lower levels, esp with their temperments they are great horses.
 
oh i know a 11 yr old lusitano x connemara, bout 16.2 chocolate dun called ticcy and she is stunnig, she moves really well so i'm not surprised that they are popular. her owner has had her since a 3 yr old!
 
My friend has a Andulusian, although everyone asks her whether hes a Lusitano. Hes fantastic, hes won loads of affiliated dressage and has qualified for the regionals. He has a HUGE jump and my friends going to affiliate him. He has such a lovely temp as well. Hes 100% everyway except for travelling where he piaffes the whole way.
 
Luso's are fabulous. Brilliant at jumping too! People only seem to use them for dressage, what a waste! You cant go by the fact that they are upright and cant keep a pace etc. as this is just the way they teach them in their country - a lot of them seem to appear pretty tense. Also, they may not excel at the highest level simply because they have a high leg action - dressage judges only seem to like the poncy floaty WB paces!

I agree with sonnysunshine, they are THE most intelligent yet nicest horses you will ever meet. Amazingly honest temperaments. I would definately buy another with Luso blood. BEST HORSES IMO! Sorry, but I would NEVER have another warmblood.....! Nothing comes close to a Luso.
 
No, sorry as much as i have enjoyed working with both Lusos and PRE's ,even spending time in in Spain to understand them in the correct context, I find them an awful lot of pain and frustration for very little gain. Believe me i find them 'intersesting' but even when you adhere to correct training principles it is difficult to keep them through and connected. Oh and please before i get told i dont know what I'm talking about i have actually been successful at producing these horses, they are fab charactures and great fun. I ve even taken one of my PRE stallions hunting and he was exellent at gate shutting and cattle rounding up so that the field could get through the gates!!! BUT they , in their current form have to be exceptional to cut it in the affiliated dressage world [at open level advanced medium and above]
 
well said magicmelon
grin.gif
grin.gif

http://sherlockfarms.com/novilheiro.htm
grin.gif



Dressage success

Seasoned dressage trainer and rider Andrew Murphy, who has competed the Lusitano Jalisco IV for the past seven years from elementary level up to grand prix, agrees.

"He's been a rewarding horse to train," says Andrew. "He's such a quick thinker and offers so much. Unfortunately, 'so much' is sometimes 'too much' and he takes over in the test to put in some impromptu tempi changes."

The Portuguese do not breed the Lusitano specifically as a competition horse. The breed's original purpose was as a warhorse and later for bullfighting. Performance in the bullring is one of the most important factors in the breeding and selection process of the Lusitano, so the characteristics of the breed have been preserved.

The horses are noble, brave, powerful and quick, with compact conformation. They have a well set-on head and neck, strong loins and a well-developed second thigh — all attributes sought in the modern sports horse.

Lusitanos range from the larger, heavier-set, Spanish-looking ones, to the more traditional, finer, agile, almost ethereal and "hotter" Veiga type. Breeders often keep their stock pure for a particular discipline, such as Veiga horses for bullfighting, but they also cross them to take the best qualities from each line and produce more of an all-rounder.

Sport horses

The eye-catching Novilheiro, who formed a formidable partnership with John Whitaker and went to grade A in one season, is probably the best known pure-bred Lusitano show jumping stallion. Bred in Portugal by Manuel Veiga at his stud in Golega, Novilheiro was out of a Veiga mare by an Andrade stallion.

Johanna Vardon, who stood Novilheiro at her Meretown Stud in Shropshire, bred her own stallion, Crown Cornelian, by Novilheiro out of a sport horse mare. Cornelian went on to sire many talented jumping horses, including Anne Burnet's The Tourmaline Rose (right), ridden by Pippa Funnell to win Hickstead's Eventers' Grand Prix three out of the four times they contested it.

He also sired Crown Tungsten, who has been with John Whitaker and is now with young rider Ryan Prater; the stallion Crown Rhodonite, who is on the BSJA Accenture young rider squad with Emma Shaw, and Crown Derby, who is on the junior event team.

"Pure-bred Lusitanos are brilliant for bullfighting and classical dressage, but crossed with a Thoroughbred they become the ultimate sport horse," says Johanna.

Multi-talented

Englishwoman Zoe Harrison recently took over the running of the Veiga stud in Golega. She persuaded her mother, Christine, to buy a Lusitano stallion and the pair now hunts regularly with the Devon and Somerset Staghounds. Christine's sister, Veronica Ward, also hunts a Lusitano stallion.

She says: "I've been a fan of the breed for a long time. I owned a Lusitano mare more than 20 years ago and she was a wonderful all-rounder and a capable jumping horse, taking part in riding club eventing and often giving the lead over fences out hunting."

Another breeding stallion who is making his mark on both the dressage and showing scene is O Conquistador, or "Luxo", who stands at Helen Edmonds's Broomford Stud. The champion stallion at the Lisbon show in 1996, Luxo is also a gold medal-winner, which means that he holds the highest grading level. His other successes include supreme champion at the breed show and best Lusitano stallion at Royal Windsor in 2002.

He has done well in dressage up to advanced medium and Helen is aiming to qualify him for the national championships at prix st georges later this year. "Lusitanos are a fantastic, intelligent, athletic breed and the most comfortable horses I have ever sat on," she says.

Sound pretty good to me
wink.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top