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Lusitano
Considered elegant and energetic, the agile Lusitano is trained to be both gentle and brave.
In Portuguese bullfighting, the Lusitano does not hesitate to sidestep and pirouette within inches of a bull.
Height: 15-16 hh (horse hands)
Color: Gray, Bay, Black
Body Type: Light
This breed comes from...
Portugal
Explore the traits of this breed!
SIDE VIEW
See how its face curves out slightly? It's called a convex face. The Lusitania also has large, almond-shaped eyes.
Look at its muscular neck. It is uniquely crested.
At the withers, this horse is 15.2 hands (5 ft 2 inches, 157 cm) high.
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FRONT and BACK VIEW
This breed has small, round, high hoofs.
Look at its muscular shoulders and long, strong legs. These traits give power to its high, athletic gait!
This horse is black. But most Lusitanos are gray or bay.
See its lush, flowing tail? It flies out behind the Lusitano as it moves.
The. Lusitano has well-muscled gaskins (calves) and long cannons and pasterns. These traits make Lusitano incredibly flexible as it dips, bends, and dodges the bull in the ring!
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about traits
The Lusitano Story
The Lusitano has been bred in Portugal for centuries. It is believed to have descended from ancient Iberian horses that lived in the region perhaps thousands of years ago. Horses of this region were crossbred with Arabians and Barbs.
Historically, Lusitanos were employed as cavalry horses. They were bred to be patient and profoundly agile. These same qualities are required of the Lusitano in the Portuguese bullring.
In the bullfights of Spain, a matador faces off against the bull. But in Portugal, the matador is replaced by the cavalheiro on horseback. As the horse performs a high-speed ballet with the charging bull, the rider attempts to jab the bull with 4 small javelins. Bulls are not killed in the Portuguese bullring. And horses are generally not injured. (The bulls horns are padded just in case.)
Appaloosa | Arabian | Belgian Draft | Connemara | Dutch Warmblood | Friesian | Haflinger | Hanoverian | Icelandic Horse | Lusitano | Miniature Horse | Morgan | Oldenburg | Paint | Percheron | Quarter Horse | Selle Français | Thoroughbred
Credits:
All images, © AMNH