The Spanish Arabian horse, like so many Arabian horses, has a history that is defined by its usefulness as a war machine. From earliest times, the breeding of horses in Spain has been a rigid affair conducted by the Department of Defense. THE IBERIAN WARHORSE Thousands of years ago, the Iberian cavalry was already well established as a redoubtable foe in possession of fine mounts– horses that could charge, stop, retreat and charge again with great agility. With the invasion of the Iberian Peninsula by Muslims in 711 A.D. came the influence of Arabian and Barb horses on the Iberian stock. By the middle ages, the Iberian War Horse had been crossed with heavier draft lines and had become a cumbersome horse with a thick neck and massive hindquarters. FROM WAR HORSE, TO PLEASURE HORSE, AND BACK AGAIN In the mid 1800’s, a 16 year old queen was responsible for altering the genetic make-up of the Iberian war horse and developing the type known as the Spanish Arabian horse. In her quest for an agile and good-tempered riding horse, Queen Isabel II took an interest in purebred Arabians. An expedition was dispatched to the desert with orders to bring back the best bloodstock to be found. She kept meticulous records of her horses. So it was that in 1847, the Spanish Registry was begun, with the express purpose of documenting the Spanish Arabian horse. The “Golden Books” are kept in the Madrid Archives and include hand written pedigrees in Arabic. The Spanish Registry is the oldest registry of Arabians in existence. Isabel’s son, King Alfonso XII, inherited his mother’s love of Arabian horses, importing them from France. An 1893 Royal Order established the Yeguada Militar, with the mission of improving the Iberian Warhorse by crossing it with the Arabians. In the early 1900’s, the mission of the Yeguada Militar evolved into a breeding program of a purebred Spanish Arabian horse. Buying expeditions were sent far and wide, from the Arabian desert to Poland to obtain founding stock. The description of what the Spaniards were looking for was precise: refined horses, at least 15 hands in height, and possessing proven stamina. Spanish Arabians whose lineage can be traced to entries in the Registro Matricula before 1970 are referred to as Classical Spanish. Due to heavy line breeding and a closed gene pool, the Classical Spanish have remained distinctive in type, and breed true.

Height: 14.3 to 15.2 hands high.

Weight: 900 to 1,050 lb

Coat Colors: black, bay, grey, chestnut, bay, or roan.

Markings: Never dun, cremello, palomino, or buckskin because purebreds don\\\'t carry dilutions gene

Conformation: dished head, shorter neck than a typical Arabian, high-set tail, and compact body.

Common Uses: Used in competitions and recreational activities.

Temperament: Known for their incredible dispositions and calm t

Place of Origin: Spain