Andalusians for endurance

[colorfan]

I am looking at an Andalusian x for my next horse. I would like to do some dressage but also lots of trail and would like to pick up endurance riding or competitive trail or the new hunt and seek trail riding.
I did some competitive trail riding oh maybe 30yrs ago and think for my golden years I would like to do it again.

Does anyone know how Andalusian’s would do for endurance?
thank you

[RougeEmpire]

How competative are you looking to be? Remember that Andaulusian NOT a race horse, for any kind of horse racing (Endurance) you need a horse built to be a race horse as it IS a horse race. The spanish breeds are a more heavily muscled animal and will over heat faster and fatigue faster than lighter lean muscled breeds. Save for maybe the Paso Fino the Spanish breeds more sprinters than anything and are forbearers to the worlds greatest sprinter , the Quarter Horse. The spanish horse (all kinds) is best at short distance SPRINTING and agility. Great cow horse, great gaming horse but long distance running horse not so much.

With that being said the real question again is how competative to you really want to be? How important is it to you to win and more importantly finish? Sure an Andalusian can do all the things you mentioned, but if WINNING is your goal I would look for a lighter more suitable long distance running breed. If you just want to have fun and really enjoy yourself than a Andalusian(or APPROPRIET cross) may be just what you are looking for. They are comfortable to ride, generally have a good temperment and do well outside of the ring.

[BarbeyGirl]

What is is about the Andalusian that appeals to you? If you’re after that Spanish “look” without the bulk (fast-twitch dominant & heat retention issues like Rogue says), you might look into Barbs.

I’ve been doing endurance on my Barb mare for 3 years now, and she’s fantastic. Strong, steady-minded, excellent feet, and gorgeous, if I do say so myself. Photos in this post.

[CosMonster]

[QUOTE=RougeEmpire;5520695]
How competative are you looking to be? Remember that Andaulusian NOT a race horse, for any kind of horse racing (Endurance) you need a horse built to be a race horse as it IS a horse race. The spanish breeds are a more heavily muscled animal and will over heat faster and fatigue faster than lighter lean muscled breeds. Save for maybe the Paso Fino the Spanish breeds more sprinters than anything and are forbearers to the worlds greatest sprinter , the Quarter Horse. The spanish horse (all kinds) is best at short distance SPRINTING and agility. Great cow horse, great gaming horse but long distance running horse not so much.

With that being said the real question again is how competative to you really want to be? How important is it to you to win and more importantly finish? Sure an Andalusian can do all the things you mentioned, but if WINNING is your goal I would look for a lighter more suitable long distance running breed. If you just want to have fun and really enjoy yourself than a Andalusian(or APPROPRIET cross) may be just what you are looking for. They are comfortable to ride, generally have a good temperment and do well outside of the ring.[/QUOTE]

:yes: I have seen some Andalusian crosses that would probably do well in endurance, but they definitely took more after the other breed (usually Arab or TB) than the Andalusian. Horses of that type aren’t built for competitive endurance. However, most of them could probably do LDs or competitive trail pretty well, I’d guess. The ACTHA rides, for example, are not races and generally not very taxing in that regard, more a focus on training.

I might recommend volunteering at some endurance/competitive trail events in your area and deciding what you’d like to do before buying a horse. The horse you’d look for if you want to be competitive in a 50 mile ride is very different from the horse you’d like to be more competitive in dressage but also do competitive trail, for example.

[Bluey]

There are two kinds of andalusians, “jerezano” the more “baroque” type, that were bred for “high school” demonstrations and driving, were not really some of the lighter horses out there, athletic in a more restricted way and “cartujano” the other type, bred by the monks, that were more the lighter riding type to get around and get things done horseback.

Those were crossed back and forth by some breeders, others tried to stay with one or the other type, but remember, those were small numbers of breeders.

My cousin had a cartujano mare that she competed in jumping and endurance with, so those strains are as athletic as many other light horses out there, although it won’t look like the heavier set jerezanos out there, that so many think is what andalusians ought to look like.

There is a trade off, just as a heavy set wrestler won’t generally make a good marathon runner, your jerezano andalusian won’t really be good at endurance, but will at measured trot pulling a cart forever, or demonstrating “high school” movements.

Maybe you could look for one of those lighter andalusians?

[511]

Perhaps a keiger mustang might fill both niches.