Hello, I am seriously considering buying a Lusitano horse for Dressage. I am looking at getting one that has already been started, but that I can still bring along. I would like to hear from some of the people who have them tell me what they are like to be around. In the stable, under saddle, trail riding etc. Most all of my experience is with Thoroughbreds so this will be a new adventure for me. Thank you.
I see you are in NM…Talk to Helene Asmis in Santa Fe…one of the first people to import Lusitano’s from Portugal in the 1980’s…before they were the “breed du jour.”
If you send me your email PM, I can put you in contact with a friend who owns a Lusitano bred at a local Lusitano breeding farm. I’ve done clinics at this barn, everyone loooooooves their horses. She is “plugged into” the Lusitano scene and can refer you to other owners to answer very specific questions you might have. She can refer you to the breeder for specific information. Just let me know PM.
They are forward thinking horses and sensitive. Smart, good work ethic. I have an older stallion, originally imported from Brazil. He is perfectly behaved, easy to take anywhere. He can be a smidge nippy or mouthy, but so can any horse.
Riding wise, they will have a shorter stride than the TB, and if their brain gets ahead of their legs, they can be too quick and choppy. Need to slow them down to get a bigger stride. They are known to be brave horses, mine might be a 10 in that catagory - in the five years I’ve been riding him, he has never spooked at anything. Trail rides, loves to hack. No spin, no buck. But they are still horses, so not every one will be the same. There are some other threads on here, I’ll see if I can find a couple.
I dont think I will ever own another breed. HOOKED.
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/dressage/10385649-14h-lusitano/page2
BTW, as mentioned in this thread, they are easy keepers and given 1/2 a chance, will get fat.
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I owned a Brazilian Lusitano for several years, and have had the pleasure of riding several in Spain. They are wonderfully brave and smart and trainable. They are generally hotter and tenser than the PRE’s, though, so sometimes you have to work for relaxation. That was the problem with my boy - he was absolutely perfect on the ground, and I mean perfect. He never put a foot wrong. But, under saddle, if you didn’t ride him carefully, he would wind up like a taut spring. Never naughty, but tight as can be.
In Spain, I rode several trained by a bullfighter, and what wonderful horses. They were all excellently trained, but not for our dressage, which calls for relaxation, first and foremost. As you would expect, the horses were immediately reactive to any aid and would climb a tree if you asked them. But, with those wonderful reactions came a tight tension throughout their body. So that is their Achilles’ heel.
They are not for everybody because they are generally hot and quick. But I love them, along with the PRE’s, but they are different. Good luck!
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PM Sent!!
Hi neighbor, I’m following from Albuquerque. You’ll have to update us with what you get. You’re in the right part of the country to look for Iberian horses. I even see Andalusians and Aztecas on Craigslist pretty often.
