My turn to contribute on the equine front...(du warning)

Here's the other "mane man" in my life, in all his dappled glory...

http://bloodpythons.com/forumpics/t1.jpg
http://bloodpythons.com/forumpics/t2.jpg
http://bloodpythons.com/forumpics/t3.jpg
http://bloodpythons.com/forumpics/t4.jpg
http://bloodpythons.com/forumpics/t5.jpg


Enjoy!

He's beautiful Kara!

What else can I say, Kara? Spanish horses slay me. :) I hope you can get him.

Mmmmmm....he's beautiful!! Love the braid...did you do that?

Espanol!
Lovely headset. He looks like he has a ton of character to go with his good looks :)

Thanks everyone. He's a very special horse, to say the least. Also just to clarify, he's a Lusitano, not an Andalusian. Contrary to popular belief here in the US, there's actually quite a difference between the two breeds.

Judy - yes...I usually braid him after a bath, just to keep all that hair out of the way while grooming him. Plus it shows off his pretty neck. ;)

Gin - he's a perfect gentleman, an absolute sweetheart!!! And he knows he's hot stuff, too. Did mention he's perfect? ;) ;)

K~

He's absolutely gorgeous. I'm quite jealous. ^_^

Oh he's gorgeous Kara! What's his name, how old is he, is he a stud or a gelding....details woman!...I live for the details LOL.

I don't know much about lusitanos.. what is the difference if you don't mind? As much as I love spanish horses, I have very minimal experience with them. That will change someday. ;)

Oh April check out this link! I went googling and spent ages just drooling over the horses on this site.

http://www.lusitano-interagro.com/home.htm

What a great all around horse! According to what I've just been reading they can be used for general riding, dressage, driving, jumping, heck even as a cutting horse! That plus their nice size, reported great temperment and just plain all around drop dead gorgeous look (reminds me for some reason of an Arabian in the jaw line...same stunningly noble headset) - well Kara I can certainly see why you'd want to own one!

K back to googling and drooling LOL. (didn't know that Portugal had a national horse...learn something new every day! :D )

"Mr. Wonderful" (no, that's not his name, just what I call him) is a 5 (almost 6) year old gelding, around 15.1 hh. He's little, but he's a powerhouse with lots of presence & energy...and impeccable manners.

April - Andalusians (Pura Raza Espanol, or PRE) are all the rage right now, there's been a lot more breed promotion done with them than the Lusi's, and many folks are under the impression that Lusi's are just a "Portuguese Andalusian." The Andi stud book was open to other breeds at one point, and while many breeders won't be up front with the info, there have been quite a few crosses done with Andi's to make them more "typey" for specific events - i.e. park seat, competitive dressage, Western, etc. On the flipside, the Lusitano (Puro Sangue Lusitano, or PSL) stud book has not been so lenient & thus has mantained animals of a purer lineage & baroque type.

Both breeds are correctly referred to as "Iberian" horses, and then further denoted as PSL or PRE.

To ride one, well...all I can say is I'd be hard-pressed to look at any other breed, even with as much as I love little Pasos & big fancy Fresians (and just about anything else equine, frankly). In my limited experience, for a hot breed, Lusi's are generally SO forgiving & intelligent and willing to please, but you have to be ready to learn how to ask them correctly for what you want them to do. The 4 that I've ridden are just uber sensitive & so well trained, but also very generous. I'll tell you this...it's EXTREMELY humbling to get on one of these classically-trained horses & realize that you have to re-learn everything you've been previously taught, if you're really going to ride academically & in harmony and lightness. Lots of two steps forward, one step back.

And I wouldn't trade it for the world! ;)

K~

Great post and information! So what are you and your man there up to lately? Do you show or are you just riding and enjoying him?
Enjuy some riding for me; my two girls are too busy with their babies to do much with them. Kinda sad when your first summer having your horses in your backyard, you can do little more than lunge them (and clean up after them...) :)

Thanks for the info Kara. I love the baroque type, and I dislike what many breeders are doing with the friesians and andalusians to make them a more plain 'sport horse' type rather than the elegant horse they were originally bred to be.

I will have to do some reading on lusitanos.

Thanks for the link, Jo. That reminds me.. I've got some great pics I took of an andalusian stallion named Santiago.. he was at the midwest horse fair. Maybe I should upload a couple?