Iberian Warmbloods are sport horses that have a minimum of
25% Andalusian and/or Lusitano bloodlines from one or both of their parents.
The ancestors of these horses include the primitive Sorraia horse, which around
900 B.C., was mixed with horses from Northern Africa. The Sorraia, perhaps the
oldest breed of horse, is depicted in early cave paintings found on the Iberian
Peninsula.
Breeders of dressage and show jumping horses have long been
seeking a way to breed a horse with greater sensitivity and a greater ability
for the collection required for piaffe, passage, and jumping. The Iberian blood
strengthens the horse's soundness, athleticism, and versatility. When bred to
other breeds with the big stride for dressage, or the power and speed for
jumping, the result is the Iberian Warmblood.
Light horses are grouped in a couple of different ways, one
being the continent or country where they originated from. They are also
grouped according to training, classified as a stock type, hunter type, saddle
type, or 'other'. A body type is generally attributed to each class, with the
'other' classification being a bit of an odd ball. It includes those that are
color breeds or those that may fit a body type of one of the training classes,
but not be used for that type of training. In some cases the 'other' types can
also include those that may fit into more than one of the type groups.
Iberian Warmbloods are a sport horse, the horse class the
Iberian Warmblood fits into is the 'hunter' type class. They are developed for
performance in disciplines such as eventing, dressage, and show jumping.
Iberian Warmbloods have a long sloping shoulder and a well
muscled, long arm bone giving them increased ability in lateral movement and
jumping. They exhibit great ability to flex its joints and bring their legs
under their center of gravity. They have good bone density and a short canon
bone with the hock slightly higher than the knee. They have large, powerful
joints with the stifle slightly lower than the elbow and in line below the
point of the hip.
They have a tractable, intelligent demeanor. Most often they
are between 15 to 16.2 hands high and are found in a color.
Because of their intelligence and curiosity, Iberian
Warmbloods have a talent for opening gates and getting into trouble if kept in
an unsafe environment; precautions must be made to "horse-proof"
their living quarters. A good vitamin and mineral supplement as well as plenty
of fresh hay and water should be made available regularly as they will burn off
calories quickly due to a diligent work ethic.
About Iberian Warmblood Horses
