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What is a Spanish Horse?

  • PRE -  Pura Raza Espanola or Purebred Spanish Horse. Horses registered in the Spanish Stud Book.

  • Andalusian-  Horses born in Andalusia or partbred (cruzado) PRE's. Not necessarily a purebred PRE

  • Iberian-  Horses from the Iberian Penisular not necessarily purebred

  • Hispano Arabe-  A purebreed but at risk due to low numbers. Currently accepting PRExArab into stud book

BAPSH Registries

For a horse to be classified as a PRE it needs to be registered in the Spanish Stud book, currently managed by ANCCE in Seville. BAPSH - the British Association for the Purebred Spanish Horse are associated with ANCCE and therefore all dealings with Spanish Horses in the UK need to go through BAPSH.
In addition BAPSH have three other registries
  • I -  PRE Purebred Spanish Horse

  • II -  Partbred PRE minimum 25% PRE

  • III -  Hispano Arabe (HA) - Purebred HA or currently accepting PRE X Arab

  • IV -  PRE/Partbred PRE Type

Conformation

ANCCE breed conformation description
Conformation Characteristics - P.R.E. breed prototype

General characteristics
PRE Horses have average volume, intermediate lines with a sub-convex to straight profile, with proportionate conformation, remarkable general harmony and great beauty, with significant sexual dimorphism.
Their paces are brilliant, energetic, rhythmic and elastic with substantial elevation and extension and pronounced facility for collection.
Their energetic temperament, noble, docile and well-balanced personality combines with their great capacity for learning.

Phaneroptical Characteristics

Fine, short hair. Dominant colors are gray and bay but other colors are acceptable.

Behavior and Temperament

Rustic, sober, balanced and resistant horses.Long suffering and energetic. Noble and docile. Learn easy and are able to adapt to a variety of uses and situations.

Functional Characteristics and Aptitudes

Excellent aptitude for performing a variety of functions, with a good response to the rider’s aids and with a good mouth, making them obedient, easily understanding the rider and extraordinarily comfortable.
Their main use is for riding, being ideal for schooling work on the flat (high school, dressage and doma vaquera), for rejoneo (horseback bull fighting), acoso derribo (chasing and testing of young bulls), for driving, working with livestock, field activities and other equestrian disciplines. Their movements are agile, high, extensive, harmonic and rhythmic. They have a special predisposition for collection and turns on the haunches.

1. The Head
Well proportioned,  lean, with a straight to slightly convex front nasal profile. The medium sized ears are well placed.The forehead is wide, and slightly convex with  large, lively and expressive triangular eyes that are slightly arched without surpassing the profile.
Relatively long and moderately narrow face (more so in the mares), slightly rounded and not fleshy with a tapered nose, softly and gently curving from the face. The nostrils are wide, non-projecting, surrounded by broad, non-fleshy cheek, with a long discreetly arched edge.

2. The Neck
Of average size and length, lightly arched and muscular (less so, in the mares). Well inserted at the head and trunk. Abundant and silky mane.

3. The Body
In proportion and robust. Wither discreetly wide and well defined, gently following into the back line. Consistent back, muscled and almost flat. Short, wide loins, well muscled and somewhat arched, well joined to the back and the croup. Croup of average length, rounded width and gently sloping. A low set-on tail that lies between the buttocks, with thick long and often wavy hair. Deep and broad chest. Ribs well arched, long and deep. Extensive flanks and correct stomach.

4. Forelimbs
Shoulder blade, long, well-muscled, oblique and elastic. Strong shoulder, with a good angle. Potent forearm, of average length. Well developed and lean knee. Cannon bone in proportion with a well defined and extensive tendon. Lean, well-defined fetlock, with little hair. Pasterns with good conformation, slope and angle, of proportionate length. Compact hooves, well developed and balanced.
 
5. Pelvic
area or hind quarters | Muscled thigh, lightly arched and muscled buttock and long hind leg, Hock strong wide and neat. The regions located below the hock joint will be identical to those described for the forelimbs. In both, the limbs must be correctly aligned.


 


Defects


As well as the general defects of the breed, the following are included:
a) General:
  • A lack of development
  • lack of harmony
  • disproportion between regions and body dimensions
  • Concave profiles to a variety of degrees are considered a serious defect and very convex are the most objectionable

b) Areas of the body:
  • An excessively large or small head
  • Ears that are big, droopy,convergent and/or with abnormal movement.
  • A forehead that is too wide or flat.
  • Orbits of the eyes that stand out from the face. Bulging or round eyes, or eyes that are surrounded by un-pigmented skin.
  • Square or wide nose. Round and/or un-pigmented nostrils
  • Fleshy cheek or with a non-flat profile
  • Overbite, under bite, thick lips, droopy un-pigmented lips
  • Too short or excessively thick neck, ewe- or upside down necked, unstable or with a tendency for the crest to fall, poorly insert into the body where it joins the head
  • Narrow or not very deep body
  • Wither low or ill-defined
  • Back flat, dipped or with an excessive slope up to the haunches (high hindquarters)
  • Sunken loin, hollowed or poorly muscled
  • Narrow and above all sunken chest
  • Flat ribs in the area of their upper third or excessively arched
  • Croup excessively rounded, horizontal, with double muscling or roached, with a jumper’s bump, excessively sloped, with a discontinuous anteroposterior profile
  • Tail inserted high, detached or raised, with melanomas under it, in the anus or perineum
  • Monorchide or cryptorchide.
  • Poorly aligned limbs, fundamentally toed-in, bowlegged, back at the knee or bandy-legged
  • Quarters too long or excessively short and vertical
  • Small or poorly put-together hooves.

c) Movement: Not very elevated, irregular, not good extension and particularly dishing.
d) Disqualifying defects: The presence of a large crest(excessive accumulation of fat) when it is fallen, an upside-down neck or ewe neck, monorchide or cryptorchide, and, with regards to height, measured at the withers with a stick, animals will be excluded if they do not reach the minimum height 1.50 meters for mares and 1.52 meters for stallions.