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The Lusitano is an ancient breed of horse native to Portugal that is filled with tradition. It has historical links to the military, to bullfighting and to the classical training methods of the “Haute Йcole”. It is known by many names such as Lusitanian, Betico-lusitano, National Horse, Peninsular Horse, Pura Raza Espaсola (PRE) and Portuguese Horse and has inspired powerful descriptions such as “a horse for a King in days of victory”, but the official Lusitano breed name comes from the word Lusitania, which was name that the ancient Romans gave to the western part of the Iberian Peninsula. The Lusitano has a natural ability for concentration and learning quickly, with a great disposition for High School work. It is courageous and enthusiastic for what are known as the gineta exercises, which include combat, hunting, bullfighting, and working with cattle.

The Lusitano is very similar in conformation to the Andalusian horses of Spain and the two breeds are thought to have originated from a common source, the rare and nearly extinct Sorraia, which is a smaller horse that is characterized by a dun colored coat with primitive markings. In fact, until 1960, Lusitanos and Andalusians were registered together in the Spanish Stud Book of the Associaзгo Portuguesa de Criadores do Cavalo Puro Sangue Lusitano (APSL), also known as the Portuguese Lusitano Breeders Association. However, selective breeding in the Lusitano resulted in a more convex profile reminiscent of the older Andalusian or Iberian horse whereas the Andalusian has developed a more Oriental head shape. The modern Lusitano is on average a cleaner-moving, braver, and tougher-built horse than the average modern Andalusian. They are now considered to be separate breeds and in the United States they are represented by the International Andalusian & Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA).

Additionally, the Lusitano’s history is identical to that of the Spanish or Iberian horse. For most of their common history, Portuguese and Spanish horses were bred as if they were one breed. The Iberian horse was called Andalusian, Estremenjo, or Castillian, depending on the region it was bred in, and it was called Lusitanian in Portugal. Today, the breed is known as Lusitano or “Puro Sangue Lusitano” (PSL), meaning pure-blooded Lusitano.

The ancestors of the modern Lusitano were incredible horses. When the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthagians landed on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula, which is now Portugal, they came across riders whose horses were of superior speed and whose fighting ability from horseback was incredible. This perfect union, the connection of horse and rider as one entity, led to the myth of the Centaur, and it was thought that this half-human/half-horse creature, stemmed from the delta of the river Tejo. The tale told to explain the fantastic speed of these horses was that “they conceived their foals by the wind.”

In Portugal, the horses were sought after over the centuries as a war horse and were bred in a continuous effort to produce the best war horse or bullfighting horse. When the Iberian horse was no longer needed as a war mount, mounted bullfighting became the horse’s main use. But when mounted bullfighting was prohibited in Spain by a royal decree for several centuries, the sport lived on in Portugal without interruption. The Lusitano continued to be bred for its bullfighting agility, which happens to be identical to their ability and agility for high school dressage.

The Lusitano has all the courage of the Spanish Horse coupled with remarkable agility, quickness and balance, which makes the Lusitano the perfect horse for mounted bullfighting in Portugal. These bullfighting horses are highly trained to swerve instantly, yet still remain calm when a charging bull approaches, and they also need to possess an extreme dose of “bravura”, agility, and obedience. In Portugal, the bull is not killed in the bullring, but calmly exits the arena after the fight escorted by tame steers, so the horse must obediently remain still. However, these days, the Lusitano has become so expensive that many bull fighters cannot afford a pure Lusitano, and if they can, they will not risk injuring their horse while fighting the bull. This means that cruzados, or mongrels, are being ridden in the bullrings instead, but they are often able to excel nearly as well. A cruzado may be a crossbreed, but it could also be a true Lusitano whose pedigree is incomplete or unregistered.

Today, the Lusitano horse is recognized for its ability to perform well in a plethora of equestrian disciplines. In the attempt to become more competitive with the world-wide sport horses, the European Warmbloods, and targeting events like show jumping and modern dressage in which the warmblood excels, the Lusitano is starting to lose its Iberian type.
Traditionally, the Lusitano is a horse of medium size. At the age of six years, the average height is 15.1 hands for mares and 15.3 hands for stallions, although they may be found over 16.0 hands high now, while also looking more like Northern European warmbloods. They weigh approximately 1100 pounds.

There is no discrimination against any solid color. Originally, the Lusitano was grulla or dun, but buckskins, palominos, cremellos, and perlinos can also be found. However, the gray gene has taken over the breed, and most Lusitano horses are various shades of gray, depending on their age. It has become the most appreciated and esteemed color of the breed. Their overall body profile is described in the official breed standard as “sub-convex (with rounded outlines); a silhouette that can be fitted into a square.”

The Lusitano has a well-proportioned noble head of medium length that is narrow and dry, with the cheek inclined to be long. It has a slightly sub-convex profile with a slightly curved forehead narrowing to a finely curved nose. The eyes are elliptical or almond-shaped and are large, alive, expressive and confident. The medium-length ears are fine, narrow and expressive. The neck is of medium length and arched, ending at a narrow junction with the head. The body is short-coupled with powerful shoulders, a deep rib cage and broad powerful loins. The mane and tail are abundant and silky with the tail set rather low on an unobtrusive hip. Even when excited, the tail is not carried very high.

The Lusitano has a trait that is often associated with Iberian horses. It is called “campaneo” in Spain, and it is the action of the front leg that does not show a straight forward movement, but rather swings out laterally to a degree. It appears to be an inherent trait of the Iberian horse. Just as in the Andalusian breed, some Lusitano horses can be found that do a lateral gait.

While the Lusitano was not bred for its gait, but for its agility in the bullring, there are still some individuals that have retained the gait and the action of these Lusitano horses is showy. The cannon bones are comparatively long and lend to the knee action and proud, elevated movements. The hind leg is positioned well underneath the body axis, producing the hock action so suited to collection and impulsion. The movements are agile, sure-footed, elevated forward and uphill, and carry the rider in comfort. It is a gait that there is no clear written description of, and one that must be seen or ridden to be fully appreciated.

Dog training helps you to change your dog’s behavior. By training your dog in a proper way, they will listen to your commands such as walk, come, sit, stand and hence your dogs will decrease jumping, barking and biting.

Few dogs are very friendly and easier to train. In case, if your dog is not responding to your dog training program, then you need to follow the below given tips:

1. Spend at least 10 minutes every day to train your dog. Few dogs will not respond to your commands because the training program is a collection of fits and starts. If you spend a few minutes on Monday, nothing until Thursday, and again you start on Saturday, then it would be difficult for your dog to learn the commands.

2. Managing your dog’s behavior is a major part of dog training program. To make success we need to understand and apply basic management skills. Dogs misbehave a lot when you are not around them. Destructive behaviors, chewing, house training all these tend to happen when you are not at home. One of the best management tools is use “crate” which allows you to leave your dog lonely without the opportunity to get into trouble.

3. Don’t feed your dog frequently because “food” can be used as a strong motivator to your dog. It’s very difficult to use the food to reinforce behavior, when your dog is allowed to eat whenever it feels like.

4. Make your dog to look at you when you give any command to it. Most of the dogs fail to pay attention to owners command. So, always make sure that you have your dog’s attention before you give the command.

5. Dogs are always active animals. Most dogs were bred work long hours in the field. They have never had to herd sheep or any other type of livestock. We have to make sure that they get exercise in other ways such as retrieving games, tug games, hiking, and swimming.

6. Whatever you are trying to teach your dog has to have a value. If you are teaching your dog a behavior that you want to happen it over and over again, start to get back the behavior. You need to apply the type of value for the behavior.

7. Dogs are animals that always respond to a social structure. If you are really serious about dog training then you should establish the leadership quality. The better you are at being the leader the better your dog will respond to you. Establish the leadership quality and your dog will listen to you much better.

By these basic tips, you will start to get the results that you are looking for. It is also very important to remember that you can train your dog.

The Friesian Horse, one of Europe’s oldest domesticated breeds, originated in Friesland, a province of The Netherlands. It is considered to be a Warmblood because of its easy-going temperament with a companionable nature. The Friesian horse is also a talented show horse when it comes to dressage. This is due to its intelligence, willingness to learn and to please, and readiness to perform.

It is difficult to date the precise origin of the Friesian but it is believed to be descended from the ancient Equus robustus (big horse). Frisian horsemen served in the Roman Legions, e.g. the Equites Singulares of Emperor Nero (54-68), and in Great Britain near Hadrian’s Wall which was built in 120 AD. There is certainty that the horse was well-known in the Middle Ages since it is found in art work of that era. Breeding horses was very important for the Frisians and before the reformation, the monks in Friesland monasteries did a lot of horse breeding.

In the 1600’s it was adopted to carry heavy weight under saddle. During the 16th and 17th centuries, and maybe earlier, Arabian blood was introduced through the Spanish Andalusian horses. This gave them the high knee-action, the small head and the craning neck. The Friesian horse has had no influence from the English Thoroughbred and during the last two centuries it has been bred pure.

Through the centuries, the Friesian Government has made many regulations in order to safeguard breeding and now the Dutch Horselaw of 1939 (modified) gives rules for studbook and breeding. Systematic breeding has restored the breed’s quality and its numbers are now increasing. The horse is now being exported to other countries and its popularity is growing.

The Friesian horse was originally imported to North America in the 17th century but the purity of the breed was totally lost in North America due to crossbreeding because due to its splendid action at the trot, the Friesian was bred to be lighter in weight. This, unfortunately, limited its use in agriculture and led to its decline in the early 1900’s. It nearly died out before World War I, when the number of Friesian stallions was reputedly reduced to only three. The breed was rejuvenated by introducing the Oldenburg horse.

Thanks to a few Dutch Friesian admirers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, purebred Friesians are now seen and enjoyed around the world, with the majority being in the Netherlands and Germany, followed by North America where it was reintroduced in 1974. The result has been the establishment of “daughter” societies of FPS around the world.

In conformation, the Friesian horse resembles the ancient western European horse and the knights’ horse called destrier. Most memorable is their impressive stature. Friesian stallions must be at least 15.3 hands by age four with mares and geldings reaching at least 14.3 hands in order to be registered in the adult studbooks. Many are 16.0 hands or more, and weigh 1300 + pounds.

The fine head of the Friesian is carried quite high on an elegantly curved neck with outstanding crest, but compared to the body, the head seems relatively small and either straight or slightly concave. The face is expressive with big eyes, and small ears are typical. The breed has a broad chest with lightly accentuated croup. Tough legs with good bone structure, and hind quarters that are muscular yet smooth, result in an enduring and surefooted horse.

The modern Friesian has long, heavy, luxuriant mane and the extra-long tail; these are never cut and often reach the ground. The breed also has abundant feather and long Shire-like leg hair reaching from the middle of the leg. When performing, these features combine with the feathers and the low set of the tail to emphasize the breed’s powerful and elastic gait.

Up until the turn of the century about twenty percent were chestnut or bay, and gray also occurred in the breed, but black is now the only recognized color, but this may range from very dark brown or black-bay to true black. Many Friesians appear to be black bay when their coats are shedding or when they have become sun or sweat bleached. White markings have been minimized by selective breeding and the only white marking that is allowed on a studbook-registered horse is a small white spot or star between the eyes.

The Friesian has a powerful, high-stepping gait, but aside from its high knee action and elegant performance, the Friesian horse was also used as a trotting race horse for the short distance of 80 rods (325 m). In the 18th and 19th centuries these horse races were very popular in Friesland. For important races the prize was a silver or a gold whip. The Friesian Museum at Leeuwarden has a fine collection of them. The races at Leeuwarden ended in 1891 when H.M. Queen Regent Emma awarded the golden whip for the last time.

The Friesian horse influenced the breeding of the Russian Orloff, along with English and American race horses. Since these horses were bred and used for racing only and were faster, this brought Friesian horseracing to an end.

The modern Friesian is slightly taller and lighter on its feet than its coach-bred ancestors, which has allowed the Friesian to re-emerge as both a champion dressage and driving performance horse.

Driving one or more Friesian horses has become increasingly popular in the past few years. Harness events in shows are usually driven with a high-wheeled gig called the “sjees”, for singles, pairs, and tandems. The oldest original sjees were built in the late 18th century. The sjees derives its elegant form from the two slender, high wheels and the small seat suspended between them on leather straps. The two-person seat has ornately molded, carved, and painted panels, back, front, and sides, with a bit of a Rubenesque look to it. An especially impressive show is the Friesian quadrille which is comprised of 8 sjees, drawn by Friesians, driven by gentlemen accompanied by a lady, both dressed in traditional 1850’s costumes. Complex patterns are driven, showing the drivers’ trust in the obedience of their horses. Driving with four-wheeled show carts is also becoming popular.

The Friesian Horse Association of North America (FHANA) was founded in 1983 and is the North American representative of the original Friesian horse association, Friese Paarden Stamboek (FPS). The FPS is recognized as the world-wide authority on the Friesian Horse. This studbook is the oldest in the Netherlands. It was founded May 1, 1879. There are more than 45,000 Friesians registered worldwide in the FPS with approximately 4,000 of those horses in North America. Tongue-tattooing, once voluntary, became mandatory in 1989.

The rules of FHANA strictly forbid the breeding of FPS registered Friesian horses with other breeds and only Approved Studbook Stallions can sire horses that are eligible for entry in the main studbook registers. There are approximately 75 Approved Stallions in the world today and about a quarter of those are in North America. The selection and testing requirements are so rigorous that only a handful is approved each year. Four years after approval, the stallion’s offspring must demonstrate to the studbook inspectors that the Approved stallion is making a positive impact on the breed or his approval will be withdrawn. This insures that only the very best stallions will influence the future of the Friesian horse.

The naming conventions for the Friesian Horses are quite involved and often require a foal to be renamed with a Friesian word when it becomes an approved breeding stallion. Names of fillies cannot be duplicated in the same calendar year, but its ok for colts to have the same name as other colts. Each calendar year a foal’s name must begin with specific letters of the alphabet as designated by the FPS. For example, names for foals born in 2008 must begin with the letters A, B, or C, and should be relatively simple, consisting of a single word. Explicit details for all naming rules can be found on the FPS website.

The Friesian horse is equally skilled at multi-level dressage, trotting, and driving, singly or combined. The same blood lines that run through the Lipizzaner are present in the Friesian, but unlike some other European warmbloods, Friesians have not been bred as jumpers.