01/07/2024
An excellent article about the Lusitano
Is the classic Lusitano turning into a modern dressage horse? If you are leaning towards 'yes', does that mean that Warmbloods are turning into Lusitanos as they have improved their piaffe and passage significantly in recent years?
The Lusitano stud book has been closed since 1989. For 35 years it has not been possible to add even a drop of blood from other breeds. At the same time, the breed standard, i.e. the criterias on which the horses are approved, has not changed since 1967. The requirements for the horses have always been exactly the same as they are today. The only thing that can be said to have changed is the way breeders select;
The breeding of animals follows the money. And in equestrian sports today, an excellent dressage horse is more expensive than an excellent Working Equitation horse. So financially it makes better sense to select animals that can perform in a 20*60 meter arena; animals that are both larger and cover more ground than what would be ideal on a WE course.
Does this mean that we are dividing the breed into two separate branches? Short answer: no. Just look at the horses from the Alter Real stud; the oldest and perhaps most prominent stud farm in Portugal, founded in 1748. Among other things, horses here are bred for the Portuguese Riding School, where the horses are trained in a classic way and perform caprioles, etc. At the same time, the Alter Real horses are some of the most frequently represented at the modern dressage competitions, for instance by Rubi AR, whom most people probably know.
The same stud farm and the same ancient bloodlines deliver horses that function at the top level in both contexts.
A study of Lusitanos in dressage from 2000-2012 showed that the top 21 'dressage Lusitanos' were approved by an average of 74 points, which is an impressive score and suggests that according to the breed standards they were excellent examples of the Lusitano. They were also slightly taller than the breed average, but still below 165 cm on average.
Of course, it will be interesting to see similar statistics for the years 2012 till now.
The first Lusitano to compete in the GP at a CDI event was Vitorino's maternal grandfather, Ripado OC, in 1988, but the Lusitano was at that time a rare sight in dressage - both in and outside Portugal. However, various initiatives have meant that since 1996 we have seen a development where the Lusitanos have gone from making up approx. 10% of the dressage entries in Portugal to today where they make up the vast majority and are represented on national teams from as many as 7 nations.
General physiological changes in a population do not happen overnight, and it goes without saying that even if you tried, you would not have been able to change the Lusitano from one thing to something completely different in a couple of generations. The fact that they might be getting bigger, I think, is primarily due to management and how much better we have become at feeding our horses. And then possibly some selection.
So I'm not worried that we're moving away from the Lusitano we've known and loved for generations. But I am worried if we start cramming our Portuguese Hot Bloods into the same ‘system’ as the warmblood horses; In other words, what will be the consequences if we encourage breeders to present horses for grading in January the year they turn 4. This practice not only forces people to begin training far too early, but also to skip essential steps in the horse's education.
To me, one of the Lusitano's big selling points is its durability. But we can say goodbye to well-functioning horses in full work in their 20s if we push them too hard in their younger years - A problem we already see in a Warmblood context. In addition, only time will tell what the consequences will be if genetically hypermobile stallions begin to dominate the breeding.
So: The Lusitano is the same as it was 100 years ago, though with significantly better management. The crucial point will be whether we can refrain from pushing him beyond his limits in an attempt to keep up with the Warmbloods. ‘Cause a 5 y/old Lusitano will never be able to match a 5 y/old Warmblood. But he will overtake most Warmbloods with time, and probably be the one who can perform the longest, if only we give him the opportunity.
