Another new breyer horse is Kripton Seni II. This mighty Andelusian stallion was the United States Equestrian Federation horse of Honor in 2009 which means he was one of the five finalists for Horse of the Year. He was the winner of 12 national championships!
This magnificent stallion is now standing at stud at the
Amandalusian farm in California.
I wanted to write about the Andelusian breed today.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andalusian horse
Distinguishing features Strongly built, compact, elegant, thick mane and tail
Alternative names Spanish Horse, Pura Raza Española
Country of origin Spain, Iberian Peninsula
Common nicknames Horse of Kings
The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE (Pura Raza Española), is a horse breed developed in the Iberian Peninsula. Its ancestors have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual breed since the 15th century, and its conformation has changed very little over the centuries. Throughout its history, it has been known for its prowess as a war horse, and was prized by the nobility. The breed was used as a tool of diplomacy by the Spanish government, and kings across Europe rode and owned Spanish horses. During the 19th century, warfare, disease and crossbreeding reduced herd numbers dramatically, and despite some recovery in the late 19th century, the trend continued into the early 20th century. Exports of Andalusians were restricted until the 1960s, but the breed has since spread throughout the world, despite still-low population numbers. As of 2003[update], there were over 75,000 registered living Andalusians worldwide.
Strongly built, and compact yet elegant, Andalusians have long, thick manes and tails. Their most common coat color is gray, although they can be found in many other colors. They are known for their intelligence, sensitivity and docility. A sub-strain within the breed known as the Carthusian, is considered by breeders to be the purest strain of Andalusian, though there is no genetic evidence for this claim. The strain is still considered separate from the main breed however, and is preferred by breeders because buyers pay more for horses of Carthusian bloodlines. There are several competing registries keeping records of horses designated as Andalusian or PRE, but they differ on their definition of the Andalusian and PRE, the purity of various strains of the breed, and the legalities of stud book ownership. At least one lawsuit is in progress as of 2010 to determine the ownership of the Spanish PRE stud book.
The Andalusian is closely related to the Lusitano of Portugal, and has been used to develop many other breeds, especially in Europe and the Americas. Breeds with Andalusian ancestry include many of the warmbloods in Europe as well as western hemisphere breeds such as the Azteca. Over its centuries of development, the Andalusian breed has been selected for athleticism and stamina. The horses were originally used for classical dressage, driving, bullfighting, and as stock horses. Modern Andalusians are used for many equestrian activities, including dressage, show jumping and driving. The breed is also used extensively in movies, especially historical pictures and fantasy epics.
As the article above states, this breed is used a lot in movies...especially fantasy movies. So, when Behind The Mist becomes a movie, I think we should use a white andalusian stallion for Urijah, the Lord of Celestia. I can just see this sparkling unicorn with his long, thick, flowing mane and tail and golden horn. It would be fabulous!
Two weeks ago, I wrote about the new
Breyer statue of Zanyetta. However, I think the new Breyer statue of Kripton Sni II is the most beautiful I have ever seen! Don't you agree?
