We mixed up history with horses today.  We were lucky enough to catch the perfect day for an amazing display of horsemanship with a bit of theatre thrown in, in the form of a Flamenco dancer or two.

Being a horse rider myself it was a real thrill and luckily Phil loved it too.  During the one hour show we were treated to a wide range of horsemanship – carriage racing, pure dressage, dramatic flamenco dancers both grounded and carried behind the riders.  All set to music that did in fact bring a tear to my eye during the purest forms.  The incredible skill of the riders and the absolute obedience of the horses was wonderful to see.  No fighting the bit here, but steady perfectly executed manoeuvres by horses that were enjoying their work.  Full on concentration from both rider and horse.

The Andalusian horse has been recognised as an individual breed since the 15th century but it was Philip II that built the Royal stables at Cordoba and brought together the best of the breed for improvement in 1570 .  The purity of the breed has been maintained here in Spain and now Andalusian horses can be found around the world where they are no longer needed as war horses but excel in dressage, carriage driving, sport horses etc.  Their intelligence, sensitivity and docility make them ideal for many disciplines.

20 April 2014