The world's most aristocratic equine population owes its fame to the Andalusian horse, along with the Arab and, much later, the Thoroughbred.

Its history goes back long before the birth of Christ - to 200 BC, at the time of the Roman Conquests in and around Spain. Roman writers praised the native Spanish horses' qualities, which were recognised by Spain's Moorish conquerors, who naturally cross-bred them with their own Arab and Berber breeds.

After the Moors were driven from Spain in the 15th Century, these noble Spanish creatures enjoyed a period of great popularity, influencing almost all other American and European horse breeds.

Not only were they taken by the Spanish conquistadors to the New World in the Americas, but they laid the foundation of the Frederiksborg, the royal horse of Denmark; the Neapolitan horse, when Naples was under Spanish rule from 1504 to 1713; the Austrian Kladruber, and some of the British breeds, notably the Cleveland Bay, the Hackney, the Connemara pony of Ireland and possibly the Welsh Cob.

Direct descendants of the Andalusian horse are the Lippizaners of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, established in 1572 as an adjunct to the Court in order to educate their nobility in the equitational arts. It was called the Spanish Riding School because right from its formation only Spanish stallions were used there.

The Lippizaners take their name from the stud at Lippiza, near Trieste, then part of the Austrian empire. It was founded by Archduke Charles 11, in 1580, who had 9 stallions and 24 mares brought there from Spain.

This is the horse that became "The very cornerstone of classical riding." The features that made this caballo de pura raza española - horse of pure Spanish breed - so highly sought after, are its balletic elegance, high head carriage, short arched neck, silky flowing mane, compact body and wonderful proportions.

The manes of mares are usually clipped in Spain; only the stallions are allowed to display the full splendour of theirs. About 50 per cent of Andalusians are usually grey or white, the rest being bay or black. Chestnuts or piebalds are excluded from the stud book.

These attributes are combined with a fiery intelligence, strangely at odds with it's affectionate and docile temperament. It is considered to be the ideal haute école parade and carriage horse. It is perhaps somewhat surprising, therefore, that its presence outside Spain is not more widespread today.

"It can only be the whims of changing fashion that, for the moment, deny him his place in competitive dressage - that and perhaps the extraordinarily extravagant and high action of his forelegs" suggests Elwyn Hartley Edwards in his engaging book, "Horses, their Role in the History of Man". The Andalusian does, in fact, "dish" - throw his forelegs in an outward arc before putting his feet to the ground. In Spain, the action is highly esteemed but in countries like England, it is not appreciated at all.

Read more about Andalucian horses in this article first published by Andalucia Magazine.