Spirited Horses Ranch
In the Rolling Hills of Montville Maine
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We have been blessed to have added to our farm....Spanish Andalusians. This has been my dream horse since I can remember. Always training someone else's Andalusian and wishing it were our's. I have dreamed of having a true old style Carthusian Andalusian in my life...but that dream has become a reality.
We first purchased our stallion and have now added a beautiful mare. We are so excited about this union! We are in high hopes of a 2013 baby of our own! While we will also be offering our stallions services to a limited number of mares for the 2012 season.
Our goal in this adventure is to bring to our farm a line of Carthusian Andalusians that we can enjoy and love for years to come. 
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. The strain is still considered separate from the main breed however, and is preferred by breeders for the qualities the breed brings with it. Buyers will pay more for horses of Carthusian bloodlines. The movement of Andalusian horses is extended, elevated, cadenced and harmonious, with a balance of roundness and forward movement. Andalusians are known for their agility and their ability to learn difficult moves quickly, such as advanced collection and turns on the haunches. 
I have made my training program much smaller in the past few years in order to spend more time with my own horses & family and to manage our new breeding program. I believe in the wonder of the Spanish and Portuguese horse and now enjoy experiencing it daily. I cannot wait to have our first foal and to watch it mature into such a magnificent creature being as close to the Spanish and Portuguese ideal as we can possibly achieve.

More info on the Breed:
The Andalusian horse has been esteemed for its quality and appearance since Roman times. In the Middle Ages it carried knights into battle and later became the treasured mount of European nobles. Horsemen soon realized that the same qualities that made the Andalusian a versatile war horse could serve in times of peace as well. The horse soon became the favorite of the grand riding academies of Europe because of its impulsion, collection, forward motion, and agility.

The Andalusian's physical appearance and flashy action make it one of the world's most desirable riding horses. The Andalusian is strongly built, yet extremely elegant.

The typical Andalusian stands 14.2 to 16.2 hands. His head is of medium length, rectangular and lean. The head in profile is slightly convex or straight with a broad forehead and well placed smaller ears. The eyes are alive, oval, and placed within an orbital arch. The face is straight or softly convex, moderately narrow, and without excess flesh. The neck is reasonably long, broad, yet elegant and well crested in stallions. The mane is thick and abundant. Well defined withers precede a short back; the quarters are broad and strong. The croup is rounded and of medium length. The tail is abundant, set low, and lies tightly against the body. About 80% of Andalusians are gray or white, 15% are bay, and 5% are black, chestnut, palomino, and dun.

ORIGIN

The Andalusian originated in and gained its name from the Spanish Province of Andalusia. The Andalusian horse is one of the most ancient of horse breeds. It has lived on the Iberian Peninsula since pre-history and is represented in cave paintings dating back 25,000 years. Its ancestors are the Iberian (Spanish) horse and the Barb horse, which was brought to Spain by invading Moors. Andalusians were bred principally by Carthusian Monks in the late Middle Ages at monasteries in Jerez, Seville, and Cazallo. The monks were superb horse breeders and kept the blood of their horses quite pure.

A RARE TREASURE

Today, there are only about 4,500 Andalusian horses in the United States. Worldwide, these majestic horses number less than 20,000. Each year, the International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association registers only 400 new foals in this country. In fact, the Andalusian is one of the rarest breeds in the United States.
— Excerpted from an article by Gareth A. Selwood in Equestrian magazine


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