The Alter Real horse breed

Having been an avid horse lover all my life, I have to admit that until my current research I had never heard of an Alter-Real. And now I'm intrigued.

The Alter-Real is closely related to the more famous Lusitano.

It is referred to as a baroque horse. This is a loose term used to describe horses of medieval descent. The Baroque is characterized by agile movements, a powerful body, a muscular, arched neck, and typically a thick mane and tail; and known for her exceptional skills in classical dressage at the Haute Ecole.

The Alter-Real is generally around 15 to 16 hands tall and has a rather small head that is either straight or slightly convex. They are usually brown or tan, although gray and chestnut are not uncommon. The shoulder should be strong, muscular and well sloping. The body is relatively short with a deep chest and the hindquarters are broad, strong and well muscled. Although the legs are short with large, flat knees and strong hocks, they are agile with a flamboyant knee movement and a fairly short stride.

The Alter Real was founded in Villa do Portel in 1748 by the Royal House of Braganza (the dynasty that ruled Portugal at the time). A few years after the start of the breeding program, the stud farm was moved to another Portuguese city, Alto de Chao. This is how the breed got its name “Alter” from the city and “Real”, which is Portuguese for royal.

The initial breeding program started with Andalusian mares imported from Jerez in Spain and the best Arabian stallions.

Unfortunately the stud farm faced several crises and in 1804-14 during the Peninsular War most of the stock was stolen or destroyed by Napoleon's army. What remained was then taken in 1834 when the king abdicated the throne.

The stock was then infused with Hanoverian, Norman, and Arabian blood, resulting in a decline in breed quality. By the end of the 19th century the breed was in bad shape. The introduction of an Azpata lineage of Andalusian blood was the turning point in the breed's decline and a small stud farm was established. In 1932 this stud farm was taken over by the Portuguese Ministry, which since then has done a lot of culling and finishing with the best stallions.

Today, the breed continues to grow in number and while there are not many of them, the future of the breed seems assured.

lusitano horse
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