The Lusitano, also known as the Pure Blood Lusitano, is a Portuguese horse breed whose ancestry on the Iberian Peninsula has been traced back thousands of years, with the region renowned for its war horses by 800 BC. It takes its name from Lusitania, the ancient Roman name for the region that is now Portugal, and its type was further shaped when Muslim invaders brought Arabian horses to Iberia in 711 AD, which were crossed with the native stock. Lusitanos are generally gray, bay or chestnut, with convex facial profiles, heavy muscling and agile, elevated movement, and though originally bred for war they are used today mainly in dressage and bullfighting, including at the Olympics and World Equestrian Games.
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Portugal, found in there.
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