"The Andalucian horse takes precedence of all"
Posted on 05/16/2008 8:15:57 AM PDT by yankeedame
Towards the middle of the 19th century British tourists were travelling through Europe in increasing numbers and the need for guidebooks. Richard Ford's, A Hand-book for Travellers in Spain published in 1845 was -- thanks to his extensive travels there -- one of the finest.
From Richard Ford’s A Hand-book for Travellers in Spain:
===================================================
A good horse is not easily got anywhere; and however every man flatters himself that he has, or once had, just the very best horse in the world, it is safer to set out with the conviction that even a really sound horse is very seldom to be met with.
The horses of Spain have never attracted the attention of inquiring foreigners. Even the careful and accurate Townsend, who will always rank among the best authors, and who paid such particular notice to agricultural subjects, overlooked this branch, which nevertheless abounds with curious matter both to the antiquarian and to the mere rider, who professes (what is far more difficult) to be a judge, "un inteligente en caballos."
The Andalucian horse takes precedence of all; he fetches the highest price, and the Spaniards in general value no other breed;they consider his configuration and qualities as perfect.
In some respects they are right: no horse is more elegant or more easy in his motions, none are more gentle or docile, none are more quick in acquiring showy accomplishments, or in performing feats of Astleyan agility.
He has a little in common with the English blood-horse; his mane, "crin, clin," is soft and silky, and is frequently plaited with gay ribbons; his tail, "cola," is of great length, and left in all the proportions of nature, not cropped and docked, by which Voltaire was so much offended: --
"Fiers et bizarres Anglais, qui des mémes ciseaux
Coupez la tête aux rois, et la queue aux chevaux."
The Spanish horse's tail often trails to the very ground, while the animal has perfect command over it, lashing it on every side as a gentleman switches his cane: when on a journey it is usual to double and tie it up, after the fashion of the ancient pig-tails of our sailors.
The Andalucian horse is round in all his quarters, though inclined to be small in the barrel; he is broad-chested, and always carries his head high, especially when running.
His length bears no proportion to his height, which sometimes reaches to sixteen hands; he is, to make use of a Spanish term, "muy recogido," very well gathered up, especially when tearing along at full speed.
He never, however, stretches out with the long graceful sweep of the English thorough-bred; his action is apt to be loose and shambling, and given to dishing with the feet. The pace is, notwithstanding, perfectly delightful.
From being very long in the pastern, "largo de cuartilla," the motion is broken as it were by the springs of a carriage; their pace is the peculiar "paso Castellano" which is something more than a walk and less than a trot.
This sort of Spanish horse was called by the Romans asturcon, tolutarius, gradarius, and his pace was the sort of lounging Spanish walk which Seneca says that Cicero had: all these terms were merged in the middle ages into ambulator, the walker; whence the French and our expression, amble; although Hudibras had not forgotten the old word,
-- " Whether pace or trot,
That is to say, whether tolutation,
As they do term it, or succussation."
What Fynes Moryson stated in his advice to travellers in England holds good to this day as regards Spain. "For the most part Englishmen, especially in long journies, use to ride upon their owne horses; all the difficultie is to have a body able to endure the toyle."
No horse in the world is so easy in his paces or so delightful to ride as the Andalucian. The expressions, "Haca Andaluza --Cordovesa," convey to the Spanish mind the ne plus ultra of all that is perfect in horseflesh.
No Spaniard, in ancient or modern history, ever took a regular walk on his own feet--a walk for the sake of mere health, exercise, or pleasure.A modern Spaniard having stumbled over a stone, exclaimed on getting up, "voto a Dios--this comes of a caballero's ever walking!"
*whinny*
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.