Interesting talk about breeding from Vasco Freire, who explains how they have evolve from breeding Lusitano´s for bullfighting to breeding for dressage. The interview starts in minute 5, and this are some of the highlights about breeding dressage horses:
“A good horse is always a good horse, but in a dressage arena of 60x20m, the horses have to enter in the arena and fit in with its presence and dimension”.
“Results only appear after at least 10 to 15 years.”
“To select a broodmare, is one of the most important things to a stud.”
“A mare must be feminine, delicate and beautiful. A feminine mare grants you a better mother, more careful and delicate.”
“Good physical conformation, without this is difficult to work. She must have good gaits, flexibility, hocks must be active and flexible, must have good mechanics, good gaits, must always be up in front, but the most important of all is the pedigree, a pedigree from a working genealogy. Horses who where ridden, horses who liked to work.”
“My strongest reference in lusitano breeding: Dr. Ruy d´Andrade.”
