Horses Of Andalusia, Spain

The Royal Stables of Córdoba

The original Royal Stables were established by order of King Felipe II in 1570 to establish and promote the “Spanish Horse” which was the precursor to the Andalusian/PRE breed. A fire in 1734 completely destroyed the stables. During the reign of Carlos III some 30 years later they were rebuilt and have been the center for breeding the finest Spanish horses for several centuries. Today the stables are a National Historical Monument. As such it is still used to promote the Spanish horse. The horses stabled there are part of the “Passion and Spirit of the Andalusian Horse”, an equestrian show which includes dressage as well as historical elements.

The Horses

Our small group was honored to be welcomed by members of the staff who took time after hours to present some of the most beautiful horses I’ve seen. These are working horses, extremely fit and superbly trained. The excellent rapport between the horses and their trainers was obvious. These horses never just walked, they danced!

We photographed the horses in a small arena within the main stables. The building is constructed of sandstone which creates a wonderful glow as the sunlight hits the walls. At the unexpected outing the horses exploded as they were released thoroughly enjoying themselves. It was amusing to see that when each horse realized that there were photographers in the viewing box their demeanor changed. They became a bit more sedate showing us just how handsome they were.

(Click on an image to view a larger version)

Manzanillos 10

Selenio

CM Mágico

Quiquilloso

Tambires and Yaruma

Descarado

Potosi

The Mirror

On the wall in the arena was a small mirror which several of the horses noticed with varying reactions. My opinion was that they all thought they looked pretty darned good, but you can add your own captions.

The horses, the light and the location made this very special for me. I hope I’ve conveyed some of this to you through my images. Thanks for spending your time with me! I always look forward to your feedback and comments. I always look forward to your feedback and comments. Cheryl

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This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. Majestic animals! You captured their beauty. I loved a couple of them admiring themselves in the mirror.

    1. Thanks so much! This wasn’t the normal arena that they perform in. It was fun to see their reactions when they saw themselves in the mirror.

  2. The mirror affirmed each horse of their beauty and that they mane and tail were flying out perfectly – vanity is not for humans alone 🤪🤪

    1. I love it! And, so true. 🙂

  3. What beautiful amazing horses and what a wonderful story you told Cheryl of your trip and photo shoot experience. I loved the mirror, I guess all creatures are vain. I loved quisquilloso which I believe is fussy… persnickety in Spanish. This horse reminded me of a unicorn! Thanks so much for sharing these beautiful pictures!

    1. Thanks a lot, Terry! And, thank you for your comments. 😊

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