General: ALTER REAL
Country of origin: Portugal
Short history of the breed:The word "real" means royal and the breed was established by the Braganza royal family in 1747. The house of Braganza imported 300 selected Andalusian mare to form a national stud in Alter do Chao, from which the Alter Real got its name. It was bred to provide the royal family with suitable High School carriage horses. During the 18th century the Alter Real became a very popular horse. During the Napoleonic invasion the breed suffered a setback and was contaminated by infusions of English Thoroughbred, Arab, Norman and Hanoverian blood. A lot of Arab blood was later introduced in the breed to try to re-establish it, finally Andalusian blood was reintroduced which restored the Alter Real back to its former glory. Another setback came in the early 20th century. Due to the efforts of Dr. Ruy d'Andrade the breed did survive and continues to be bred in Portugal.
Description of the breed:Head: average sized, a pronounced jaw, a straight or convex profile
Body: short and muscular, nicely arched neck, pronounced withers, a compact frame with a short back, muscular quarters wit a wellset tail, shoulders should be sloping, strong legs with slender, but sturdy cannon bones
Movement: shows a lot of action
Colour: mostly bay, but can be chestnut, gray or brown
Shoulder height: 1,55 - 1,62 m
Possibilities for use: riding horse and carriage horse
Charakter:The Alter Real is intelligent and eager to learn and needs to be handled by experienced and knowledgeable horsemen.
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