Alter Real
Intro
Comes from Alter do Chao a small town in the Alentejo province of Portugal, which is where the flagship stud is located. Real is the word for ‘royal’ in Portuguese, this breed is the royal breed of Alter.
Origins
The Alter Real breed was founded as carriage horses in Lisbon and their bloodlines have a heavy Andalusian influence. During Napoleonic invasions Arabian, English Thoroughbred, Norman and Hanoverian blood was introduced, the resulting animals were of poorer quality than the original stock.
A later attempt to improve the breed with Arabian blood also failed. It took more Andalusian blood to refine the bloodlines and improve the breed again.
At the start of th 20th century the Alter Real faced extinction when Portugal renounced its monarchy and the government discontinued the breeding programs and geld the stallions.
A few were saved and bred personally by Dr. Ruy d’Andrade and in 1942 a small, thriving herd was handed back over to the Ministry of Agriculture for safekeeping.
Features
Average height 15.1 - 16.1 hands
Strong and powerfully built
Impressive high-stepping action
Physique
Head is refined
Short, strong neck
Broad, muscular back
Long pasterns and strong hocks
Traditional Colors
Temperament
Intelligent and quick to learn
Pros:
A beautifully elegant, high energy animal
Cons:
Spirited and smart, they are not good horses for beginners or children
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