Horses in Andalusia

Abstract

This brief research was devoted to studying a topic that the researchers did not cover much, as the historical sources did not provide us with sufficient information about horses in Andalusia. The Andalusian environment had an important role in the revival of horse breeding, as the abundance of grasses, the presence of forests, the different surfaces and climate in Andalusia, and the Andalusian society’s desire to practice agriculture and animal husbandry, all of this was a motive for Andalusia to have many pastoral areas that helped in raising animals such as horses, mules and donkeys, and it flourished. The livestock boom greatly contributed to the Andalusian economy and its development. The presence of the appropriate environment and the abundance of pastures in Andalusia led to the prosperity of horse breeding and its uniqueness with special specifications and distinctive capabilities that distinguished it from the rest of the Arab horses. Its uses have varied, especially in the fields of war and combat, the preservation of the country and the control of security. It is inevitable and unavoidable, which the rulers of Spain were aware of. So, rulers imposed a severe restriction, accompanied by the imposition of a heavy tax on the trade of horses and mules, especially those entering Islamic cities, and they were keen that the horses would not fall into the hands of Muslims, for fear that they would be used for military purposes and to carry out military operations against the Christian kingdoms. The study was organized with an introduction, two sections, and a conclusion. The first topic bore the title of the Andalusian environment and its impact on horse breeding, devoted to explaining the role of the Andalusian environment in horse breeding, with reference to the types of horses and the diseases that affect them. The joints of public life and its role in peace, war, gifts and diplomatic missions. Finally, the conclusion embodies the most prominent findings of the study, relying on the descriptive historical method, and analyzing what can be analyzed.