Latest news about History A Social History of the SurgeMcCain’s explanation of the surge’s history “completely wrong.” But several foreign policy analysts said that if Mr. McCain got the chronology wrong, his broader point — that the troop escalation was crucial for the Awakening movement ... Continue reading
History and the futureLaunched at the Institute of Education last week (read Merlin John’s report of the event), NAEC aims to document the history of learning technologies and the experiences of those who built and used them. It’sa huge and much-needed ... Continue reading
Obama's History LessonHe ironically warned of the dangers of retreat. Um, Senator. You mean, like, in Iraq today? And a year ago when you didn't want to give the surge a chance? Continue reading
Teaching Medical Listening Through Oral HistoryA woman with a history of thyroid cancer is giving a life history interview to a student as part of a graduate seminar assignment. Her narrative shows how complex and interworven the pieces of an individual’s story are to one another. ... Continue reading
History HappensFrom The New York Times:. Lawmakers and experts described the legislation as a landmark shift in the government’s role in the housing market, extending a helping hand to both Wall Street and Main Street. They said it would rank in ... Continue reading
History by the Glass, New McMenamin Series Starts Mon. July 28thMcMenamins historian Tim Hill at the recent Drink Tank at Hillsdale Pub. McMenamains has the history and the company historian, in the form of the erudite Tim Hill, who started working wiht the brothers when they were reviving the ... Continue reading
Hot History Debate: 1624 or 1625?When was New York City born? The debate continues. Continue reading
Weird Moments in Big Ten Football History #10: Hart vs. Harbaugh ...In honor of the opening of Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, we wrap up the ten weird Big Ten moments with a look at what has to be the only moment of excitement or interest in the history of that venerable tradition. It came last season, ... Continue reading
Q&A with Marie McFadden: Design tips for family history booksMM: When I did a family history book, I wanted some consistency between all the timeline pages and all the family tree pages. The timeline pages didn’t look exactly alike, but they all had the same background, so I knew it was a ... Continue reading
Today in History for Friday, July 25, 2008The Italian ocean liner SS Andrea Doria collided with the SS Stockholm in heavy fog, 1956. From The Old Farmer's Almanac. Continue reading
|
history
Archaeological evidence in the Iberian Peninsula, modern day Spain and Portugal, indicates that the origins of the Iberian Horse date back to at least 25,000 B.C. in the form of its primitive ancestor, the Sorraia. Cave paintings in the Iberian Peninsula dated from around 20,000 BC depict portraits of horses and activities related to a horse culture.
The Sorraia horse remained isolated for several millennia in the southern part of Iberia, the Alentejo and Andalusian regions of modern Portugal and Spain. Portuguese historian Ruy d'Andrade suggested that by the Neolithic period (4000 B.C.) the native tribes of the area may have used horses in war.
They were soon to be followed by Phoenician traders and Celts from northern and eastern Europe, who were largely responsible for a two-way exchange of horses which brought an influx of oriental breeds from Libya, Egypt and Syria to the Iberian peninsula. By the time of the first trading expeditions of the Greeks, around 900 B.C., a mixed Celtiberian culture dominated all of Spain apart from the south coast, which remained Iberian. According to Lady Sylvia Loch, "It was the horses of the Celtiberian that were to become famous throughout the civilized world."
The Spanish horses were known for their use as cavalry mounts by the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
The Anglo-Saxons never developed cavalry in warfare. Fine Spanish horses were brought into Britain after the Norman Conquest, however. In 1188 the chronicler Giraldus Cambrensis noted in Powys
most excellent studs put apart for breeding, and deriving their origin from some fine Spanish horses, which Robert de Belesme, earl of Shrewsbury, brought into this country: on which account the horses sent from hence are remarkable for their majestic proportion and astonishing fleetness. [1].
Later, the use of heavy plate armor required stronger breeds. In the 15th century, the invention of firearms called for a lighter, and more agile cavalry horse, and the Andalusian's popularity rose again.
From this period onward, we find many references to the Iberian or Celtiberian horses and riders of the peninsula by Greek and Roman chroniclers. Homer refers to them in the Iliad around 1,100 B.C. and the celebrated Greek cavalry officer Xenophon had nothing but praise for the gifted Iberian horses and horsemen. Xenophon, in one of his books written about 370 B.C., admiringly describes the equestrian war techniques of Iberian mercenaries who were influential in the victory of Sparta against Athens in the Peloponnesian wars. This type of warfare consisted of individual horse charges with fast starts, stops and pirouettes followed by retreats and renewed attacks. A form of riding that was made possible by the use of incredibly agile horses and curb bits.
Looking further back into the evolution of the horse, we find that the most ancient ancestor of the horse was a small, herbivorous mammal of the genus Hyracotherium from the Eocene Epoch, having four-toed front feet and three-toed hind feet, which existed fifty million years ago in an area that is now the western United States. Hyracotherium eventually evolved into what we know as the horse. These horses then migrated from America through the land bridge connecting Alaska and Siberia and entered Asia where they established themselves and from where they disseminated to Europe and Africa. When the Spaniards arrived in the New World however, the horse had been extinct on the American continent for about 8000 years.
During the Renaissance, the great Classical Riding Academies took an interest in the breed. Because of the Andalusian's agilty and natural balance, it excelled in the High School Dressage performed in many courts of the day. The Andalusian went on to develop many other breeds suitable for High School Dressage, including the Lipizzaner, Alter Real, Lusitano, Kladruber, and many European warmbloods of today.
During the 19th century, the use of the Andalusian declined. However, Carthusian monks continued to breed the horse, and preserved the purity. Today, the Spanish government promotes the Andalusian, and the breed is gaining in popularity for High School Dressage demonstrations. They are also popular for bullfighting, and have recently been used for dressage, show jumping, driving and endurance, although Thoroughbred blood is often added to give the breed more scope.
|
|