Breeding
To breed only the finest and most prized bloodlines of Andalusians and Lusitanos, we’ve spent years traveling back and forth to the Iberian Peninsula in search of the most illustrious Spanish and Portuguese horses to introduce to our breeding program. Consequently, Andalusians de la Parra in San Antonio has become a breeding ground for handpicked Andalusians that will carry on their tradition in excellence, brilliance, and beauty.
Maritza, Caprichosa, Cariñosa and Blue
When we go to the ranch and have our yearly reunion to pick which mare to breed with which stallion, it’s so fun! I love the fact that we don’t choose one stallion to breed to all the mares each year. We bring out each individual mare and discuss what her strong points are and which stallion would be a good match. And we have so much fun doing it.
We always make sure to hand pick a variety of bloodlines that are sure to complement each other. We also bring in new lines from time to time. This way, we’re sure there is proper variety in the gene pool.
All of the mares are ridden before the Parra family breeds them. We want to know how the individual mare operates and what temperament is like. We need to be aware of how the horse moves, feels, acts and looks, as well as how she relates to humans and commands.
Maintaining the original quality of the breed is also very important to us. As old breeds have gone through many changes in history, we realize how important our decisions are. These decisions have a great impact on the future development of the Andalusian and Lusitano breed. We’re very careful to stay within the prototype of the breed, to respect that history, and maintain the exact qualities that were developed by natural selection.
Maritza and mares at the Hacienda
They are perfect as they developed, we just want to help keep that perfection nature created. That is just one of the ways we can show our appreciation for the breed.
The breeding process is summarized nicely by Rafael, who says, “I think each horse that comes into our lives influences our breeding program in a certain way, because each one brings special qualities. Every time we go out looking for one new stallion or mare, we travel a lot and visit a lot of farms. Of course, we already know about the bloodlines, making the search easier. No horse or mare arrives in our breeding program by accident. Each individual is incorporated into the program after a great deal of research has been done into his bloodlines, personality, conformation and athletic ability.”
We’re very proud of our equine children. We always consider 3 qualities in each animal.
• Conformation
• Athletic Ability
• Personality
These are all necessary qualities for the Andalusian and Lusitano. If a horse has one quality and is missing others, then you have nothing. When we spend time looking at young horses, we make sure to notice similarities between parents and foals. We’ve done this for so long that we can actually predict with relative accuracy what the baby is going to look and move like, because of our experience mixing the genes.
Andalusian mare and foal
For a superior animal, all of these qualities are necessary. They bring different qualities into their breeding program, making it ultimately complete. We are always evaluating for quality. From the day they are born, we are watching, comparing, and checking how they grow and develop and what their personalities are like.
The absolute best is when there is a field full of moms and babies! And then we also have the mares on “sabbatical” resting and recuperating. We regularly breed a horse for two years and then let the mare rest one year. This rest helps them maintain their physical appearance and peace of mind. We want to help our horses form and blossom in the best way possible.
When we were establishing our breeding program through the 70’s and 80’s, Luz Parra often returned to Spain and Portugal to take courses, which qualified her to be a show ring judge for Iberian horses. For one such program, she went to Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, to attend a program organized by the Ministry of Defense and the Spanish military. It consisted of three days of classroom instruction and two days of actively qualifying stallions and mares as well as certifying them as breeding stock that would be accepted by the Spanish Registry.
Luz Parra being interviewed for ESPN's On The Right Track.
As a result of this program, she is prepared to judge Andalusians at shows and to approve livestock for breeding. However, Luz didn’t spend years and great expense learning to judge Iberian horses so she could scrutinize them in the show ring. Her sole interest in judging and becoming a certified judge has been to become more adept at evaluating the horses we breed here at home. She has analyzed each and every horse we have bred in our operation and has also consulted many breeders in their breeding programs. One of her greatest loves is sharing her expertise with people new to the Iberian horse.
