Xiqua ~ 2006 Lusitano mare 15.1 1/2 hh.

(Has gone to Chicago as part of the herd's partial dispersal!)

I bought her as an untrained 13 year old. We had an instant connection I guess, I really admired her conformation and also her sire and dam, both very nice horses, see their APSL scores here.

Refined head with straight profile, with plenty of width between the eyes & jaw bones.

An exceptional neck, arched on top but not meaty and thick in the throat latch area, which makes arching of the neck and vertical
flexion of the face almost a foregone conclusion. Good withers and shoulder angel, keeping the saddle in place and the girth well back from the point of elbow so that skin irritation is not caused in that area.

Strong loins over the back and well connected into a long pelvis bone. She lifts her back and can lighten her front end with ease. Excellent legs and hooves, straight well boned legs with good quality hooves.

Good width of chest and hind quarters. Beautiful mane & tail, not essential but nice all the same.

 I wanted to see what she was going to be like, so after playing with her just a little in the round pen, at her perious home in Virginia, I put a halter on (or very light bosal, I can’t remember exactly which ) I jumped up on her bare back. We played around a little. When I started to ask her to back up, she would do a gentle little rearing motion, sort of like the “Levade” of the Lipizzan horses. I just slid off of her back and we practiced the backing from the ground, something I would normally have done well before hopping on their backs in the first hour I had worked with a horse, but I had a limited amount of time and I do like to see what they are made of and how they will handle new concepts, and there is only one way to find that out. That is one thing that I have found about the Iberia horses in general, the ones that I have had the pleasure of working with. They are very friendly ( even as babies ) wanting to work with you and are not interested in bucking or bolting, as some other breeds are prone to do. Watching the foals play in the pasture, cantering circles in collection and playing with the cows and calves, rather than just running off full out and bucking for fun. Genetics are very defining, mentally and physically.  A  Border Collie dog will grow up with the desire to herd sheep, and take commands from its master (if properly trained )   where as a Great Pyrenees dog has absolutely  NO  interest in such activities. Very similar with horses also.
Xiqua was a bit prancy and nervous when we first came home to Missouri and started riding pastures and working cattle. But now, she will really get in there and has faced down the neighbors bull, when he didn’t want to go back to his own pasture.

For more information call 417-637-0225

 

 

Xiqua working calves fall 2020.