Go Horse – The oldest horse in the world!

Legend has it that in Lusitania, present-day Portugal, the first saddle horse in the history of mankind was discovered: the Lusitano. The oldest trace of the existence of the horse in Portugal dates back to the Paleolithic era. It was a breed with a beautiful morphology and an elegant walk, with resistant hooves suitable for the calcareous soils of the area. In ancient times the Greeks and the Moors defined it as an excellent mount, which earned it the reputation of a perfect warhorse.

In the Middle Ages, the Lusitano horse contributed greatly to the development of warfare techniques on the battlefield, thanks to its strength and agility. It is famous throughout Europe and the breeding and training of this beautiful steed becomes the main pastime of the noble classes. It was also the beginning of what is defined in the modern age as dressage, the maximum expression of collaboration between the horse and its rider. Discover now all our trips, tours, holidays and horse trekking in Portugal. Even today this breed is very popular in Portugal, and in 1979 the “Portuguese School of Equestrian Art” (EPAE) was founded, which carries on the ideals of the ancient Royal Equestrian Academy: tradition, period costumes, harnesses and genealogies. Today, Portugal is an indisputably interesting destination for those who love this animal, an undisputed equestrian tradition lives and perseveres among the Portuguese, to be discovered through the many festivals, such as in Golega, City of the Horse, where since 1972 the “National Horse Holiday” which attracts millions of visitors every year; but also the “touradas” where with a unique elegance and sensitivity the Lusitano faces the bull or the famous “romerias”, processions on horseback still very much in use throughout the country.

If you want to discover Portugal on horseback

this is the right tour!