The Lusitano is a breed of horse native to Portugal, originating from the Iberian horse.

The history of the Iberian horse dates back thousands of years. 'Iberian' refers to the area of southern Europe known as the Iberian Peninsula, which in terms of modern history constitutes the countries of Spain and Portugal.

Today there is sometimes confusion between the Andalusian (a native Spanish horse) and the Lusitano breeds. They have different characteristics due to the diversity in their breeding history, a subject Paulo Gavião Gonzaga addresses in his book on the Lusitano Horse 'O Cavalo Lusitano'.

"The differentiation between the Lusitano and the Spanish horses began in the XVIII Century," he writes.

Paulo Gavião Gonzaga goes on to quote José Tello Barradas and Arsenio Raposo Cordeiro on the subject of the evolution of the Iberian horse from which emerged the Spanish Andalusian breed and the Portuguese Lusitano. Both cite the introduction of bullifighting on foot in Spain as playing a significant role at this time in the diverse history of the Iberian horse.

"Among the many factors that caused the differences that exist today between the Lusitanian and
the Andalusian races, I believe that the most important one was the introduction and absolute preponderance of the bullfighting on foot in Spain at the beginning of the XVIII century…" explained José Tello Barradas. In contrast the horse remained an essential part of the Portuguese bullfight and still does to this day.

While the breeding of the purebred Lusitano has remained true to its important historical roots, certain lineages are also being pursued with modern-day equestrian competition in mind producing Lusitanos that are highly suitable and competitive in the disciplines of dressage, jumping and driving.

Today the preservation of the traditions of the Lusitano breed is ensured by the existence of the Portuguese Association of Lusitano Horse Breeders (Associação Portuguesa de Criadores do Cavalo Puro Sangue Lusitano - APSL). In 1967 the Portuguese Stud Book was officially introduced. In Great Britain both parents must be registered.