About the PRE

The PRE horse is descended from the Iberian horses of Spain and Portugal Even though in the 16th and 17th centuries Spanish horses had not reached the final form of the modern PRE by 1667 William Cavendish, the Duke of Newcastle, called the Spanish horse of Andalusia the "princes" of the horse world, and reported that they were "unnervingly intelligent". The Iberian horse became known as the "royal horse of Europe" and was seen at many royal courts and riding academies, including those in Austria, Italy, France and Germany. By the 16th century, during the reigns of Charles V (1500–1558) and Phillip II (1556–1581), Spanish horses were considered the finest in the world.

Despite their ancient history, all living PREs trace to a small number of horses bred by religious orders in the 18th and 19th centuries. And, as is typical of most breeds, infusions of other blood occurred over the years in particular during the 1800s .

Today PREs are used for dressage, show jumping, western pleasure and most other riding disciplines. The dramatic appearance of the PRE horse, with its arched neck, muscular build and energetic gaits, has made it a popular breed to use in film, particularly in historical and fantasy epics.