Get the Best from the Pre Purchase Exam

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The Pre Purchase Exam

By Teresa Burton Lusitano Heritage and Lusitano Horse Finder

Thoughts, Tips and Recommendations for the buyer and seller

It is a big step searching for and buying a horse in another country: Especially if It is your first time. The whole journey can be very emotional – right from the moment you start to recieving your perfect dancing partner at home with you.

Once you have selected a horse to make a truly informed decision you must put emotion to oneside and organise a Pre Purchase Exam PPE.

First and foremost I want to say that a pre purchase should not be viewed as a pass or fail for the horse. There are of course, some exceptions. But in most cases it is simply an assessment of whether the horse is able to do the job you want him for or not. Also that you can understand and live with any likely flaws the horse may have.

Lets face it If you carry out enough tests you will find a flaw in every horse. This is why there is an international standard set out to carry out a purchase exam – The 5 Stage Pre Purchase Exam PPE.

This PPE is simply a snapshot into the horse´s health and physical condition at the time of the exam. It is designed to provide you with a hint to the possible future of the horse but it cannot predict the future!

The PPE has come along way since the days in my childhood and teens, when we bought horses with a simple 10 minute check up to now an exam that can last several hours. There is one thing I believe is important from my past I feel is rather lost these days. This is taking the horse at face value. Now before you shout me down regailling stories of unimaginable horrors I want to say I understand. But I have seen horses with what could only be termed appalling xrays and flexions test that perform beautifully everyday with never a days lameness.

While I am certainly not in anyway a qualified veterinarian the content in this article are my reflexions based purely on many years experience. Through my work I have been directly or indirectly involved with literally hundreds of such exams. Even so it is with some trepidation I approach this sensitive subject, in the hope that I can help those buying and those selling with some recommendations and thoughts on the best way forward.

Find a Vet in another Country

When buying a horse in another country you usually have to rely on a vet located in that country to carry out the exam. The normal protocal is that this is done in conjunction with your regular vet as ultimately he or she will be the one caring for your horse. However this can become a big muddle if not conducted out with the right care and information. The vet that actually carries out the exam is the one who is in direct contact with the horse.  They can make an assessment from all aspects of th encounter with the equine. Simply looking at x-rays and videos is very useful but is not the whole picture.

What´s more we have the varibility between veterarians one says no problem the other thinks otherwise. So it is vital to keep in mind the question is this horse able to do the job you intend for him. Lets face it the demands on a leisure horse are generally much lower than of a high level competition horse.

It is sensible to be prudent about who you choose to do your exam just like in any profession veta tend to specialise in different areas and can offer extra expertise on all manner of subjects from diet, to lameness, husbandary to viruses etc. There are vets that are more specialised and knowledgeable in pre purchase exams.

Check list when choosing your veterinarian

  1. He or she is very familar with the breed. Different breeds do come with different variabilities plus points and minus.
  2. They understand the riding disapline you are involved in especially if the horse for high level competition.
  3. They are impartial meaning they are not the sellers vet, they have not been treating the horse, they should not have any financial stake in the sale of the horse
  4. The veterinarian you choose works for you, is paid for by you and reports directly to you the buyer.
    As the buyer you own all the rights to the information obtained this includes all findings, radiographic images, or test results. The veterinarian is under no obligation to share the exam results with the seller or agent unless given express permission by the buyer.
  5. They speak your language or you have a mutual language you both understand
  6. They are experienced in PPE exams and have quality x-ray imaging equipment.

When you have your chosen veterinarian then they will give possible dates to carrry out the exam. It is helpful to provide the seller or agent with plenty of notice. These exam take some time to do and proper preparation makes a big difference –

The seller needs to have made the time available with assistance to be available. 2 to 3 people at the exam works well. Also that the they have a suitable area with flat surfaces especially for the flexion tests, lunge on hard ground.

 

The Exam –

 

The first part of the exam is the physical where the vet assesses the general health of the horse – weight, coat condition, eyes, teeth the oral cavity for tooth abnormalities, Listen to the heart carefully from both sides of the horse to detect subtle murmurs or arrhythmias, breathing, character, and visable imperfections on the body and legs likes signs of injury or surgrery, medical history and performance history.

The blue book checked with the and the micro chip number confirmed.  UNDERSTAND THE BLUE BOOK

Hooves checked for any signs of lameness – they are examined carefully for integrity and balance and use hoof testers to identify any soreness in the soles

  • Then movement that includes – flexion tests on all 4 legs – have someone available to take video.
    Working on the lunge both reins all 3 gaits on soft ground
    Working on lunge on hard ground walk and trot
    Turning on the forehand on both sides to see the crossover of hind legs to perform the lateral
    movement. Then asking the horse to back up.

All of this part of the exam is noted by the veterinarian and will be presented in a written exam sheet to you along with videos of flexions and lunge work.

Assuming the horse is seen as healthy after this stage, then the veterinarian will move onto x-rays. A regular exam includes 16-18 xrays. Good quality clear xrays are very important and taken form the correct angles and alignments. They can easily be misread with poor quality and angles. This is an important reason to ensure that you appoint an experience veterinarian in ths field.

You can ask for other x rays that are not included in the standard pre purchase exam. There is generally a charge per extra xray say for instance the back and neck. You could for example have up 36 xrays.

If there is a question mark on an x-ray sometimes it is worth having others taken at different angles to gain a more 3 dimensional view of the area. Ultrasound exams can also be used on areas with abnormalities. It is very useful to your veterarian that you are easily available when the exam is taking place. This way your veterinarian can contact you to ask if he or she can take further views or use ultrasound.

 

Blood Tests

If you are in a country that does not allow horses in with a posiive piroplasmosis test. Part of your exam will need to include a blood test at Bose in Germany for Piro Learn More about this here.

You maybe wise to do the piroplasmosis test in Bose prior to the PPE

You will also need proof of a negative Coggins test before importing. This is only required for breeding horses. Geldings are excempt
You can request A complete blood count and serum chemistry to give some indication of the horse’s overall health.
You can also test for drug use

This of course depends on your budget you can simply go with the 5 stage pre puchase and only do other tests should your veterinarian have a concern or consider it is helpful. If you are insuring your horse the insurance companies generally only require the standard test.

 

  • Coming Soon Extra requirement for Breeding Animals

If you are purchasing animals for breeding purposes there are special things to consider and is a good idea to talk with your vet carrying out the pre purchase as they may need to call on the asistance of a vet specialising the breeding.

Breeding Mares – They need to be checked out for soundness for breeding.

Tips for the Seller

When you have decided to sell your horse it is a good idea to carry out your own pre purchase exam even if it is simply the physical part. This way you have a clear picture of where you stand and what to expect. It is by far better to be open with prospective buyers, open about the horse´s medical history and character let the buyer know about behaviour problems etc – flaws in your horse does not mean no buyer will not come.

Say for instance something comes up in the flexions or on the lunge your horse is not moving level behind, often it is something you can address. Simple things like –

  • Poor fitting saddle
    Riding style
    Teeth needing attention
    The bit
    Laying down on hard ground or getting cast in the stable
    Unexpected traumas in the field or while ridden for like bad footing after a jump etc.

An investment in a equine osteopath or equine Chiropractic can help hugely in maintaining your horse´s well being. A qualified equine practioner can detect and remedy previously unrecognised areas of restricted movement. They can free up tight areas in the body to enable your horse to move more freely and identify why the problem is occuring.

It is a small investment compared to dissapointments when a horse purchase fails based on something that could have been easily solved.

Keep the dentist visits up to date and recorded along with flu vaccinations and worming.

Don´t be tempted to make big changes right before the Pre Purchase for instance having the horse shod. Sensitivity after shoeing often occurs and can mean your horse shows unsound when in fact it is simply the result of new shoeing.

Be open about any medication the horse is recieving or any interventions in joints etc.

On the day of the exam have two people available to assist the veterinarian and suitable space to carried out the walk and trot ups in straight lines and flexions. Plus an arena for the lunge work. A quiet environment for the Xrays and available power.

If it is a very young horse it really pays dividends if you put in the time to prepare the horse with handling, picking up his feet trotting in hand and standing calmly. This also makes it safer for the vet to do his job.

 

Once you have conpleted the exams and are eady to complete the purchase the next stage is –

  • The Buying Contract
  • Payment
  • The ownership transfer – This is done with your country association or your country does not have an association then contact the APSL in Portugal.
  • Booking the transport or moving to a trainer

We wish you the very best in your journey and any help we can give please contact us for horse suggestions, vet etc email Us

 

LINKS

See list of vetenarians in Portugal

Transport, Understanding Piroplasmosis, The blue book,

Text by Teresa Burton

 

 

 

How to Identify a Lusitano is Pure Bred

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How do you know a Lusitano is pure bred?

Many have made the mistake of assuming the Blue Book defines a Lusitano as a pure bred horse. But this is simply not the case at all. When you are looking to buy a Lusitano horse or start breeding project it is important to understand how the breed is registered and approved.

It is the registration and approval and not the blue book that denotes a pure bred Lusitano horse

 

THE BLUE BOOK

The purpose of this book is to act as –

  • A passport for travel nationally and internationally.
  • A way to identify the horse.
  • To keep a record of the required vaccinations.
  • The book must be with the horse at all times.

A cross bred Lusitano can have a blue book and in fact to be exported they have to have one. In Portugal many cross bred Lusitanos have a green book as it is cheaper and quicker to get. However should the owner wish to sell their horse to a buyer outside of the country a blue book must be obtained. To do this a vet needs to visit in order to registered the horse´s chip number, note distinguishing features etc.

The signed paperwork with proof of ownership etc and the payment is submitted to the APSL to issue the blue book. If you are waiting to export your Lusitano sometimes it is possible to pay an extra fee to express this service.

  • Note all vaccines must be update in the blue book for travel.

Registering and Approving a Lusitano

A Lusitano is only classed as a Pure Bred Lusitano if it is registered with the APSL in the adult studbook. Both the parents have to be approved for breeding and registered. However a Lusitano can be registered in the studbook and not approved for breeding.

Note : A foal born, from un-approved and or unregistered parents, will not be accepted. If the parents are registered, but not yet approved after the foal is born, they have a certain amount of time to approve the parents.Should they fail their approval, the foal will not be classed as a purebred but instead as a cross bred.

Blood and DNA

The parents of the horse have to be blood tested and/or have DNA taken, this is done at an approval or when the horse is registered. This ensures all offspring have proof of their parentage. Usually the blood is taken from the foals in the first year to identify them and their parents.

To look up a Lusitano and check he/she is registered as pure bred and is approved for breeding you need to have the following information

  • The full name of the horse
  • The name of the breeder
  • NIN/Chip/UELN

One or all of these will ensure that you can search in the Public access to the Stud Book on the APSL website (https://www.cavalo-lusitano.com/en)

If the horse is registered they will be shown here will their details, date of birth, colour, breeder, owner and bloodlines.

Understanding what defines a cross bred Lusitano

A cross-bred Lusitano can have a couple of meaning –

  • It is actually a Lusitano cross with another breed. There is now a new class of Lusitano which is a ´Luso Warmblood’ (Sport Lusitano) and this is a Lusitano crossed with another sport breed such as a warmblood.
  • It is a Lusitano but one or both of the parents were never approved for breeding. This can happen if one dies before getting to be approved or the owner simply never took the horse for approval or they did and the horse failed to reach the grades required.
  • If the Lusitano has never been registered

When you are buying a Lusitano you can easily check the registration online. The seller and or agent should provide you with all the details you need to check for yourself. If this is not forthcoming then we recommend you look elsewhere for a horse.

Laura Gosch – One to Watch!

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Beautiful, Talented & Determined – Laura Gosch

Recently we had the wonderful opportunity to be present at the opening of Goncalo and Nara´s new equestrian facility. It was a busy but beautiful day in so many ways.

Working alongside them is Laura Gosch, a talented and focussed woman who has boldy gone in the direction of her passion for all things equine.

As a former International model we were very fortunate that Laura generously agreed to pose for us on the day in the extraodinary equestrian clothing collection designed by Silvia Teixeira. Bringing her combined model expertise and undesputible riding skills Laura inspired us a lot.

Laura rides beautifully and is definitely a lady to watch for the future as a great trainer and teacher.

Curious, I asked Laura for her story,  which she very eloquently wrote for me.  It takes us right from how she discovered horses all the way up to this moment. It´s a lovely read that I am sure many of you can identify with – so here you go

All about Laura …………

 

I’m from Vienna, smack in the centre of town. The tourist carriage horses at the cathedral were the only horses in sight, growing up. As a young man my father had spent a couple of years as an “Elève” at the Spanish Royal Riding School, but neither of my parents had anything to do with horses by the time they had me.

A friend of my mom’s had told her that she took her daughter horse riding because she thought it was an advantage, especially for girls, to learn to handle such big animals and and themselves around them. That seemed logical to my Mom and so I had my first lesson. I think I even remember it. Mom says I was glowing – I remember that I was almost drooling with joy. From then on it was the pony on the top of every Christmas list, endlessly trying to persuade my grandparents that their apartment was big enough for a horse. Lungeing my girlfriends over obstacles on their imaginary ponies and, in my mind, every walk in nature was actually a hack .

I’m very grateful that I discovered such a love, a passion for something as a child. The joy was so intense, it warms my heart to remember those little moments and it’s pure fuel for me until today.

Over the next years, my champion parents continued taking me for riding lessons. When I was about 13 or 14, I began taking the train every Saturday after school, with my overnight bag packed, to help at an Arabian horse farm about 1 1/2 hours outside of Vienna. They allowed me to start my first filly there, at which I did a very poor job but this is where I actually began really learning.

Besides school, at 17 yrs old I was fortunate to be professionally modelling. I used the money I earnt to turn my dream into a reality. Mom became my accomplice and the two of us set out on an unforgettable trip around Europe, the adventure culminated in finding my Arabian filly. Chestnut, with a beautiful long neck and flaxen manes, just like I knew her from my dreams. That filly became a part of our family, she kept us both safe through all the silly things I put her through. She traveled half of Europe with me and finally to Mallorca where she currently resides at 22 years of age until I can have her with me again. Buying my first horse was one of the most important things I did in my life. Learning I am capable of taking what seemed “impossible” and turn it into reality. A powerful lesson and I think it has become an important part of me.

After finishing school I moved to Paris and started modelling full time. Up to 2015 I lived and worked in many different cities. I was ambitious, young and thought I needed to rule the world or, at least, be a rockstar. The modelling was alluring in more than one way. Whenever I got too lonely, sad or intimidated I came back to the horses.

With my best friend, we started an Arabian show horse training barn. I learned so much about handling young horses. I also spent some time learning on the ranch of Linda and Pat Parelli – one of the happiest times of my life – they were pioneers in horse & people education.

Fast forward to 2015 – I was living in LA at that time and loved the city. Working with great people, things were going well. Yet I wasn’t fulfilled with my job my passion was elsewhere. One day, while having lunch with a friend, the subject turned to horses. He waited until I had finished my ode and said,

“You completely change when you talk about horses, I think this is what you should be doing”.

A few days later, my best friend was extremely clear about this too.

It was time and I was ready to really hear it. I worked up the courage to consider the possibility of living my dream full time with horses.

I had my mare at german classical trainer Anja Beran at the time and I think that’s where the idea of the Lusitano was born.

Curious to learn more about the breed I took an amazing trip around Portugal to visit the breeders, I was totally inspired.  I bought two three year old colts from Mr. Manuel Veiga, still with the idea of returning to LA and eventually selling one of them. However in the end I decided to move back to Belgium to keep them both.

In November 2015 I shot my last editorial, with an amazing crew for Harper’s Bazaar. It was a breathtaking trip around Jordan. A fabulous exit from the model´s life.

Then the journey began with my two colts. Getting to know them in Belgium, then with Parelli instructor and all-round horseman Walter Gegenschatz in Switzerland, back in Belgium with a Master instructor of the École de Légèreté and later in France with Mr. Philippe Karl himself and his wife Bea Borelle. After that the three of us joined my partner Sergio Santos in Mallorca for 3 years, where I started teaching and training an amazing group of clients that became friends. Although I learned immensly while teaching and training, I was missing getting training myself – and my two darling Veigas were always happy to point that out to me.

I remembered Gonçalo Linhas exceptional riding from my horse “shopping trip” and my inquiries about him got a unanimously positive response – a rare occurrence. I brought him my best horse to get a foot in the door, and as soon as it was possible, almost a year ago, I attacked lovely Dr. Nara França and Gonçalo with the rest of our gang (Historico da Broa, our cremello stallion, Jarama and Sérgio’s Silveiras stallion, Habil). We, have been living in their barn ever since, located in the pulsating metropole that is Vila Chã de Ourique.

I’m still trying to find my place in this horse world but here I’m learning at top speed. I want to continue developing horses with the support of an experienced (not to call him senior, he wouldn’t like that) trainer like Gonçalo. I believe that being around horses, in the right conditions, can be so good for people. Whatever I do, be it in the arena or by selling horses, on the social media or by writing these few lines, I hope to help make the equestrian community grow by introducing more people to horses and supporting my fellow equestrians.

These animals are a little bit magic. You can rely on them to keep you humble, toughen you up and sometimes, if you put in the work, they will dance with you for a short while and make you so happy that you forget yourself.

Forward by Teresa Burton Lusitano Heritage

Text by Laura Gosch She can be found on facebook and Intagram

Clothing – Designed by Silvia Teixeira – Garments available to order in our online shop

Images by Lena Saugen Photography

Location –  Quinta do Palhão

Thank you to Goncalo Linhas and Nara Franca

 

 

 

 

Traditional Portuguese Farm Holidays

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Looking for a taste of

Rural Portuguese Equestrian Heritage –

 

We are Forming a Partnership with a Beautiful Alentejo Farm to bring you the opportunity to soak up the day to day atmosphere of a working cattle farm and Lusitano stud.

This is a special chance to be on the family farm. The entire family have a multiple of amazing traditional talents and creative skills they are warmly open to share with you.

The holidays will be packed with experiences that bring you closer to rural life on the cattle farm in the Alentejo Region. It is designed to give you an authentic experience of rural life and culture from working with the horses, cows, the wildlife, exploring the land and enjoying the beautiful landspace.

     

     

    • You will stay in the farm estate with a manor house over 200 years old
    • Eat local cuisine and home cooking
      You can even try local arts such as pottery
    • Learn how to work the cattle from the backs of Lusitanos
    • Gain new country skills, use a garrocha, and try authentic working equitation obstacles
      Become aquianted with Lusitano breeding programmes
    • Country full day rides to neighbouring farm

    REGISTER YOUR INTEREST TO KNOW MORE AND RECEIVE PACKAGE AND PRICE DETAILS

     

    Situated close to the Spanish border the property has some of the most spectacular views, wildlife with expansive sun rises and sun sets.  

     

    REGISTER YOUR INTEREST TO KNOW MORE AND RECEIVE PACKAGE AND PRICE DETAILS

    Related articles – Portugal´s Campinos – The Roots of Working Equitation

    Artictle extract – The Campinos are Portugal’s cowboys. To this day, they work the cattle on the backs of Lusitanos, using the traditional methods and skills passed down from their fathers and grandfathers. Their work remains valuable to many large cattle farms in Portugal—especially in the Ribatejo and Alentejo regions.

    All about Working Equitation

    Working Equitation first started as a competitive sport in 1996. The first European Championships took place the same year, in Italy. WE is now a recognized sport in two continents, Europe and South America, in the following countries – France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Brazil, with a considerable amount of competitors and spectators in each country. WE has its own governing body in each Country.

     

    The holiday packages and prices will be available shortly please register your interest with us now and we will send out the packages to you as soon as possible.

    REGISTER YOUR INTEREST TO KNOW MORE AND RECEIVE PACKAGE AND PRICE DETAILS

    Working Equitation WAWE

    We look forward to meeting you on the future holidays.

    Images by Lena Saugen Photography

    Video credit to Equilife World

     

    The joy of Riding Your Horse Out

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    Read more

    Classic Double Bridle 3:1 Rein Hold

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    This technique is the oldest method of holding double reins a style used by the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and by many of Germany’s most successful professional riders used it before WWll. It is the –

    Classical 3 to 1 method to Holding the Double Reins (3 to 1 Rein Hold)

    I first came across this technique when I was watching my dear Friend Master rider Anton Walliser training his and young and GP horses using this method I was fasinated to understand more about it and why he uses it.

    How to Hold the Reins Using this Method

    The left hand holds three reins, while the right holds only one rein plus the rider’s cane or whip. The correct placement of reins in the left hand is to hold the left snaffle (bridoon) on the outside of the little finger, the left curb rein between little finger and ring finger, and the right curb rein between the ring and middle fingers. The right hand holds the right snaffle (bridoon) rein in the traditional position between the right little finger and ring finger to keep the mouth mobile. The left hand is held more to the center of the horse directly over the withers than off to the left of the withers.

    As I understand when using this method it decreases the action of the curb,  prevents the rider from riding with their hands too wide and it shows when the horse is not really straight, because the rider can no longer make the rein pressure on one side of the mouth any stronger than the other, since reins from both sides are held in the left hand. The rider must ride off the seat and legs to bend the horse, and the horse must therefore be correctly working“through”.

    Also it forces the rider to hold his hands absolutely quiet and encourages a quiet seat as the bending of the horse should be done mainly by the seat.  An uneven contact or a crooked horse is easily revealed with this kind of double bridle handling and cannot be hidden by an uneven use of the curb rein.

    Anton´s comments in addition to my understanding

    “I basically agree with your description of the 3 to 1 method. I find it to be a far more effective method in training horses.  20-30 years ago Swiss and German riders were competing their horses using this way but nowadays I don’t see anyone using it.  I think maybe because it is much more difficult to learn than the 2 to 2 method used by everyone today.

    Learning it takes a lot of practice and patience but the results speak for them self –  horses and riders progress much better. It really helps in training your horse to be straight, you have a much more even contact on the curb, never any sudden movements of jerking the curb. The hands are much more together, much quieter and certainly you are riding far more with seat and legs. The horse bends better round your leg your seat will be quieter. The horses stay lighter and more through. I don’t know where this method started but I think it is sad that it is rarely seen used nowadays because if mastered the technique is far better for horse and for the rider”.

    I think it would be interesting to learn this method and certainly if it is gentler for the horse and encourages a better seat it cannot fail to be a bonus!

    Anton Walliser is my opinion a true Classical Master and has a fasinating story which you can read part one here

    There will be part 2 in his story coming soon as now his young horses are all at PSG and above two competing GP and achieving outstanding results.  Anton is a true inspiration keep posted.

    Other intersting articles – the Classical Masters and The History of Classical Equitation

    Text by Teresa Burton 2 images of reins held by Anton Walliser by Teresa Burton

    Image of Anton Walliser working his mare from ground to train piaffe by Lena Saugen photography

    Further sources – Wikipedia

    #2 Portuguese style – “à portuguesa”

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    The History of Fashion

    Fashion history has always been directly related to History itself, as are all of the elements that we surround ourselves with, evolving through times. But fashion itself is an easy way of showing one’s personality, beliefs, or even mood. We can “dress to impress” or we can be careless but regardless, what we wear is always going to say something about us and place us somewhere in history.

    The Portuguese Riding Costume

    is characteristic of a specific period in history, and although the masculine costume can be placed in the late 1700s, the feminine costume is directly related to the fashionable dresses worn by the last queen of Portugal, D. Amélia de Orleães e Bragança, in the late 1800s and beginning of the 1900’s – the Belle Époque period.
    D. Amélia de Orleães e Bragança
    Today, as we see the horse men and women riding in Portuguese costume, we hardly notice any differences in most cases, apart from the skirt and, in fewer cases, the hat.

    The Feminine Costume

    The ladies costume has evolved in such a way that it’s look is very similar to the masculine – the cut of the jacket, the shirt with the collar and cuff links, the vest, the hat – all pieces that are characteristic of the male costume, but are also worn by female horse riders – also here, in this fashion, we see history!

    But the traditional Portuguese feminine riding costume has much to say!

    We can consider two kinds of costumes – the Amazona costume (for the side saddle), and the Amazona costume for riding astride.
    It is more common to see a more romantic look on the Amazona costume for the side saddle – the jacket is cut to fit the feminine silhouette, there are no collar or cuff links on the shirt but a silk bow or a jabot of lace, the placement and application of the buttons, all variable according to the fashion worn in that period of time.

    It is my belief that the majority of the horsewomen who dress in the Portuguese style prefer a more minimal and contemporary costume, and as a result, the traditional feminine costume with its puffed sleeves was set aside and did not earn a solid place as did its pair.

    Costume Evolution

    As a fashion designer and dressmaker, it is very interesting to realize that there are subtle changes that can be made in this Amazona costume and that those changes can bring it back to life and allow horsewomen a more romantic look if they so choose, still respecting the rules of the traditional Portuguese Riding Costume.
    I will write in a more detailed manner on this subject, reviewing every garment of this beautiful costume, and I would love to hear from you as well! Let me know if you have any questions or comments, and I’ll “see” you soon!
    written by Silvia Teixeira and revised by Peter Cann
    To order your own bespoke costume by Silvia check her page in our online shop.  Silvia is always available to discuss with you style fabrices and colours.

    Riding in Portuguese style – “à portuguesa”

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    The traditional Portuguese Riding Costume – a must have for every Lusitano horse lover .

    Hello. My name is Sílvia and I’m a fashion designer. I’m Portuguese and live on the beautiful island of Terceira in the Azores. I am a horse rider and have been for more than 30 years.

    The Beginning of an Adventure

    A few years ago, I decided to start my own business, designing and handmaking exclusive costumes dedicated to horseriders. Since I love Working Equitation, I started with the feminine traditional Portuguese Riding Costume with which I was already familiar. Through my research I found out many interesting details about this particular costume and this made me want to develop it and embrace the challenge of bringing it up to date. I decided to revisit and redesign it, respecting its history and purpose while taking a contemporary approach that has a fashionable look and that values the elegance of the horse rider (with an emphasis on the feminine figure).
    Along this path I’ve been given the opportunity and privilege of meeting and working with other horse riders, with diverse personal requirements for their presentations from Dressage to Natural Equitation Horsemanship.

    Exploring the History of the Ladies Costume

    Regarding the traditional Portuguese Riding Costume, I’ve been asked questions such as: “Should the skirt be like this?” or, “Is the vest a mandatory piece in this outfit?”.
    So, why do we wear this costume and what’s the correct way of wearing it? And how should we style it?
    I have seen many variations of oppinion on this subject, and definitely there are some “dos” and “don’ts”.
    I love what I do and since there is so little online information about this subject I decided to start this blog to share my work and my experience. I would also like to to hear from you, your questions, comments or sugestions. I hope this can be useful.
    Thanks for taking the time to read through, and “see” you soon!
    Silvia T.
    Text revised by Peter Cann

    Thinking of having your own costume made check out Silvia´s work at the  online shop. You can also discuss with us what you are looking for in shape, style, colours and finishings. Costumes are made to order with your unique measurement taken into account for a perfect fit. SILVIA T.ATELIER