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The military decided to vastly improve the quality of the Spanish horse and if you visit their stables in Jerez, you will see that they have achieved this extremely well. Consequently they now put pedigree Andalucian and Arab stallions out to stud.
These fine animals are distributed to various stables in Andalucia. In Estepona, they can be located in the
Matadero and they are also to be found in Álora (because
they couldn’t find anywhere to keep them in Coín).
The stallions (sementales) are there for a limited time in the spring, so make enquiries
early and book your mare in. The price is very reasonable (approx. 2,000 pts.). The foal will be entitled to a pedigree stud certificate (carta de origen).
If your mare has papers or half papers (Media carta) from the father, you will have far more opportunity of selling or owning a high quality foal.
Remember - even future greys are born brown!!
Transporting horses about requires a
GUIA de TRANSPORTE. This is acquired from a municipal vet who can be found in Estepona and Coín, as well as in most big towns. When buying a horse, you should have been given a green card (Carta
Verde) and also on change of ownership which is registered with the official vet and you have to buy a transport
guia.
Usually you go, with the papers issued by the vet, to an authorised bank and pay 100 ptas. Then you return to the vet with your receipt. Normally the vets work from 8am to 12pm so plan ahead, a telephone call to make sure they are in the office is usually a good idea so to avoid having an irate truck driver standing about!
The strict control of where horses are kept and permission to move them is to ensure good control of the African horse sickness (peste equina) of which there was a huge epidemic a few years ago. During
that epidemic all horses had to be vaccinated (by the State) and branded with an ‘X’ on the shoulder. The birth of any new foals must also be registered.
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