The Andalusian is an ancient horse breed which is named after Andalusia, Spain, from which it originated. It was created in the 5th century by crossing Iberian and Germanic horses, and was then refined in the 8th century by crossing it with Arabian, Barb, and Syrian horses.

Andalusians were known as good war horses, but their true specialty was discovered when Spanish cowboys started to use them to move and handle bulls. Andalusians became known for their cow sense, and for their relatively calm nature as they worked closely to the bulls. In addition, because their agile bodies could maneuver near bulls without getting hurt, they became popular horses for bullfighting. Furthermore, thanks to their superb agility, Andalusians also became popular as classical dressage horses that can perform haute ecole movements.

Due to their success in cow-working and classical dressage, Andalusian horses were exported all over the world, and were also used to create and refine other horse breeds, such as the Quarter Horse, Oldenburg, and Gelderland breeds. At a certain point, over-exportation of Andalusian horses nearly led to the extinction of the Andalusian in Spain, which is why the government decided to ban further exportation of the breed. The ban was lifted in the 1960s once their situation stabilized.

The Andalusian is a baroque horse with a convex profile, a thick neck with a well-developed crest, and a flowing and abundant mane and tail. Not so long ago it used to be primarily grey, but today all colors can be found. Andalusians usually stand between 15.2hh and 16.2hh, with the minimal height being 15hh for stallions, and 14.3hh for mares.