Information on buying PRE horses in Spain

I have worked seriously as an agent for over 10 years, and I give guarantees that all the horses for sale have got their papers and everything else in order. The great number of satisfied customers that come back to me and/or recommend me to other buyers is what makes this work stimulating and worthwhile.
I have lived in Spain for more than 20 years, I speak fluent Spanish and I have got lots of contacts among breeders of PRE horses, judges, riders, veterinarians and other people in the Spanish horse world. I have been working with Iberians for many years, training and competing in Dressage. I am also a national Dressage judge in Spain. When a prospective buyer comes to visit Spain, I arrange visits with breeders and serve as a guide and interpreter and a consultant. The client pays all expenses and a daily fee. I help with arranging the veterinary pre-purchase exam, and the paperwork needed to export horses.

All the horses on these pages are for sale. They are only a small selection of all horses for sale. Tell me what you are looking for, and I will offer you suitable horses. All the horses have got full papers as Pura Raza Española, except those on the page for Lusitanos and Crossbreds. This means that the horse and its ancestors are registered and approved for breeding in Spain, and therefore registered in the Stud Book of the breed. A registered PRE is blood typed, DNA tested and has got a microchip to certify the identity. The bar code of the microchip figures on the horse's paper, which makes it easy to check that it is authentic. The horses can be inspected for the basic breeding approval from the age of 3 years. The horse has to pass a second inspection to become Qualified Breeding Stock, which allows stallions to be used for Artificial Insemination and mares for Embryo Transfer. Soon there will also be a test for Elite status for stallions. If you buy a horse under 3 years, it cannot be approved yet.

If you buy a horse without papers, or you don't check the horse's papers thoroughly before the purchase, it is not possible to obtain the papers afterwards. So make sure that everything is in order before completing the deal.

Most horses have got their breeder´s brand, male horses on the left thigh and females on the right thigh. A brand on the horse does not necessarily mean that the horse is purebred, or that it is the brand of the breeder, even if it normally is. All registered breeders have got their brands registered. From 2007, the breeder´s association ANCCE is taking over the PRE Stud Book, they are ruling under the Ministry of Agriculture.

Purebred PRE horses are in much demand and therefore highly priced. Prices are based upon age, pedigree, breeder, colour, training and successes in different shows. Young horses, under 3 years of age therefore not yet approved for stud, are generally cheaper than older horses. Brown and black horses are more expensive than grey ones. Since all colours have been accepted in the breed, chestnuts and buckskin horses are extremely highly priced. Prices vary a lot, and are subject to changes. The prices listed here on the pages are approximate, to know the exact price of a horse you must contact me directly.

When you buy a horse in Spain, it is normally the buyer who pays for the pre-purchase veterinary inspection, if nothing else is agreed with the seller. A pre-purchase exam normally cost between 300 - 500 €
For export inside the European Union all you need is an officially issued export certificate.
For exporting to the United States there are rules for testing for piroplasmosis and CEM among other diseases. Most horses need to pass a quarantine before being allowed to enter the US. If you are unsure about the rules and the costs, contact me.
For export to other countries you have to contact each country´s Ministry of Agriculture for information.

Barbara Berglund, Spain 2007

PRE från Kungliga Ridskolan i Jerez

A rider from the Royal School of Equestrian Art of Jerez in a pesade on a PRE stallion.
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