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By Elise Chand
One of the many disciplines at
which the Andalusian, as well as
Andalusian crosses, excels is Doma
Vaquera, also referred to as “dressage
for vaqueros” and “the art of the vaque-
ro.” Vaqueros are working stockmen
who interact daily with the fierce
Iberian bulls and cattle herds found pri-
marily in Spain and Portugal, and
they’ve taken working cattle to an
artistic level, requiring a highly trained
equine partner, as well as superb skills
of their own. The horses must be ath-
letic, intelligent, and immediately
responsive to the rider’s slightest com-
mand. And the riders must exemplify
the skills and instincts of a true horse-
man, with the horse being a virtual
extension of his or her own body. This
is because, unlike the majority of cattle
in the US, Iberian cattle will often turn
on the horsemen who work them – so
the “simple” task of moving cattle
from one pasture to another can be
deadly. A horse that can instantly per-
form the side-pass, the pirouette, the
roll-back, that can leap into a gallop
only to abruptly stop and change direc-
tion, is essential to safely working
these cattle. And a rider who can, with-
out conscious thought, cue his or her
horse as needed in response to the
actions of unpredictable Iberian cattle
is essential to partnering with such a
horse.
But Doma Vaquera isn’t just for
the vaquero in the field. It is also a
competitive discipline that transports
the ideals of the working stockman to
the arena, and allows the skills and
movements used by working vaqueros
to be performed and enjoyed by men,
women, and children. And women
who wish to do so can even perform
Doma Vaquera side-saddle – a true
exhibition of grace, skill, and horse-
28 ANDALUSIAN Issue 2, 2009
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