Height and build of the pure Spanish horse
The Andalusian — the purebred Spanish horse — is built for power in a medium frame. Most mature horses stand between 15 and 16.2 hands at the withers, with mares often at the lower end and stallions filling out the top of the range. What makes an Andalusian look bigger than his height is his construction: a deep, broad chest, a short strong back, powerful hindquarters and that thick, crested neck the breed is famous for, usually dressed with a long, heavy mane and tail. He is not a leggy horse, and he is not meant to be — his outline is round and muscular, which is why people regularly guess him a hand taller than the stick says he is.
What an Andalusian weighs
Weight follows the build. A fit Andalusian in working condition typically weighs somewhere between 950 and 1,200 pounds, with big stallions at the top of that band and smaller mares below it. The range matters because condition swings it widely: this is a breed that gains weight readily on good grazing, and an overweight Andalusian can weigh considerably more than a fit one of identical height — while actually being able to carry less, because the load he can manage is judged against the horse he should be, not the extra pounds he is hauling himself. A weigh tape or weighbridge reading taken when he is in honest working condition is the number to work from.
How much he can carry
The widely used guideline is that a horse should carry no more than about 20 percent of his body weight in total — rider, saddle and everything else combined. Applied to a fit Andalusian of around 1,000 to 1,200 pounds, that gives a working load of roughly 200 to 240 pounds including tack. The Andalusian's build works in his favour here: a short back, dense bone and powerful quarters mean he carries weight at least as willingly as a taller, lighter-framed horse of the same weight, and often looks more comfortable doing it. Treat the figure as a ceiling for regular work rather than a target, and remember that a balanced, experienced rider is an easier load than a novice of the same weight, because how weight sits matters as much as how much there is.
Fitting the rider to this particular horse
Before matching a rider to an Andalusian, measure the actual horse rather than the breed average: stand him on level ground for a true height, weigh-tape him in working condition, and look honestly at his back and fitness. A fit, well-muscled six-year-old and an unfit fifteen-year-old of identical height are different propositions. Saddle fit matters doubly on a short, broad back, so have the saddle checked against him, and build any heavier rider's work up gradually, watching his back, his way of going and his willingness at the mounting block for signs the load is telling on him. If he starts dipping away from the saddle or souring at being tacked up, that is information — lighten the load and have his back and saddle checked.
Keeping his measurements on record
Height, weight and condition notes are exactly the details that get lost between sellers, yards and vets, yet they decide everything from feed amounts to rider matching. KinsLe's Pet Pass is the horse's verified ID card, holding his identity and key details — including the measurements that describe him — in one place that is easy to show anywhere, so an Andalusian's size is a recorded fact rather than a guess.