Alter Real – horse breed grown in Portugal only.

So here we have the Republic Portugal escudos, nominal - 1000. The year of issue of this coin is 2000, mint: Portugal Republic, Lisbon. Total circulation – 450.000. The coin is dedicated to the Lusitano breed of horses.

The Alter Real is a strain of the Lusitano which is bred only at the Alter Real State Stud in Portugal. The stud was founded in 1748 by the Portuguese royal family to provide horses for the national riding academy and royal use. The Portuguese School of Equestrian Art uses these horses exclusively in their performances.

In the early 20th century, with the 1910 revolution that ended the monarchy, the Alter Real strain faced extinction, as records were burned, stallions were gelded and the stud discontinued. Ruy d'Andrade, a specialist in Iberian horse breeds, saved two stallions and several mares, and was able to re-establish the strain, turning his herd over to the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture in 1942, when the stud was reopened. The Portuguese state has maintained ownership of the stud, and continues to produce horses for use in high school dressage

Lusitanos are generally gray, bay or chestnut, though they can be of any solid color, including black, buckskin and palomino. Only bays are bred at the Alter Real stud. They usually stand 15.2 and 15.3 hands (62 and 63 inches, 157 and 160 cm) high, although some stand over 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm). Members of the breed have narrow, but well-proportioned, heads with profiles that are slightly convex.