Pure race espagnole
Over the centuries, European breeders imported oriental horses from the Middle East and Northern Africa for breeding when they wanted to incorporate characteristic traits into their best horse racing and light cavalry horses. Breeders' use of Arabians, and possibly Barb and Turkoman horses, was instrumental in developing the Thoroughbred breed. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the Andalusian horse shows a clear link to an influx of Barb breeding. Nearly all other breeds of light and warmblood horses have some oriental ancestry, usually through the Arabian.