Like the Spanish Mustang? Discover the beauty and historical importance of horses called Spanish Mustangs…
Spanish Mustangs are one of the few horses that were part of history. They are commonly known as the colonial Spanish horse and descended from the horses which had been introduced from Spain during the initial conquest of North and South America.
They are almost extinct in Spain today. The Spanish Mustangs have been thoroughly domesticated today and are often confused with the American Mustang.
The American Mustang is a descendent of feral horses and Spanish horses. The feral horses are the ones which had escaped from different areas and run wild in the protected habitats in the western par6t of the USA. By the late 19th century the Morgans introduced thoroughbreds and the Arabians into America.
The Spanish Mustangs were bred from different horses which were introduced from the Iberian Peninsula into the Caribbean during the first three decades of the conquest of the new world.
They are direct descendents therefore of those Spanish horses which had been moved from Hispanola, Cuba and other neighboring islands when the Spanish colonization took place in New Spain which is today called Mexico.
They should not be confused with the horses prevalent in Spain during its Golden Age because that breed is nearing extinction in Spain and is not bred or preserved.
From the 16th century onwards Mexico was conquered and the horses moved north by crossing the Rio Grande. The next century saw these horses being stolen and sold by the Native Indians tribes from this region to the tribes living in the Rocky Mountains as well as the Great Plains.
The horse was considered very small for farming and was replaced by larger and heavier horses. Most of the new horses were introduced into the populations of the Spanish Mustang in order to crossbreed a heftier and sturdier horse.
This happened by way of the introduction of thoroughbreds and Morgans into the wild breeds. In 1959 in order to preserve remaining populations of the Spanish Mustang, two brothers established the Spanish Mustang Registry Inc.
Using two full brothers as the foundation stallions and genuine mares they started crossbreeding. However one of the horses actually escaped with its mares in 1944 and was never captured again.
Personality of the Spanish Mustang
The Spanish Mustang can be used in different fields. It is a very versatile breed and can be used for Polo, showing, driving, jumping or possibly dressage.
There are certain kinds of Spanish Mustangs which are utilized for ranch work. They can also be used for performances or as a stock horse. Quite a few of them served as Army cavalry mounts for the United States in the skirmishes with the Apache Indians. They proved their mettle as war horses that could manage well in barren terrain.
Spanish Mustangs and the Variety of Colors
You can find Spanish Mustangs in a solid range of colors which include brown, bay, black and chestnut along with the unique colors of grullo, buckskin and cremello.
They are beautiful horses which have these colors at the base and have white hair or patches on top. Each of these create different colors such as pure white, gray, paint, as well as the dark spots which are similar to those of the Appaloosa breed.
