Conserving Cousins
Dr. Philip Sponenberg
Conservation of rare and local breeds is finally gaining some international priority, and one group that
has organized around this task is operating in the Americas. I try to go to their biannual meetings, which
is a great way to keep in touch with what is occurring in breed conservation throughout the Americas.
The Spaniards and Portuguese frequently show up as well, so everyone has a great time catching up on
what is happening and where.
Some of the researchers and conservationists work specifically with horses, and more especially with
the Spanish horses remaining from the conquest. It is great to compare notes with this group to see
what is consistent across national boundaries as well as what is different country to country.
Differences among the horse breeds derived from an Iberian origin are certainly present throughout the
Americas, but these differences somewhat pale by comparison of any of these horses to Arabs,
Thoroughbreds, or Quarter Horses. I consider all of the Iberian breeds to be cousins (at least) with some
important distinctions, but also many important similarities. A brief overview of some of the breeds and
some of the conservation issues may prove useful. We’ll start at the bottom (Chile) and work our way
up.
Chile has a few important strains of Spanish horses. The more numerous one is “Criollo”, and this is an
old and long-established breed in Chile. The Chileans favor moderately sized horses that have great
endurance and ability. They also prefer solid colored ones, and dark colors predominate. The Chilean
Criollos are probably the most restricted as far as color variation and type.
Chile has a second population that they consider separate from the Criollo, and these are the Chilote
horses from the island of Chiloe. These horses are smaller (12 to 13 hands or so) than the Criollo, and
have a very Spanish phenotype. Gus Cothran has bloodtyped them, and they do have very strong
evidence of an Iberian origin with little or no subsequent crossbreeding. These horses are very few in
number, but are becoming popular as mounts for children, and are also finding great popularity in
therapeutic riding programs. They seem to have a profoundly kind and willing temperament that makes
them ideally suited to working with handicapped individuals – which sounds like a Spanish attribute to
me!
Argentina has long been conserving their Criollo horses. These are the popular national horse choice in
Argentina, and so their future is secure. They have gone through a variety of fads and fashions, as will
any breed. They have historically been around 12 to 14.2 hands. The latest fad was for taller horses,
and they discovered that as the horses got much over 14.2 they really lost type, and also lost strength
and durability. They then redirected their breeding programs (and judging criteria) to favor the older,
original type and size. This is a great boon to conservation, and it is exciting to see the national horse
also one that is genetically significant. The Argentines are fascinated by horse color (so of course we all
get along great!) and their Criollo varies greatly in color - with the exception that no tobianos nor
appaloosa type patterns are allowed within the breed in Argentina.
Other countries with Criollos (and these all have studbooks that allow cross-registration between the
countries) include Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil. The choice of colors and styles does vary across
countries to a small degree. Uruguay and Brazil allow the tobiano pattern, for example, while the other
three do not. Interestingly, none of the five allow any of the appaloosa type patterns to be registered. I
have seen some very typically Criollo varnish roans (with spots) in Argentina, but the registry will not
accept these. In all countries the popular colors include duns and roans, with the Argentines also
favoring sabinos as well.
Brazil also has a few other Iberian strains, including the Mangalarga and the Pantaneiro. These horses
have a small population size, but are becoming more popular. Some of these are dead ringers for
Spanish Mustangs. The Pantaneiro is from a swampy region, and has great adaptations to that
environment. Many of them are EIA positive, but very few show any signs of disease. This is an
important trait in remote and wild region where testing and eradication is not feasible.
I am unaware of any organized efforts to conserve horses in Bolivia and Ecuador, although surely they
have Iberian horses in those countries.
In Peru the Iberian horses include the Peruvian Paso, which has long been selected for extreme
gaitedness. The Peruvians do have some variation in horse styles and sizes throughout the country,
and periodically they have (although this is becoming more difficult) gone back into the vast
unregistered local population to add individual horses of great merit to the Peruvian Paso. This has
usually been to correct for the Peruvian Paso periodically becoming somewhat overspecialized or
overselected for the extreme Paso gait. It will be interesting to see what happens to this interesting
breed group of the highly selected Peruvian Paso alongside the somewhat less selected “country
horses”. It would be a pity to lose the less selected model, but how to save it without it going the way of
the standardized breed (and thereby risking the overspecialization that it can correct) is a real challenge
in conservation.
The Colombian horse that has been standardized is the Paso Fino. This is yet another very specialized
and selected breed, although it seems to have avoided some of the pitfalls of some of the Peruvian
horses in terms of maintaining some of its rusticity and adaptation. In the hinterlands of both Colombia
and Venezuela are “llanero” or “prairie” horses - a more diverse lot with varying gaits and tough as nails
for ranch work. I am unaware of any organized effort to band their breeders together, although the
difficult and trying environment in which the llaneros work and survive will probably preserve them just
as they are - no other breed could make it. Color varies immensely in these breeds – with tobiano
accepted and appaloosa spotting unknown.
The Caribbean region has few defined horse breeds, and the history of many islands is a complicated
one of influence by multiple countries. So the status of the horses is likewise murky. Certainly Iberian
horses remain in Cuba and Puerto Rico (Paso Fino, as in Colombia). I am unaware of conservation
efforts for horses in Cuba, but the Puerto Rican Paso Fino is reasonably popular and secure. In the
Bahamas the Abaco horse appears to be an Iberian strain. These horses are only one very small group
on one island, and sport some incredible paint type patterns which are generally similar to splashed
white horses.
Central America has done very little to organize the breeding and conservation of the local Iberian type
horses, but this is now changing with the countries south of Mexico banding together to conserve their
interesting old-style horses. These occur in several countries, but are surviving at the periphery of
development and culture. Mexico does indeed have a program for conservation, but they have
unfortunately defined as “criollo” a rather mixed breed of army horses that has local type, Quarter
Horse, and Thoroughbred all mixed in together. I discussed this with other Latin American colleagues at
a recent meeting, and they all were perplexed that the Mexicans would use the term “criollo” for this
product. This is heartening, in a way, for it indicates that for the majority of Latin America the term
“criollo” has a very specific connotation, and that is purely Iberian with little or no outside breeding. A
few tantalizing leads for more Iberian and truly “criollo” horses emanate from some remote regions in
Mexico such as the Tarahumara areas as well as other backwaters.
Next we’ll skip across to the Iberian homeland of these criollo breeds. The Andalusian is much changed,
and I was always stumped by the insistence of academics and breeders that they were indeed pure
through and through, and not changed by outside breeding. A charming Hungarian colleague finally
cracked the puzzle when one of them admitted to him that “no one questions what the big breeders do”.
The Andalusian is certainly a successful breed, and does betray much of its Iberian origin. The
Andalusian breeders, interestingly, cease to register colors that become rare. The latest to fall by the
wayside was chestnut, leaving only grey, black, and bay as accepted colors of the Andalusian. The grey
covers up a great many colors, though, and I have seen a few roans pop out, as well as at least one
linebacked dun. When showing photos of Spanish Mustangs to several colleagues, most indicated that
these were indeed very like their own Iberian horses. The one exception was a Spanish Equine Surgeon
who took one look and said - “They cannot be pure - the color is wrong”. I was pretty amazed at that
response.
The Lusitano of Portugal is nearly identical to the Andalusian of Spain, but has emerged somewhat truer
to its roots. The Portuguese still allow color variation - in fact it is rumored that those chestnut
Andalusians eventually find homes in Portugal! The Portuguese have a longer tradition of mounted
bullfighting, and this has preserved the Lusitano as a somewhat smaller and handier horse than the
Andalusian. Some riding schools in Portugal prefer blue-eyed cream horses for their abilities – and this
also preserves some interesting color variations.
Other strains in Iberia are the targets of conservation programs. The Sorraia of Portugal is an older type
that is now very rare. These were conserved throughout the 1900s by the d’Andrade family, with great
dedication and talent. These are a type that most Spanish Mustang fans would acknowledge as similar
to their own horses. They are always dun or grullo, and lack white marks. Conservation programs are
also formulated for a few northern Iberian breeds, and these are more pony-like and also more coldblooded
than the Sorraia, Lusitano, and Andalusian. These include the Garrano of Portugal and the
Gallego of Spain. Basque ponies - the Pottock- are also being conserved. The connection of any of
these last three to Spanish Mustangs or Criollos is doubtful, but they are all interesting breeds.
In the USA the conservation of our Iberian horses is fragmented. Sometimes I think that this diminishes
conservation of these horses, but at other times I think that this may well be a boon. As long as the
fragmentation is not accompanied by in-fighting, it serves to save distinct portions of the gene pool
rather than having them all blended as a composite. This is only true, though, if all of these pieces
continue to exist in numbers high enough for a genetically healthy population.
A few of the registries aim to be reasonably all-encompassing of Iberian type horses in the USA. These
include SMR, SSMA, AIHR, SSBA, and HOA.
The SMR is the oldest of the organized registries, and is still (wisely) open to occasional outside horses
after on-site inspection. Spanish Mustang Registry horses include a number from a variety of
backgrounds. Featuring very prominently are horses from the Brislawn multigenerational breeding
program. Also included are other origins, such as the Cerbat Mountain horses, and some from other
regions such as Mountain Home. The SMR is fortunately large and involves adequate numbers of
horses so that the population is genetically healthy.
The Southwest Spanish Mustang Association has a slightly different mix of predominant bloodlines,
including many from Gilbert Jones, and especially includes many Choctaw horses. Otherwise, the
overlap between SMR and SSMA is great.
The American Indian Horse Registry as a special division for type “O” (or “original”) horses. These are
Iberian in type and breeding, and generally consist of horses that are also eligible for registration in
either the SMR or the SSMA.
The Spanish Barb Breeders Association has a slightly different philosophy than the other registries, and
has long held that progeny testing is the real proof of a horse and its background. That is, horses are
evaluated by what they produce as much as by their own type and appearance. This effort has included
some otherwise rare bloodlines, such as Belsky, Romero/McKinley, and Wilbur-Cruce.
The Horse of the Americas registry serves as an umbrella for many of the other groups, meaning that
they will accept horses that are accepted by the other registries as well as horses submitted for
inspection. They are probably the most inclusive of the registries, but are diligent to maintain the identity
of the various strains. This will serve usefully to conserve the overall resource as well as the various
components of it.
Robert and Louise Painter’s Society for the Preservation of the Barb Horse targets a specific type of
horse. The foundation horses included many that are registered with SMR and SSMA, as well as
several that are registered only by the Painters. Theirs is a very interesting and useful concept that is
based on type rather than bloodline, which is an important concept with these horses.
Other associations and groups are organized more for limited geographic regions or more isolated
pockets of horses. That is, the effort of these groups is with a smaller, more geographically, defined
group that might or might not also find acceptance in other registries with a broader scope.
Kiger Mustangs hail from Oregon, and are a controversial group since much of the past selection has
shaped these horses into a type that is larger and different than that favored by most of the other
groups. They are therefore included by some groups, and excluded by others. Two or three registries for
Kiger Mustangs are in operation, divided by issues of origin and practice.
Sulphur Mustangs come from the Mountain Home region of Utah, and include many horses in the SMR
as well as the SSMA. These horses also have their own breeders’ group. The Sulphur herd area is quite
large, and the horses within the management area vary somewhat within the herd area. Many are quite
Iberian in type, others are less so. It will be interesting to see what BLM management accomplishes for
this group, as well as what direction the breeders take.
Pryor Mountain Mustangs are controversial as an Iberian strain. All except a few on the range are of
Iberian type, and bloodtyping likewise points to an Iberian origin for these horses. The BLM manages
these horses to preserve the Iberian type. A private breeders’ group also tracks and documents adopted
horses. The breeders’ group is careful to include horses of Iberian type, and to educate and encourage
breeders to enhance this type in the domestic population.
In the Southeast are several strains, in varying stages of conservation. The Florida Cracker horses are
fortunate in having an active breeders’ group and registry. They encourage all breeders of this type,
young and old, to get inolved and to register horses. They have a very strong conservation goal for this
group of horses.
Marsh Tackies are a mixed lot from coastal regions of the deep south. Some of these are very Iberian in
type, others less so. A few are being included in the Florida Cracker Horse efforts. Others may well
languish and disappear as older breeders succumb one by one.
The Banker Ponies are controversial as strains of Iberian horses, but certainly type and bloodtype point
to Iberia for many of these. The various islands have experienced different levels of success with the
wild horses, and these include Okracoke, Shackleford, Corolla, and Hatteras. Breeders groups are
organizing around the various island strains, and it will be interesting to see what the future holds for this
group.
Several feral and owned strains of old-style horses have also recently emerged in New Mexico. Some,
such as those of the Baca family, have long been under human control. Others, such as those of Mount
Taylor are owned by Dan Elkins and Star Gonzalez, but run as free and wild as unowned horses. The
wild herds of the La Jarita mesa have likewise produced some very Iberian appearing horses.
The fragmentation of the conservation effort in the USA has many roots, which can be better understood
by comparing them with the situation in South America. The lack of fragmentation in South America is
frequently due to governmental or quasi-governmental oversight of registries and breeding. This has
both pluses and minuses. In South America the local, Iberian breeds have frequently become a matter
of intense patriotic pride and nationalism. This has not happened in the USA with the Iberian strains, but
instead the “national horse” designation has somewhat been taken up by the Quarter Horse, which is
more an amalgam of a great variety of origins than it is a unique breed. This mirrors the status of most
humans in the USA as mixtures of a variety of origins, and so may be more fitting for the USA than is
obvious at first thought.
The conservation of the older Iberian strains of horses in the USA remains a challenge, though, in the
face of lack of recognition among the general horse-using public of the value of these horses both
genetically and functionally. The fragmentation of the conservation effort serves very well to conserve
the uniqueness of each pocket of these horses. The fragmentation does serve to keep population
numbers low, though, and some of the unique strains could very easily disappear if certain key breeders
either die or quit. This would be a great loss to the equine heritage of the USA.
The conservation of all of these strains - North, South, and Central American - is interesting and
important. These are the horses that served the Americas well for centuries. Hopefully as time
progresses each country will realize the value of this heritage and assure that it continues for future
generations.
has organized around this task is operating in the Americas. I try to go to their biannual meetings, which
is a great way to keep in touch with what is occurring in breed conservation throughout the Americas.
The Spaniards and Portuguese frequently show up as well, so everyone has a great time catching up on
what is happening and where.
Some of the researchers and conservationists work specifically with horses, and more especially with
the Spanish horses remaining from the conquest. It is great to compare notes with this group to see
what is consistent across national boundaries as well as what is different country to country.
Differences among the horse breeds derived from an Iberian origin are certainly present throughout the
Americas, but these differences somewhat pale by comparison of any of these horses to Arabs,
Thoroughbreds, or Quarter Horses. I consider all of the Iberian breeds to be cousins (at least) with some
important distinctions, but also many important similarities. A brief overview of some of the breeds and
some of the conservation issues may prove useful. We’ll start at the bottom (Chile) and work our way
up.
Chile has a few important strains of Spanish horses. The more numerous one is “Criollo”, and this is an
old and long-established breed in Chile. The Chileans favor moderately sized horses that have great
endurance and ability. They also prefer solid colored ones, and dark colors predominate. The Chilean
Criollos are probably the most restricted as far as color variation and type.
Chile has a second population that they consider separate from the Criollo, and these are the Chilote
horses from the island of Chiloe. These horses are smaller (12 to 13 hands or so) than the Criollo, and
have a very Spanish phenotype. Gus Cothran has bloodtyped them, and they do have very strong
evidence of an Iberian origin with little or no subsequent crossbreeding. These horses are very few in
number, but are becoming popular as mounts for children, and are also finding great popularity in
therapeutic riding programs. They seem to have a profoundly kind and willing temperament that makes
them ideally suited to working with handicapped individuals – which sounds like a Spanish attribute to
me!
Argentina has long been conserving their Criollo horses. These are the popular national horse choice in
Argentina, and so their future is secure. They have gone through a variety of fads and fashions, as will
any breed. They have historically been around 12 to 14.2 hands. The latest fad was for taller horses,
and they discovered that as the horses got much over 14.2 they really lost type, and also lost strength
and durability. They then redirected their breeding programs (and judging criteria) to favor the older,
original type and size. This is a great boon to conservation, and it is exciting to see the national horse
also one that is genetically significant. The Argentines are fascinated by horse color (so of course we all
get along great!) and their Criollo varies greatly in color - with the exception that no tobianos nor
appaloosa type patterns are allowed within the breed in Argentina.
Other countries with Criollos (and these all have studbooks that allow cross-registration between the
countries) include Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil. The choice of colors and styles does vary across
countries to a small degree. Uruguay and Brazil allow the tobiano pattern, for example, while the other
three do not. Interestingly, none of the five allow any of the appaloosa type patterns to be registered. I
have seen some very typically Criollo varnish roans (with spots) in Argentina, but the registry will not
accept these. In all countries the popular colors include duns and roans, with the Argentines also
favoring sabinos as well.
Brazil also has a few other Iberian strains, including the Mangalarga and the Pantaneiro. These horses
have a small population size, but are becoming more popular. Some of these are dead ringers for
Spanish Mustangs. The Pantaneiro is from a swampy region, and has great adaptations to that
environment. Many of them are EIA positive, but very few show any signs of disease. This is an
important trait in remote and wild region where testing and eradication is not feasible.
I am unaware of any organized efforts to conserve horses in Bolivia and Ecuador, although surely they
have Iberian horses in those countries.
In Peru the Iberian horses include the Peruvian Paso, which has long been selected for extreme
gaitedness. The Peruvians do have some variation in horse styles and sizes throughout the country,
and periodically they have (although this is becoming more difficult) gone back into the vast
unregistered local population to add individual horses of great merit to the Peruvian Paso. This has
usually been to correct for the Peruvian Paso periodically becoming somewhat overspecialized or
overselected for the extreme Paso gait. It will be interesting to see what happens to this interesting
breed group of the highly selected Peruvian Paso alongside the somewhat less selected “country
horses”. It would be a pity to lose the less selected model, but how to save it without it going the way of
the standardized breed (and thereby risking the overspecialization that it can correct) is a real challenge
in conservation.
The Colombian horse that has been standardized is the Paso Fino. This is yet another very specialized
and selected breed, although it seems to have avoided some of the pitfalls of some of the Peruvian
horses in terms of maintaining some of its rusticity and adaptation. In the hinterlands of both Colombia
and Venezuela are “llanero” or “prairie” horses - a more diverse lot with varying gaits and tough as nails
for ranch work. I am unaware of any organized effort to band their breeders together, although the
difficult and trying environment in which the llaneros work and survive will probably preserve them just
as they are - no other breed could make it. Color varies immensely in these breeds – with tobiano
accepted and appaloosa spotting unknown.
The Caribbean region has few defined horse breeds, and the history of many islands is a complicated
one of influence by multiple countries. So the status of the horses is likewise murky. Certainly Iberian
horses remain in Cuba and Puerto Rico (Paso Fino, as in Colombia). I am unaware of conservation
efforts for horses in Cuba, but the Puerto Rican Paso Fino is reasonably popular and secure. In the
Bahamas the Abaco horse appears to be an Iberian strain. These horses are only one very small group
on one island, and sport some incredible paint type patterns which are generally similar to splashed
white horses.
Central America has done very little to organize the breeding and conservation of the local Iberian type
horses, but this is now changing with the countries south of Mexico banding together to conserve their
interesting old-style horses. These occur in several countries, but are surviving at the periphery of
development and culture. Mexico does indeed have a program for conservation, but they have
unfortunately defined as “criollo” a rather mixed breed of army horses that has local type, Quarter
Horse, and Thoroughbred all mixed in together. I discussed this with other Latin American colleagues at
a recent meeting, and they all were perplexed that the Mexicans would use the term “criollo” for this
product. This is heartening, in a way, for it indicates that for the majority of Latin America the term
“criollo” has a very specific connotation, and that is purely Iberian with little or no outside breeding. A
few tantalizing leads for more Iberian and truly “criollo” horses emanate from some remote regions in
Mexico such as the Tarahumara areas as well as other backwaters.
Next we’ll skip across to the Iberian homeland of these criollo breeds. The Andalusian is much changed,
and I was always stumped by the insistence of academics and breeders that they were indeed pure
through and through, and not changed by outside breeding. A charming Hungarian colleague finally
cracked the puzzle when one of them admitted to him that “no one questions what the big breeders do”.
The Andalusian is certainly a successful breed, and does betray much of its Iberian origin. The
Andalusian breeders, interestingly, cease to register colors that become rare. The latest to fall by the
wayside was chestnut, leaving only grey, black, and bay as accepted colors of the Andalusian. The grey
covers up a great many colors, though, and I have seen a few roans pop out, as well as at least one
linebacked dun. When showing photos of Spanish Mustangs to several colleagues, most indicated that
these were indeed very like their own Iberian horses. The one exception was a Spanish Equine Surgeon
who took one look and said - “They cannot be pure - the color is wrong”. I was pretty amazed at that
response.
The Lusitano of Portugal is nearly identical to the Andalusian of Spain, but has emerged somewhat truer
to its roots. The Portuguese still allow color variation - in fact it is rumored that those chestnut
Andalusians eventually find homes in Portugal! The Portuguese have a longer tradition of mounted
bullfighting, and this has preserved the Lusitano as a somewhat smaller and handier horse than the
Andalusian. Some riding schools in Portugal prefer blue-eyed cream horses for their abilities – and this
also preserves some interesting color variations.
Other strains in Iberia are the targets of conservation programs. The Sorraia of Portugal is an older type
that is now very rare. These were conserved throughout the 1900s by the d’Andrade family, with great
dedication and talent. These are a type that most Spanish Mustang fans would acknowledge as similar
to their own horses. They are always dun or grullo, and lack white marks. Conservation programs are
also formulated for a few northern Iberian breeds, and these are more pony-like and also more coldblooded
than the Sorraia, Lusitano, and Andalusian. These include the Garrano of Portugal and the
Gallego of Spain. Basque ponies - the Pottock- are also being conserved. The connection of any of
these last three to Spanish Mustangs or Criollos is doubtful, but they are all interesting breeds.
In the USA the conservation of our Iberian horses is fragmented. Sometimes I think that this diminishes
conservation of these horses, but at other times I think that this may well be a boon. As long as the
fragmentation is not accompanied by in-fighting, it serves to save distinct portions of the gene pool
rather than having them all blended as a composite. This is only true, though, if all of these pieces
continue to exist in numbers high enough for a genetically healthy population.
A few of the registries aim to be reasonably all-encompassing of Iberian type horses in the USA. These
include SMR, SSMA, AIHR, SSBA, and HOA.
The SMR is the oldest of the organized registries, and is still (wisely) open to occasional outside horses
after on-site inspection. Spanish Mustang Registry horses include a number from a variety of
backgrounds. Featuring very prominently are horses from the Brislawn multigenerational breeding
program. Also included are other origins, such as the Cerbat Mountain horses, and some from other
regions such as Mountain Home. The SMR is fortunately large and involves adequate numbers of
horses so that the population is genetically healthy.
The Southwest Spanish Mustang Association has a slightly different mix of predominant bloodlines,
including many from Gilbert Jones, and especially includes many Choctaw horses. Otherwise, the
overlap between SMR and SSMA is great.
The American Indian Horse Registry as a special division for type “O” (or “original”) horses. These are
Iberian in type and breeding, and generally consist of horses that are also eligible for registration in
either the SMR or the SSMA.
The Spanish Barb Breeders Association has a slightly different philosophy than the other registries, and
has long held that progeny testing is the real proof of a horse and its background. That is, horses are
evaluated by what they produce as much as by their own type and appearance. This effort has included
some otherwise rare bloodlines, such as Belsky, Romero/McKinley, and Wilbur-Cruce.
The Horse of the Americas registry serves as an umbrella for many of the other groups, meaning that
they will accept horses that are accepted by the other registries as well as horses submitted for
inspection. They are probably the most inclusive of the registries, but are diligent to maintain the identity
of the various strains. This will serve usefully to conserve the overall resource as well as the various
components of it.
Robert and Louise Painter’s Society for the Preservation of the Barb Horse targets a specific type of
horse. The foundation horses included many that are registered with SMR and SSMA, as well as
several that are registered only by the Painters. Theirs is a very interesting and useful concept that is
based on type rather than bloodline, which is an important concept with these horses.
Other associations and groups are organized more for limited geographic regions or more isolated
pockets of horses. That is, the effort of these groups is with a smaller, more geographically, defined
group that might or might not also find acceptance in other registries with a broader scope.
Kiger Mustangs hail from Oregon, and are a controversial group since much of the past selection has
shaped these horses into a type that is larger and different than that favored by most of the other
groups. They are therefore included by some groups, and excluded by others. Two or three registries for
Kiger Mustangs are in operation, divided by issues of origin and practice.
Sulphur Mustangs come from the Mountain Home region of Utah, and include many horses in the SMR
as well as the SSMA. These horses also have their own breeders’ group. The Sulphur herd area is quite
large, and the horses within the management area vary somewhat within the herd area. Many are quite
Iberian in type, others are less so. It will be interesting to see what BLM management accomplishes for
this group, as well as what direction the breeders take.
Pryor Mountain Mustangs are controversial as an Iberian strain. All except a few on the range are of
Iberian type, and bloodtyping likewise points to an Iberian origin for these horses. The BLM manages
these horses to preserve the Iberian type. A private breeders’ group also tracks and documents adopted
horses. The breeders’ group is careful to include horses of Iberian type, and to educate and encourage
breeders to enhance this type in the domestic population.
In the Southeast are several strains, in varying stages of conservation. The Florida Cracker horses are
fortunate in having an active breeders’ group and registry. They encourage all breeders of this type,
young and old, to get inolved and to register horses. They have a very strong conservation goal for this
group of horses.
Marsh Tackies are a mixed lot from coastal regions of the deep south. Some of these are very Iberian in
type, others less so. A few are being included in the Florida Cracker Horse efforts. Others may well
languish and disappear as older breeders succumb one by one.
The Banker Ponies are controversial as strains of Iberian horses, but certainly type and bloodtype point
to Iberia for many of these. The various islands have experienced different levels of success with the
wild horses, and these include Okracoke, Shackleford, Corolla, and Hatteras. Breeders groups are
organizing around the various island strains, and it will be interesting to see what the future holds for this
group.
Several feral and owned strains of old-style horses have also recently emerged in New Mexico. Some,
such as those of the Baca family, have long been under human control. Others, such as those of Mount
Taylor are owned by Dan Elkins and Star Gonzalez, but run as free and wild as unowned horses. The
wild herds of the La Jarita mesa have likewise produced some very Iberian appearing horses.
The fragmentation of the conservation effort in the USA has many roots, which can be better understood
by comparing them with the situation in South America. The lack of fragmentation in South America is
frequently due to governmental or quasi-governmental oversight of registries and breeding. This has
both pluses and minuses. In South America the local, Iberian breeds have frequently become a matter
of intense patriotic pride and nationalism. This has not happened in the USA with the Iberian strains, but
instead the “national horse” designation has somewhat been taken up by the Quarter Horse, which is
more an amalgam of a great variety of origins than it is a unique breed. This mirrors the status of most
humans in the USA as mixtures of a variety of origins, and so may be more fitting for the USA than is
obvious at first thought.
The conservation of the older Iberian strains of horses in the USA remains a challenge, though, in the
face of lack of recognition among the general horse-using public of the value of these horses both
genetically and functionally. The fragmentation of the conservation effort serves very well to conserve
the uniqueness of each pocket of these horses. The fragmentation does serve to keep population
numbers low, though, and some of the unique strains could very easily disappear if certain key breeders
either die or quit. This would be a great loss to the equine heritage of the USA.
The conservation of all of these strains - North, South, and Central American - is interesting and
important. These are the horses that served the Americas well for centuries. Hopefully as time
progresses each country will realize the value of this heritage and assure that it continues for future
generations.