# What can you tell me about Spanish Mustangs?



## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

I'm told my Dancer may be at least part Spanish Mustang. She's certainly not like any quarter horse I've ever had. All I know about her is from her previous owner, who said she came as a rescue out of New Mexico. She has the biggest feet and head for her size that I have ever seen! She looks almost mule-eared, too...

She has a very smooth trot, and has a tendency to drop into an odd four-beat gait my mother calls an indian shuffle or single footing. Don't know anything about that, much, either.

This is a horrible pic of her, but it's the best up close one I have...


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## RadHenry09 (Mar 22, 2009)

Your horse is beautiful!

I believe that my Dun Radar is also also part Spanish/ Kiger Mustang. He looks very similiar 

Here is a good website
Spanish Mustang History

I have also attached a pic of him , his conformation looks like the conformation of a spanish mustang. I ask alot of ppl but always get conflicting information. At any rate I was told that you can get a hair test DNA or blood test DNA to see if there are any strains of Spanish Mustang in the DNA but I havent pursued that or talk to the vet about that. I am not sure how much it cost to do that either so hopefully someone else has some insight to offer.


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

They do look like they are similar, don't they? However, Dancer's feet are bigger. They look like pie pans!

I checked out the SMR website. There is a grullo stallion that cold be Dancer's twin - except she only has one white foot. I noticed that a lot of them had that same funky head that Dancer does, too...so maybe?

The website said the DNA test wouldn't work to prove that a horse is a Spanish Mustang, so you couldn't use it to register your horse. However, if your horse's dam or sire's DNA is on file, you might be able to find out some of the lineage, I guess. It's pretty pricey, though. Since I'm not planning on breeding her, I guess it doesn't matter. I lover her anyway!


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## RadHenry09 (Mar 22, 2009)

I didnt catch that about the DNA testing. Yeah , mine is gelded so it really doesnt matter to me but I thought it would be nice to find out for sure what exactly he is. There are alot of websites about Spanish mustangs. I am going to try some other websites and I will let you 

It is funny because you say about your horses gait because I have seen my horse do that in the pasture. He has a trot to die for!


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

One of these days, when Dancer is in better shape (lost a lot of weight due to a fiasco last summer and nursing Rain) I'm going to get some video of her trot and if I'm lucky, some of that odd gait that she does.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Willow is at least part mustang. She also has a really big head & huge feet for her size. I'll try to post pictures of her later.


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## TexasBlaze (Oct 4, 2010)

My gelding is part spanish mustang. He is extremely smooth as well. And he has a big head lol. He has a really thick mane and is a really thick horse. He is around 17 hh too. He has an oober thick mane that comes down past his shoulder and a tail that sweeps the ground. 

Heres my boy. Its not the greatest picture of him or me but its all i got since i lost my camera =\


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## wakiya (Feb 7, 2009)

What do you want to know? I have a registered Spanish Mustang (which is a misnomer their also called Spanish Barba and more correctly the Colonial Spanish Horse). Her pedigree traces back to Etocha Georgia in 1750. These are small (13-15 hh never more) tough horses with great feet and phenomenal endurance. There is no DNA test that proves a horse is a Spanish Mustang, once the papers are lost you can apply as a hardship and the horse would be inspected. They are different from BLM horses as that they are an old breed descended from old Spanish stock without outside influence. They are known to be gaited (certain strains more than others). They are smart, behave differently than modern breeds and have a better concept of self. 

There are several registries:

The Spanish Mustang Registry the oldest registry founded in the early 50's by Robert Brislawn and will not register tobianos

The Southwest Spanish Mustang Association an offshoot of the SMR because of the tobiano issue (which we now know is stupid but the rule stands) the SSMA is home to the Choctaw, Cherokee and Gilbert Jones strains colorful often gaited known for their endurance with pedigrees tracing back before the trail of tears

The Horse of the Americas Registry which is an umbrella registry for all strains of CS horses including the Florida Crackers, Bankers, Marsh Tackies, SMR, SSMA, etc and will inspect found horses from the wild but the inspection is conformation, history, etc. 

The Spanish Barb Horse Association (formerly the Spanish barb breeders association)

The American Heritage Horse Association only accepts SMR, SSMA, possibly SBBA registered horses and records DNA

There is a lot more! So any questions I can give you answers! I'll update this later as I forgot the AIHR and IBHR
_Posted via Mobile Device_

Edited to add info on the indian shuffle:

http://www.sunflowerranch.com/horseindianshuffle.html

and an excellent article about correct type:

http://www.frontiernet.net/~RanchoTamarisque/Sponenberg-type.html

info about head and ears:


Head: The preferred head will have a flat or convex profile. Some Spanish Mustang horses may have a Barb type facial profile with a slight dip just below the eyes, creating an S shape, but should not show a dished face. A dished profile should be considered a severe fault. Viewed from the front, the head will give the impression of an inverted triangle with a broad forehead. A diamond shaped head, with excessive narrowing above the eyes is not typical and should be faulted. The head should show intelligence and nobility. The throatlatch is well defined and has plenty or room for air passageways. The heavier built horse can have a less defined throatlatch than the lighter built animal, but in all cases it should be deep with the hollow on the underside of the jaws quite distinct. The forehead tapers down to a fairly fine muzzle. Muzzles may vary somewhat in size, but in no case should the muzzle be large or coarse. The mouth is shallow and there should be no sign of a parrot mouth or under bite. Lips should be fine. Floppy or thick, coarse lips should be faulted. The nostrils are set low on the nose. Nostrils are fine, crescent shaped and closed when at rest but capable of great expansion when alert or excited. Eyes are fairly wide set and set somewhat high on the face. Small pig eyes are to be faulted as well as overly large eyes. Somewhat slanted eyes or almond shaped eyes are normal. Eyes may be of any color (dark, gray, blue, green, or amber). White rim (sclera) is acceptable in all colors. The eyes should be very alert with the horse showing interest in the activity about it.

Ears: The ears are short to medium length and nicely set upon the head, neither set too close or too far apart. Long narrow or floppy ears are not typical and should be faulted. The preferred ears are wider at the base and notched or curved inward at the tips. The wooly hair inside the ear is often of a lighter color than the base coat and is normal for this breed. In most horses the ears are tipped and rimmed with a darker color than the base coat. The most desirable ears are those that are alert with good mobility.


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## RadHenry09 (Mar 22, 2009)

Oh that is wonderful that you have so much info on these awesome horses.
I dont want to over take the thread but could you look at the pics of my gelding Radar and tell me what you think ? 
There is a pic a few post up as well as some in my albums. I know you would only be going by his conformation but it would be so helpful. He doesnt have a BLM brand at all. 

I would really appreciate it if you could take a look, thanks


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

*Willow*







This is Willow. She is supposed to be a Arab Mustang cross. She has a really big flat head, thick neck, & huge feet.


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## wakiya (Feb 7, 2009)

Registry links
The Spanish Mustang Registry the oldest registry founded in the early 50's by Robert Brislawn and will not register tobianos

The Southwest Spanish Mustang Association an offshoot of the SMR because of the tobiano issue (which we now know is stupid but the rule stands) the SSMA is home to the Choctaw, Cherokee and Gilbert Jones strains colorful often gaited known for their endurance with pedigrees tracing back before the trail of tears

The Horse of the Americas Registry which is an umbrella registry for all strains of CS horses including the Florida Crackers, Bankers, Marsh Tackies, SMR, SSMA, etc and will inspect found horses from the wild but the inspection is conformation, history, etc. 

The Spanish Barb Horse Association (formerly the Spanish barb breeders association)

The American Heritage Horse Association only accepts SMR, SSMA, possibly SBBA registered horses and records DNA

American Indian Horse Registry There are 5 classifications of registration within AIHR:
Class 0 horses are not bred to conform to popular current standards, but to preserve original bloodlines of native American Indian tribes. Class 0 horses registered since 1979 have bloodlines that trace back to various American Indian tribes and families. (Most horses registered with the SMR, SSMA, SBBA as well as other "Mustang" registries, qualify for 0 classification.)
Class AA horses are at least half-0 in breeding or are of exceptional 0 type. BLM horses may qualify for AA classification. To be inspected and to qualify as AA on inspection, a horse must be at least 4 years of age.
Class A horses are horses with unknown bloodlines, but who are definitely Indian Horse type. Most MA horses qualify for A registration as well as many so called grade or backyard horses. Class A horses are eligible to be inspected at age 4 or over and may be passed to Class AA.
Class M horses include breeding of modern type. They may have parents registered with the AQHA, APHC, APHA, APA, etc. Such ancestry will be shown on the registration certificate.
Class P is for ponies of Indian Horse type. Eligible ponies include those with Galiceno, POA, etc, in their pedigrees. Ponies of unknown ancestry may also qualify.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Wakiya I would really like to see more pictures of your horse


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## wakiya (Feb 7, 2009)

Radar looks like he might be part kiger, he definitely has a QH type hip you sometimes see in kigers. A great example of Spanish Mustang conformation can be found at the http://www.centerforamericasfirsthorse.com this is from the site:








They are very square horses Radar seems a little longer, of course it could be the picture.










More info here: Spanish Mustang Research Facility - Welcome


Another great wealth of information is the American Livestock Breed Conservancy where these horses are listed as a critically endangered breed also the Equus Survival Trust which lists the breed as having 300 of fewer breeding mares.

Now personally, my mare isn't breeding quality (she may get better with age they mature slowly usually finish growth between 7-9) as she has an off-type head, a sassy disposition (not very common in the breed), and a club foot so out of those 300 breeding mares we have to consider not all of them are breeding quality.

These horses don't have big feet compared to their bodies which makes me think Dancer may have some outside blood. Since she's from New Mexico you may want to contact the Baca Chica Horse Conservancy there.

Another very interesting fact is that these horses are one of the VERY few breeds with no Thoroughbred or Arab blood; they are a very old breed! In fact, I can't think of one American breed that doesn't trace it's roots back to these horses.

One of our own a Spanish Mustang Dan de Lion is entered in the Midwest horse Fair's World's Most Beautiful Horse Contest this year also! There are a lot of passionate people working to conserve the breed and promote it in different venues from Endurance, Dressage, Jumping, Expos, Working Cows (it's where the QH got their cow sense), and more!


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## wakiya (Feb 7, 2009)

This is Wakiya:

most recent:










July:










Mom (Snickers):










Dad (Rain Dancer):










I have a bunch of pictures of her relatives (incomplete I messed up her pedigree) and siblings on Home - Wakiya because I'm a loser like that 

She just had her feet done and her farrier was impressed at how nice her feet are she's barefoot and on 24 hour pasture no grain and fat as a ham

Sorry about all the links!


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## wakiya (Feb 7, 2009)

Oh and vote for Dan!
;-)
Midwest Horse Fair® -- One of the top 3-day Horse Fairs in America - Madison, Wisconsin!


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Thanks. She's gorgeous. Nice compact package.


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## wakiya (Feb 7, 2009)

Some good examples of CS horses!

SMR, SSMA, HOA, AIHR O Rowdy Yates:









SBBA Insider:









SSMA SBBA Peyote/Monarch:









Pure Choctaw in Blackjack Mountains OK:









SSMA Chief Going Streak:









They come in ALL colors including every variation of appaloosa and pinto

Chief Pushmataha a pure Choctaw SSMA, SMR, SBBA and APHc


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## RadHenry09 (Mar 22, 2009)

Wow , thanks for all the info...yes , Radars back does seem a little longer than the examples that you have shown. The rest of his conformation really looks a lot like a Kiger.
I truly believe he is at least part Kiger; but he isnt telling me 
He is super smart , very curious and the class clown at my barn for sure. Def. not a push button horse and he measures 15 hands. He is not like any other horse that I have known. I dont know if there is any def. way for me to find out for sure since I dont know his breeding and his history is unknown to me.

Your horse is so beautiful and her sire , WOW...what a looker!


Edit:
I just looked at your website and it is so nice, I love the song that you have loaded on the home page...I would love to find a copy of that. I am def. bookmarking your website..thanks so much


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## wakiya (Feb 7, 2009)

Thanks, the more I look a Radar the more I think Kiger. Wakiya inherited her sire's worst trait: the escape gene! She can jump or crawl under any fence if she really wants to...I wish she would've gotten his eyes instead!
There isn't as of yet a test to prove Spanish ancestry there are a few that can show Spanish markers but all horses (QH, Morgan, Gaited breeds) descended even slightly from CS horses will show Spanish markers. I would maybe contact the HOA if you really want to know, they work with Dr. Philip Sponenberg who has done countless herd evaluations and the HOA evaluates a horse based on type and they should be able to help there. Dr. Gus Cothran at Texas A&M (I believe) has done blood typing on Kigers and Sulphurs you may want to pick his brain, too.


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## RadHenry09 (Mar 22, 2009)

Wonderful , thank you for all this awesome info. No one in my area (I live in PA) could really tell me where to go or what info to look for although I have tried to do some research on my own through the internet. 
You have been such a great help to me : ) thanks Dee for posting this thread!


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## wakiya (Feb 7, 2009)

Thanks everyone I love to rant about these horses I'm glad it helped! The song on the home paw is "The Spanish Mustangs" by Darrel Norman and Ramon Kramer on the album Return of the Buffalo Horses it's available online and on iTunes
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SaddlebredGrl (Oct 8, 2009)

This is my moms spanish mustang. Not a very good picture. she doesn't hold still for very long! We got her from my vet who got her from a ranch down in Texas. i believe she has choctaw sundance is her sire, or at least somewhere in her bloodline.. I love riding her she is super smooth. I so want one myself for trail riding. She was used as an endurance horse before she fractured something in her leg and had surgery. She was solid bay when we got her, and now she has a white blanket showing up on her butt..


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## wakiya (Feb 7, 2009)

If she's a Choctaw Sundance daughter I'd bet money she came from Karma Farms in Marshal, TX. They have awesome horses!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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