History of Spanish Mustangs
Continued..
Columbus, on order of the Spanish throne, commenced bringing the first Spanish horses to the New World on his second voyage. Thereafter, each ship headed for the New World, by order of the Crown, carried breeding animals of choice Spanish stock, cattle, sheep, horses, etc. Breeding farms were set up in the Caribbean and subsequently in Mexico. Breeding farms such as the one operated in Sonora, Mexico by Padre Eusebio Kino, a Jesuit priest, produced stock, including horses, which were placed with each group of Christianized Indians as Kino expanded his efforts further and further north. The Apaches, never falling under the spell of the Church, ravaged and pillaged these little "vistas", taking stock at will. They also plundered deep into Mexico - allegedly as far south as Mexico City. Their goal - well-bred and trained Spanish horses from the Mexican estancias. is..
Through trade of these valuable horses northward to other tribes the Apaches became one of the primary methods of spreading the Spanish horses over the west.
Over the years horses escaped, were lost or stolen and many became feral, roaming all over the west. Eventually they numbered in the hundreds of thousands, reportedly a "vast sea" of varied colored, flowing maned horses closely related to the horses maintained by some of the Indian tribes, indeed, they were basically the same horses, Known for their toughness and stamina they flourished and spread northward and eastward.
As the range was fenced and cattle domesticated, the Spanish Mustang was almost crossbred out of existence. Spanish mares were crossed with Thoroughbred stallions to create the Quarter Horse breed. But the original Spanish Mustang was still valued by those that used them and know their capabilities.
On the brink of extinction in the early part of the last century, their salvation can be attributed primarily to Robert E. Brislawn of Oshoto, Wyoming, who founded the Spanish Mustang Registry, Inc. in 1957.
A non-profit organization, this registry was formed to preserve and perpetuate the last remnants of the true Spanish Mustangs. Twenty animals were initially registered. And although Brislawn’s goal is now realized, the Spanish Mustang is still classified as a very rare breed and although there are over 3100 current registrations, not all are still alive. It is reported that there are actually only approx 1,500 living pure Spanish Mustangs in the world. The Spanish Mustang is demonstrating to the world the attributes inherited from its Spanish progenitors as well as the traits developed through centuries of selection by the cruelest and most selective of breeds, Nature herself.
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