 What’s a Spanish Mustang? Depending on who
you ask, be prepared for a bewildering array of
answers. You’ll find evidence of this mysterious horse
scattered throughout the western United States and
beyond. Dig deeper and you’ll learn of the Spanish Barb,
Choctaw, Sorraia, Sulphur, Belsky and Pryor Mountain
herds. You may hear of related strains like the Kiger in
the Northwest and the Nokota of the Northern Plains.
It will quickly become clear that a single description is
difficult to find.
It is said that victors write the history. This cliché may account for why the Spanish Mustang labors in
obscurity. Many other breeds – from the Morgan and
American Saddlebred to the Quarter Horse – lay some
claim to the title of “America’s First”. But resounding
evidence points to none other than this small Spanish
style equine as North America’s First Horse.
Enter John Stephen Hockensmith, Kentucky gentleman,
internationally acclaimed photographer/author and
poet-at-heart. He set out to solve this riddle in his
new book, Spanish Mustangs in the Great American West – Return of the Horse.
“After the popularity of my first book, people kept
asking me what was next.” John says. “Ironically, it was
a European lady living in the States who suggested the
Spanish Mustang. Once I started investigating, I realized
this was an important story.”
Spanish Conquistadors
John’s narrative begins 500 years ago with the arrival
of Columbus and the early explorations of the Spanish
Conquistadors. He plots their every point of entry into
the New World and explains the Spanish and Barb
origins of their horses. These iron-tough survivors of
brutal ocean voyages were the foundation stock of
North America’s horse.
“The breadth of the research was greater than any
other project I have worked on.” says John. His story continues as the horse of the Conquistadors profoundly
transforms the culture of the Native Americans. He relates
how this incomparably tough Spanish horse continues to
spread with overwhelming dominance.
“Cowboys and Indians”
The next chapter in the chronicle of this horse is etched on
our collective consciousness and steeped in romance and myth – it’s the epic battle of “Cowboys versus Indians”. This period
of history may be the key to the continuing obscurity of the
Spanish Mustang, which during this era was commonly coined “The Indian Pony” – the tough and determined horse that ran
rings around the best Cavalry mounts.
John details the deep-seated fear and prejudice evoked by the
Indian pony. “When they saw a ‘savage’ mounted on a swift and
spirited horse, the settlers felt an instinctive chord of fear struck
deep within them,” he writes. “They knew the Native American
astride his tireless horse could not be easily contained. Thus, the
sight of Indians evoked fear and loathing, emotions that were
enflamed by often violent conflicts between marauding natives
and invading settlers. Blinded by this dread, most settlers
believed that all things Indian were wholly untamed, even subhuman,
and therefore should be eliminated.”
 As the onslaught of settlers spread west, these horses were
marked for eradication by outright slaughter or dilution
through cross-breeding. The elimination of the peerless Indian
pony was believed essential to ultimately quelling Native
American tribes and conquering the land. Pressured by man,
nature and a changing landscape, the Spanish Mustang began
disappearing at an alarming rate.
The Spanish Mustang today
While a few Spanish types remain in the wild today, most
are now in the hands of preservation breeders scattered
throughout the country. “An important distinction in my book
is separating the Spanish Mustang from today’s mustangs
managed by the BLM [Bureau of Land Management],” John
says. “While the mustangs running wild today capture our imagination and deserve our protection, they are, for the
most part, far removed from their Spanish origins.” Even
in current times, the BLM maintains a long-standing policy
of releasing domestic horses into the herds to “improve” the native stock.
What the future holds
John’s work has shone a bright light on the Spanish Mustang – America’s forgotten treasure. Ironically, the greatest
interest in these horses comes from Europeans, who are
fueled by their growing fascination of American breeds
and disciplines. “Many Europeans I’ve spoken with find
the history of our wild horses fascinating,” writes John. “In
Europe, breeding programs are centuries old and carefully
regulated. There is no comparable experience of horses
selected by nature like there is here in North America.”
The 2010 World Equestrian Games will be held in
John’s home state of Kentucky. It’s the first time the
highly prestigious event will take place North America.
Hopefully, visitors from overseas will have an opportunity
to be introduced to America’s first horse. And perhaps the
Spanish Mustang will finally be recognized at home too,
for the historically important equine that he is.
Margaret Odgers of Crazy Horse Farm in Paris, Kentucky, is
involved in the preservation of the Nokota and Colonial Spanish
Horses. Her blue roan Nokota gelding, Blue Moon Rising
(Moonshine), is a great ambassador for his breed, participating in
breed exhibitions and representing the Nokota breed at the Kentucky
Horse Park in their Parade of Breeds. He was recently joined by
their Colonial Spanish gelding, Billy Jack. www.crazyhorsefarm.com
Published in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of Equine Wellness Magazine |
