The Spanish Colonial Mustang
Photos and Story by Lyn Odom-Cherenzia

With roots dating back to the Native American Indian Pony, today’s “Mustang” has been preserved through selective breeding by some of the most knowledgably Spanish Mustang experts across the country. Many years ago five Indian tribes, including the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cree, Seminole and Cherokee people developed a breeding program to enhance the powerful characteristics of these tough and iron willed horses. These five tribes were some of the earliest to domesticate horses for farming. What they found in the Spanish Colonial Mustang was a horse with a natural herding ability and a lot of cow sense. These horses survived the most violent weather, near starvation, stampedes and purposeful inbreeding by the US Calvary.

The Spanish Mustang is not the wild horse of today, but the mustang breed that evolved from horses brought to the new world by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 15 and 1600’s. The horse of the Conquistadors consisted mainly of Spanish, Ginete, Arabian, Villano, Berber and Barb blood known as Andalusian. The true Spanish Mustang is almost extinct due to slaughter, cross breeding and castration. [sic]

Dr. Paul Sponenberg, a Veterinarian PHD from the Virginia Tech Veterinary College, is actively involved in the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Dr. Sponenberg is preserving the U.S. species, battling to at least keep them on the Endangered Species list and not become completely extinct. The Choctaw Indian Horse is high on Endangered Species list. The Southwest Spanish Mustang Association in Antlers, Oklahoma, is also working diligently to preserve a part of the Colonial Horse. Chairman Bryant Rickman and his wife Darlene have been able to continue breeding horses from the original five Indian Tribes that began 75 years ago by Gilbert Jones of Antlers, Oklahoma, who died just recently at the age of 94. Mr. Jones’ entire life was dedicated to the preservation and continued breeding of the Spanish Colonial Mustang. Had it not been for his complete and passionate dedication to the breed, the original mustang may very well have become extinct. The pure Spanish Mustang derived from the five original tribes that domesticated the horses are all represented in Oklahoma.

The Cherokee horse was the beast of burden that carried the Cherokee Indians from the East Coast to Oklahoma along the Trail of Tears. The US Army decided the Mustangs were too small for their needs and intentionally turned out larger breeds of horses into the Mustang herds to breed in size. The US Army had tried to capture the Mustangs, and simply couldn’t catch them. So today’s wild horse are crossbreds from the different horse breeds the Army turned loose, not the original Spanish Colonial Mustangs. The American Indian War was the demise of the true Indian Pony. They were so diluted that by the 1970’s there were just over 1000. Today there are only 100 or so.

Today’s Spanish Colonial Horse must be verified through DNA testing, this is done by Dr. Sponenberg. Bryant Rickman and Gilbert Jones are the foundation breeders that have preserved the pure bloodlines of the horses. There are no feral Spanish Colonial Horses today.

No breed of horse has as many colors as the Spanish Mustang. The wide range of color includes: Grullas, Buckskins, Duns, Claybank, Isabella, Palomino, White, Albino, Roans, Greys, Bays, Browns, Blacks and Sorrels. Markings include: Medicine Hats, War Bonnets, Pinto, Calico, Sabino, Shadow Paints and Appaloosas. They stand 13 to 15 hands and weigh between 750 and 1000 pounds. They are light bodied and slightly leggy like their Barb ancestors. Their hooves are small and tough and the purest of the Spanish Colonial Mustang have “mule hooves”, harder textured than domestic horses and they never need to be shod. They also have the reputation of being able to survive on the “3 W’s”... wind, water and weeds. The Spanish Colonial Horse is tough, athletic, hearty and brave.

Spanish Colonial Mustang enthusiast Sherman Mathey with his Mustang Houdini, ridden by Charlotte Beall.	Mathey's Houdini easily jumps 3'6".

For more information on the Spanish Colonial Horse contact Bryant Rickman at SSMA, POB 948, Antlers, OK 74523, (508) 326-6005 or (508) 326-8069 or you can find excellent links and resources at www.horseoftheamericas.com

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