COLOR | Spanish Mustangs come in a full range of solid colors including black, bay, brown, chestnut, sorrel, grullo, zebra and red dun, buckskin, palomino, and cremello. In many horses these base colors are combined with white hairs or patches to result in gray, roan, paint, pure white, and the leopard complex of blankets, roans, and dark spots usually associated with the Appaloosa breed. |
SIZE | The Spanish Mustang is a medium sized horse ranging from 13.2 to 15 hands high with an average size of approximately 14.2 hands. |
WEIGHT | The Spanish Mustang usually weigh from 700 to 1000 pounds (320-450kg). |
LIFE EXPECTANCY | Spanish Mustangs can live from 20 to 25 years, but this can be shorter if the animal is not domesticated. |
ORIGIN | Spanish Mustangs originated in Spain and very brought to the Americas with the Conquistadors. |
USES | The Spanish Mustang is an using horse and is versatile and well-equipped to compete in varied fields. At present there are horses competing in team penning, dressage, show-jumping, polo, competitive trail, showing, driving and gymkhana. In addition there are Spanish Mustangs being used for all types of ranch work. Spanish Mustangs perform well and are used as cow horses. Hundreds were used as U. S. Army cavalry mounts once when fighting the Apache. |
INFLUENCE | N/A |
TEMPERAMENT | Spanish Mustangs are very hard-headed and are not easily domesticated, but if properly trained become very attached to the owner. They are highly intelligent with an innate sense of self-preservation, they are not prone to put themselves into any situation which may be destructive or dangerous. |
Spanish Mustang description
American Heritage Horses, also known as Spanish Mustangs, Colonial Spanish horses, Spanish Barbs and American Barbs, are the original American horse. They are the descendants of the horses brought here by the Spanish Conquistadors. They are truly America’s Original Horse.
Chests are narrow but deep and the girth is deep, with well laid back shoulders and fairly sharp, pronounced withers. The front legs join the chest in an “A” shape when standing square rather than the “H” shape of other breeds. Necks are fairly well crested in mares and geldings and heavily crested in mature stallions.
The canon bone is short and has a larger circumference and rounder cross-section relative to other breeds of the same size and weight. Feet are small, round and extremely sound with thick walls, many having what is typically known as a “mule foot” which resists bruising due to the concave sole. Chestnuts are small or missing altogether, particularly on the rear legs. Ergots are small or absent.
They possess the classic Spanish type head with a straight or convex forehead and a convex or Roman nose which is in contrast to the straight forehead and nose of most breeds. The cranial area is wide with the face being narrow. The muzzle is narrow and fine with nostrils that are small and crescent shaped. A profile gives the appearance of the upper lip being longer than the lower one, but the teeth meet evenly. Ears are medium to short and notched at the top with some curved in towards each other.
Spanish Mustangs are naturally gaited and they have typical Indian Shuffle gait.
Spanish Mustang history
The true Spanish Mustang is a direct descendant of the horses brought to the New World by the early Spaniards. Columbus, on order of the Spanish throne, commenced bringing the first Spanish horses to the New World on his second voyage.
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.
On the brink of extinction in the early part of this century, their salvation can be attributed primarily to Robert E. Brislawn of Oshoto, Wyoming, who founded the Spanish Mustang Registry, Inc. in 1957. Two full brothers, Buckshot and Ute, were his first foundation stallions, sired by a buckskin stallion named Monty and out of Ute Reservation blood on the dam’s side. Monty, captured in 1927 in Utah, escaped back to the wild in 1944, taking his mares with him. He was never recaptured.
Spanish Mustang health and genetic issues
Spanish Mustangs are very hardy animals and are extremely resistant to injuries.
Spanish Mustang fun facts
There are perhaps 3,000 horses alive pure enough to have been registered as Spanish Mustangs. They are often gaited, as were their Spanish ancestors.
Spanish mustangs have historically exhibited a legendary ability to travel great distances without injury.
Although they are called Spanish Mustangs, they are a type that is mostly or wholly extinct now in Spain.