The colonial spanish horse in the usa: history and current status (Caballos criollos en los estados unidos: historia y situación actual)

Sponenberg D.P.

Description

Abstract
Colonial spanish horses in the USA descend from horses introduced from Spain during the conquest of the New World. They are a direct remnant of the iberian horses of the 1500s, and conserve this type of horse in present populations. The colonial spanish horses brought to the present United States of America all came from the region of present day Mexico, and these in turn descend from the original spanish imports to the Antilles. Other south american and caribbean horse populations had later, direct, input from horses directly from Spain. Their less select origin makes the north american horses interesting historically as well as biologically, since they are closer in type to those horses originally introduced into the New World than are other present types and breeds. The colonial spanish horses in the USA are generally small and compactly made, with convex to subconvex facial profiles. Muscling tends to be long and tapering, and the croups slope distinctively with low set tails. The horses are used for a wide variety of uses, although endurance and pleasure riding are the most common tasks. Colors vary widely, and indeed include variants not common in other populations descending from spanish horses. The colors include black, bay, chestnut, sorrel, grullo, dun, red dun, buckskin, palomino, cream, and an unusual chocolate brown based series of colors. Patterns of white include grey, roan, ticked, frosted roan, as well as tobiano, frame overo, sabino overo, and the leopard complex of colors. The colonial spanish horse type is registered in different registries: Spanish Mustang Registry, Spanish Barb Breeders Association, Southwest Spanish Mustang Association, Florida Cracker Horse Association, and American Indian Horse Registry. These registries all register a similar type of horse, but all have slightly different emphasis or exclude certain different subpopulations from registration. The registries are open, but only horses of colonial spanish type that have accurate histories and phenotypes can be entered into the herdbooks. Therefore, in spite of the open herdbooks, these registries are all involved in true purebreed conservation of the colonial spanish horses.
Resumen
Los caballos criollos españoles en USA, descienden de los llevados desde España durante la conquista del Nuevo Mundo. Son un remanente directo de los caballos españoles del descubrimiento y conservan este tipo de caballo en las poblaciones actuales. Los caballos criollos de origen español en USA proceden de los del actual México y estos, a la vez, de las importaciones originales españolas a las Antillas. Otras poblaciones de caballos caribeños o sudamericanos tuvieron, posteriormente, impacto de caballos traídos directamente desde España. Su origen menos selecto hace a los caballos norteamericanos interesantes desde puntos de vista históricos y biológicos, pues son más parecidos a los caballos originalmente introducidos en el Nuevo Mundo que otros tipos o razas. Los caballos criollos españoles en USA, son generalmente pequeños y compactos con perfiles convexos o subconvexos. La muscultura tiende a ser alargada y delgada y la grupa cae marcadamente con inserción baja de la cola. Los caballos son empleados para una amplia variedad de usos aunque la resistencia y paseo son las tareas más frecuentes. Los colores varían ampliamente y, por cierto, incluyen variantes que no son comunes en otras poblaciones que descienden de los caballos españoles. Los colores incluyen negro, bayo, castaño, alazán, ceniciento, pardo, pardo rojo, palomino, crema y una infrecuente serie de colores basados en el pardo chocolate. Las formas de blanco incluyen gris, ruanos, overos y el complejo de colores leopardo.

Sujets

• List of horse breeds

Informations

• Publié par: erevistas
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1992
• Nombre de lectures: 14
• Langue: English

Extrait

COLONIAL SPANISH HORSE IN THE USA
THE COLONIAL SPANISH HORSE IN THE USA: HISTORY AND
CURRENT STATUS
CABALLOS CRIOLLOS EN LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS: HISTORIA Y
SITUACION ACTUAL
Sponenberg, D.P.
Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University. Blacksburg, VA 406l. USA
Palabras clave adicionalesAdditional Keywords
Razas equinas.Horse breeds.
SUMMARY
Colors vary widely, and indeed include variantsColonial spanish horses in the USA descend
not common in other populations descendingfrom horses introduced from Spain during the
from spanish horses. The colors include black,conquest of the New World. They are a direct
bay, chestnut, sorrel, grullo, dun, red dun,remnant of the iberian horses of the 1500s, and
buckskin, palomino, cream, and an unusualconserve this type of horse in present populations.
chocolate brown based series of colors. PatternsThe colonial spanish horses brought to the
of white include grey, roan, ticked, frosted roan,present United States of America all came from
as well as tobiano, frame overo, sabino overo,the region of present day Mexico, and these in
and the leopard complex of colors.turn descend from the original spanish imports
The colonial spanish horse type is registeredto the Antilles. Other south american and
in different registries: Spanish Mustang Registry,caribbean horse populations had later, direct,
Spanish Barb Breeders Association, Southwestinput from horses directly from Spain. Their less
Spanish Mustang Association, Florida Crackerselect origin makes the north american horses
Horse Association, and American Indian Horseinteresting historically as well as biologically,
Registry. These registries all register a similarsince they are closer in type to those horses
type of horse, but all have slightly differentoriginally introduced into the New World than
emphasis or exclude certain differentare other present types and breeds.
subpopulations from registration. The registriesThe colonial spanish horses in the USA are
are open, but only horses of colonial spanish typegenerally small and compactly made, with convex
that have accurate histories and phenotypes canto subconvex facial profiles. Muscling tends to
be entered into the herdbooks. Therefore, inbe long and tapering, and the croups slope
spite of the open herdbooks, these registries aredistinctively with low set tails. The horses are
all involved in true purebreed conservation ofused for a wide variety of uses, although endurance
the colonial spanish horses.and pleasure riding are the most common tasks.
Arch. Zootec. 41 (extra): 335-348 1992. Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154 (extra), p. 335.SPONENBERG
RESUMEN sólo pueden incluirse en los herdbooks caballos
de tipo criollo con historias y genotipos muy
Los caballos criollos españoles en USA, precisos. Por eso, a pesar de permanecer abiertos
descienden de los llevados desde España durante los registros están todos implicados en la
la conquista del Nuevo Mundo. Son un remanente conservaciónde la pureza de los caballos criollos.
directo de los caballos españoles del descubri-
miento y conservan este tipo de caballo en las
poblaciones actuales. Los caballos criollos de GENERAL HISTORY
origen español en USA proceden de los del actual
México y estos, a la vez, de las importaciones The spanish colonial horse descends
originales españolas a las Antillas. Otras poblacio- from the once vast population o
nes de caballos caribeños o sudamericanos spanish horses in the USA. Th
tuvieron, posteriormente, impacto de caballos ancestors of these horses were brought
traídos directamente desde España. Su origen to the New World by the spanish
menos selecto hace a los caballos norteamerica- conquistadors and were instrumental
nos interesantes desde puntos de vista históricos in their ability to conquer the native
y biológicos, pues son más parecidos a los civilizations (Cunningham-Graham,
caballos originalmente introducidos en el Nuevo 1989; Denhardt, 1975 and Dobie,
Mundo que otros tipos o razas. 1952). The source of the original
Los caballos criollos españoles en USA, son horses was Spain, and this was at a
generalmente pequeños y compactos con perfiles time when the spanish horse wa
convexos o subconvexos. La muscultura tiende being widely used for improvement
a ser alargada y delgada y la grupa cae of horse breeding throughout Europe
marcadamente con inserción baja de la cola. Los (Loch, 1986). The spanish horse of
caballos son empleados para una amplia variedad the time of the conquest had a major
de usos aunque la resistencia y paseo son las impact on most european light horse
tareas más frecuentes. Los colores varían types (this was before breeds). The
ampliamente y, por cierto, incluyen variantes spanish horse itself then became rare,
que no son comunes en otras poblaciones que and was supplanted as the commonl
descienden de los caballos españoles. Los colores used improver of indigenous types by
incluyen negro, bayo, castaño, alazán, ceniciento, the Thoroughbred and Arabian. These
pardo, pardo rojo, palomino, crema y una three (Spanish, Thoroughbred, and
infrecuente serie de colores basados en el pardo Arabian) are responsible for th
chocolate. Las formas de blanco incluyen gris, general worldwide erosion of genetic
ruanos, overos y el complejo de colores leopardo. variability in horse breeds. The Spanish
El tipo de caballo criollo está registrado en type subsequently became rare and is
varias registros Spanish Mustang Registry, Spanish now itself in need of conservation.
Barb Breeders Association, Southwest Spanish Following centuries of divergent
Mustang Association, Florida Cracker Horse selection the horse currently in Spain
Association y American Indian Horse Registry. is distinct from the Colonial Spanish
Todos ellos incluyen un tipo similar de caballo, Horse (Cabrera, 1985 and Loch, 1986).
pero cada uno de ellos hace énfasis sobre ligeras The selection presures and goals in
peculiaridades o excluye ciertas subpoblaciones North America, South America, and
del registro. Los registros están abiertos, pero Spain all differed from one another.
yfese
Archivos de zootecnia, vol. 41, núm. 154 (extra), p. 336.COLONIAL SPANISH HORSE IN THE USA
These differences in selection unexplored lands the conques
produced divergent horse breeds from endeavor became more highly regarded
a single original base. The result is and consequently more highly selected
that the current New World remnants horses were added to the original
are very important to hors imports.
conservation since they differ from In the case of North America the
Iberian horses. The north american most common immediate source of
remnants are especially interesting colonial spanish horses was Mexico
since they probably most closel rather than the Caribbean. Even the
represent the original, less selected, eastern populations brought int
type of iberian horse brought to the Florida and the southeast wer
New World. imported from Mexico and not from
The original horses from Spain the closer Caribbean sources (Chard,
came to the Caribbean Islands where 1980). The general pattern of th
populations were increased befor development of horse populations in
export to the mainland (Cabrera, what is now the United States involved
1985). The horses coming to th single event, direct introduction, with
Caribbean varied in quality and origin, subsequent diffusion of horses t
but most were from southern regions from one area into neighboring areas.
in Spain. While the intent was t Once horses had been introduced into
import horses of high quality this was an area there was rarely if ever
sometimes frustrated by a tendenc subsequent addition of horses directl
for the horseowning conquistadors to from Spain into these local populations.
sell the high quality horses in Spain This history of relatively slo
before departure, replacing them with diffusion with little ongoin
lower quality animals, and pocketing introduction is in contrast to the horse
the difference in price (Cunningham- populations further south (Cabrera,
Graham, 1989). Horse herds wer 1985). Horse populations from most
increased on the Caribbean Islands of the south american areas wer
and then were used to found mainland started by initial introductions from
populations, fint in Mexico and then the Antilles as well as larg
elsewhere. introductions of selected horses which
The conquest of the New World came directly from Spain. South
was not viewed as a wholly worthwhile american horses also benefitted from
endeavor in the early days of its repeated introductions of individual
beginning, so very little care was horses of excellent quality from both
taken in the selection of the original the Caribbean and also from Spain.
animals sent to the West Indie These high quality horses wer
(Cabrera, 1985). If anything, poorer imported by wealthy landowners or
quality animals were asured due to powerful political figures. The result
the shortness of supply of horses in of the pattern of introduction is that
Iberia at the time. Following the the horses of Central and South
discovery of gold reserves and vast, America tend to be somewhat distinct
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