RANCH STRAINS
BACA
BELSKY
BOOK CLIFFS – MONTE AND SADIE HOLBROOK
BRISLAWN FAMILY - CAYUSE RANCH
CERBAT
MEDICINE SPRINGS – GILBERT JONES
PAINTER BARBS – LOUISE AND ROBERT PAINTER
ROMERO – MCKINLEY
SULPHUR
WILBUR - CRUCE
BACA COLONIAL SPANISH HORSES
ORIGIN – HISTORY
Doroteo ‘Joty’ Baca returned to the States after serving in the Korean War. He noted that the different herds of Spanish horses had descended from the ones his ancestors rode when they arrived with the conquistadors and explored the lands of Mexico. The horses came with them when they settled the North country. Baca’s ancestors were among the first Spanish horsemen to explore the Rio Grande valley.
Joty Baca’s grandparents established Baca Chica Farm in the late 1800s.
The US government had destroyed feral horses to the brink of extinction. There were times when whole Native herds were shot with Gatling Guns and left where the dropped. To the Indian nations horses were considered sacred.
The Baca horses came “from the mountains near Tijeres, New Mexico, from neighboring ranchers, and from Native American tribes in the region. He chose closed herds to ensure that the bloodline of the original Spanish horses was preserved.” --- Wind Horse Path
In 2005 the State of New Mexico publicly recognized Doroteo and his wife, Virginia, for their commitment to the preservation of the Colonial Spanish Horse.
The Baca Chica Farm bred over 200 horses exemplifying the ones that Joty’s ancestors rode when they passed Inscription Rock at El Morro hundreds of years earlier. The Farm and the Baca strain have been commemorated. Joty Baca and his family have been acknowledged for their accomplishments by The Livestock Breed Conservancy, Dr Phillip Sponenberg, Virginia Tech’s renowned Spanish Mustang authority, The Horse of the America’s Registry, and The Center for America’s First Horse.
Joty raced a horse called Little Jack, a local endurance champion of his. He also ran eight-mile races against Quarter horses. Little Jack’s endurance was utilized in the long journeys to Santa Fe to file papers. The round trip was two hundred miles. Little Jack had no trouble covering the distance in two days.
If you would like to learn more about our Baca Colonial Spanish horses please see the links below:
Caballos De Colores – 10-minute Documentary filmed at Baca Chica Farms https://youtu.be/Y6dnW6BVROs
Website: BacaChicaColonialSpanishHorses.com
Facebook: Baca Colonial Spanish Horses Virginia Galindo-Baca
LOCATION
Baca Chica Farms, Belen, New Mexico
HUMANS CONNECTED TO HERD
Doroteo ‘Joty’ and Virginia Baca, the Baca Family of New Mexico.
PARTICULAR CONFORMATION DISTINCTIONS
Legs longer with ample bone size. They are trim and light with smooth muscles.
COAT COLORS
Chestnut, red roan, grey, black and bay. Varnish roan and appaloosa, occasional Rabicano, no reported dun or pinto of full Baca horses. In the past duns, dark colors, tobiano paints, greys, appaloosa patterns, and roans existed. Today: sorrel, bay, black, grey, or varnish roan pattrns.
CURRENT STATUS
The last of the Baca herd was dispersed from Baca Chica Farm in 2013.
“A foundation stallion and four mares were transported to The Center for America’s First Horse, in Johnson, Vermont, owned by Stephanie Hayes, who had previously established a herd. She had a long relationship with the Baca family prior to the disbursal.
Linda Zimmerman at Sandhill Center in Los Lunas, New Mexico, rehomed the older broodmares and foals to the Center.
In 2016 a new breeding herd was put together to reestablish conservation plans at Carol Fuller Powell’s Blue Oaks Center in Smartsville, California. Thirteen foals have been born into the new breeding program. The Spanish Barb Association reported there are only three proven stallions and eight mares of breeding age there. It’s one of the smallest gene pools of the breed.
The Baca line has had DNA testing at the University level with Dr. Jim Murray at University of California at Davis, Dr. Gus Cothran at Texas A&M, and Dr. Phillip Sponenberg at Virginia Tech. They are recognized beyond the borders of the US for their genetic link to the North African Barb horse.
During the disbursal of the Baca herd, El Rosio, a favored stallion on the Baca farm, the son of the foundation stallion, Ojos Negros, was rehomed by Steve Edwards, who eventually bestowed him to the Wind Horse Farm breeding program. At the end of his life Rosio was bred to Snow on Her, a mare from Cayuse Gold and the painted Chinook line. This Baca line is still alive in Red Star, a red roan stud colt born in 2016. He is a base of the Wind Horse Farm breeding program.
Baca breeding programs are active in several locations, among them is Carol Fuller Powell in California, the Wind Horse Farm in Pennsylvania, and America’s First Horse in Johnson, Vermont owned by Stephanie Hayes.
Virginia Galindo-Baca Statement
Doroteo (Joty) Baca and the Baca Chica Colonial Spanish Horses (aka Spanish Mustangs)
The family of Antonio and Elicia Baca (Doroteo (Joty)’s parents) lived in a small community in New Mexico named Los Lunas (The Moon’s) in New Mexico. Elicia’s sister and her husband lived next door. When it came time for Elicia to have her 3rd baby her sister Prolympia was the only one around. So, the 2 ladies harnessed the horse and wagon and left to take Elicia to the Dr. in the local town of Belen. Along the way their path was blocked by a train. As it turned out her newborn son Joty was born on December 30th of 1928 in the back of a wagon. And so the story begins.
Soon after he was born Antonio and Elicia purchased a parcel of land and settled in a little farming town called La Costancia. They built their home beneath the majestic cottonwood trees along the beautiful and historic Rio Grande Valley on the Camino Real.
They raised crops, planted fruit trees, and had a farm full of animals. Joty grew up surrounded by horses, cows, chickens, pigs, and many other animals. They worked hard and were grateful to God for their many blessings. He was in the Corp of Engineers where he was trained as a surveyor.
We married on April 7th of 1951. Shortly after that he was called to go to Korea to fight for our country where he stayed for a years. The atrocities of Korea left him forever imprinted with horrific memories. For the remaining years of his life, he suffered with severe PTSD. He came home to a wife and 3 month old daughter named Dorothea.
When he returned, he went to work for Mr. Rademacher in Albuquerque. He was doing survey work breaking in the highway system that is now I-40. While doing his survey work, he met a man named Augustine Griego. He was so impressed with Augustine because even though he had only one arm he could do more work that anyone he had ever met. Joty and Augustine built a Riding Stable business in Tijeras New Mexico. They gathered a small group of horses they had borrowed from Joty’s Brother Rueben and from Augustine’s Brother Rafael. The riding stable was a great success. This was the point in time where Joty having the opportunity to work with different breeds realized how special the Spanish Mustang horses were. So hardy and intelligent. They quickly became his horse of choice. These horses were smaller but had the ability to go longer doing any job given them. They were so smart and understood exactly what he was trying to communicate to them. He came to appreciate these horses and began seeking out a small herd. He knew they were considered unwanted and were being killed off. There were many located in small farming communities and wild herds throughout the state. These were the original horses brought to this country and they were being replaced for larger breeds.
Joty disliked city life so we purchased Baca Chica Farms in 1961 and moved our 9 children back to La Costancia to be near his family. Like his parents and his siblings, we built a self-sustaining farm with crops, and livestock and built many happy memories. This was where the Baca Colonial Spanish Horses made their home. Joty assembled a herd based on what he felt were the finest traits of the Spanish Mustang. Knowing the horses were being eradicated and wanted to preserve as many as he could. He carefully bred and culled to maintain the conformation and temperament true to the original that came here from Spain. He collected Horses from numerous herds in New Mexico and even Arizona.
These were hard and difficult times. Raising a family with 9 children, working full time, and running a Riding Stable on the weekend was challenging. This was the life we lived until he retired. We raised our children who loved the horses, and they were a part of our family. There were so many and one point we were up to 47 horses. I remember one in particular was an old mare named Pigeon. The kids would climb on her back and when she would feel them sliding off, she would stop moving until they adjusted themselves. Another good memory I have was with a gelding named Blue. One day I went out to feed and generally this white gelding would be the first one to eat. He was larger and stronger than the rest. On this day he didn’t show up to eat. I knew something was wrong, so I went back to see what had happened and there was a wire all around his front hoof. I bent down on my knees and was working to free him. I guess I was taking too long so he gently got the top of my hair and pulled on it. I think he was trying to tell me to hurry up because he was hungry.
Our life with these horses was a huge blessing. We loved them dearly. We leased a 44-acre field next to our land and all Joty had to do was go to the fence and let out a special Tarzan cry and they would all come running.
One time he went hunting with a bunch of his buddies and they were having a wonderful time. Then one of them came back to camp saying that he had found and elk that was trapped and shot. They weren’t sure what to do so they contacted the Forest Ranger. He told them they could go in and pack him out. They went to the site but none of their larger horses would or could carry him out. Joty stepped forward with his little Rinky Dink horse named Shorty, who they were always teasing him about, and the 2 of them brought that Elk down that mountain. Shorty won the respect of all the men that were there.
As with most or all Old Time Horse Preservationists times weren’t always easy. There were times when we had to make difficult decisions that were heart wrenching. One thing is for certain, the horses never lacked for being loved and treasured. We did our best and we hope that the blood, sweat and tears that went into saving our little Baca Chica strain will have an ongoing impact on the plight of the Colonial Spanish Horse that is so precious and so endangered.
Vaya Con Dios ~ Virginia Galindo-Baca
ILO BELSKY
ORIGIN – HISTORY
Ilo Belsky’s parents came from Austria and settled along the Buffalo Road in Tennessee and were farmers there. Ilo was born there in 1898.
The Land Patent in Bennett County, South Dakota homestead entry registered in Pierre, South Dakota to Ilo Belsky.
Early in the conservation process Ilo Belsky promoted the Spanish horse as a useful ranch horse. He was among the ranchers who first exemplified the use of these horses for ranching as well as being among those to start the conservation process regarding it. Now Belsky horses are registered with the SBBA, SMR, and SSMA. “Some question the validity of this line point to possible Dutch Draft horse crosses as a reason to disallow the line from conservation programs, but many breeders do consider the line pure and sound.” -- Dr. Phil Sponenberg.
“On his website Mr. Ilo Belsky of Eli, Nebraska on a Belsky-bred grulla mare (no name recorded). Belsky's Spanish Mustangs descended from Texas mustangs that traveled north during the late 1880-1890s cattle drives. When a herd reached its destination at the northwestern rail heads, the horse remudas were usually sold along with the cattle. In this manner, ranchers acquired broke, working cow horses at a relatively cheap price.” — Gretchen Patterson
“A cohort of Bob Brislawn and Gilbert Jones, Belsky collected and bred Spanish-type horses to work his cattle. Ilo was the first to suggest that Brislawn form a registry to record the horses he was collecting and thus, the Spanish Mustang Registry was incorporated in 1957. Gilbert incorporated the Southwest Spanish Mustang Association in 1977.” — Gretchen Patterson (I changed the date on SMR's incorporation date. GLP)
Belsky kept the best of those Spanish types from the cattle drives. During his lifetime he bred these and developed a very rare and unique group of horses descended from the Spanish horse. Barbs were part of the genetic makeup of the Belsky horses.
“Some foundation animals came from the rancher, ILo Belsky, located in the Sand Hills of Nebraska. (“Strains in SBHA | Spanish Barb Horses”) Ilo believed there was no greater cow horse than the Spanish Barb and systematically line-bred horses of conformation and type that he thought fit what he called “the old-time Spanish cow horse”. --- Spanish Barb Horse Association
LOCATION
Sand Hills, Nebraska
HUMANS CONNECTED TO HERD
Ilo Belsky, Louise Belsky
Louise died in 1977
PARTICULAR CONFORMATION DISTINCTIONS
“on average heavier, more thickly made, although some are the lighter type” --- Dr Phil Sponenberg
COAT COLORS
“commonly roan, grey, dun, or dark colors” --- Dr Phil Sponenberg
CURRENT STATUS
Disbursed
BOOK CLIFFS-HOLBROOK
ORIGIN – HISTORY
Monte Holbrook, an Apache man, supplied most of the feral horses that Robert Brislawn used that came from Little Book Cliffs in Utah. His family was as skilled as he was. They were a prominent source of feral Spanish Colonial horse types for both the Brislawn and Painter herds.
Sadie Baker Holbrook was a Native American born in Kenman, Canada in 1913
According to his son Neil, Brislawn met Monte and Sadie Holbrook not far from the Cayuse. They trailed small bands of horses and were itinerant horse traders.
The Holbrooks spent time in Utah, Montana, and Canada capturing, selling, and buying horses.
Monty and Sadie had 2 sons and 2 daughters who were skilled in horsemanship.
Robert Lee Holbrook, the oldest son of Sadie and Monte, married Colleen Brislawn, daughter of Robert Brislawn in 1960. The connection between these two families that were instrumental in conserving the horse with Spanish markers is illustrated by the marriage of their two children. The breeders from various strains of Spanish Colonial Horses were connected in their goals and agendas in preserving the breed.
LOCATION:
Little Book Cliffs, Utah
“Between Price, Utah and Grand Junction, Colorado are miles of barren, windswept terrain and the thousand-foot-high wall of the Book Cliffs that winds for 250 miles across Utah and Colorado. It is the longest continuous escarpment in the world. Near the town of Green River, Utah, a second escarpment, the Roan Cliffs, rise above the Book Cliffs, and together the two climb a vertical mile above the desert. (“Book Cliffs/Desolation Canyon Region - Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance”) From a distance, the double rampart appears to be a smooth, unbroken wall, but on closer inspection, it resolves into a complicated network of spurs, ridge lines, and canyons.” Small bands of horses resided in the region until the mid-twentieth century.” --- Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA)
Book Cliffs is a rugged area that presents a challenge to any wildlife living there including the horses captured by Monte and Sadie Holbrook.
HUMANS CONNECTED TO HERD:
Monte Holbrook and his wife Sadie and their children.
PARTICULAR CONFORMATION DISTINCTIONS:
Holbrook horses conform to the breed standards with many having long thick manes and lateral gaits.
COAT COLORS:
The coat colors of the Holbrook horses conformed to the Spanish Mustang standards defined by Robert Brislawn
CURRENT STATUS:
No longer a pure strain because of other populations of horses living in the vicinity.
The Book Cliffs-Holbrook horses impacted other strains rather than being one. In some herds there are still horses descended from horses Holbrook captured or bred.
The status of feral Book Cliffs horses is uncertain because they range in an inaccessible area of the Ute reservation.
BRISLAWN FAMILY – CAYUSE RANCH
ORIGIN – HISTORY
“Bob and his dad, Rary Fir Brislawn, filed homesteads on the Short Prong of Prairie Creek near Oshoto, Wyoming in 1913, and Bob’s homestead house is still there. They put up prairie hay and Bob’s life work was ranching, raising and caring for cattle and horses, along with his five children which he raised alone after his wife, Gennevieve, died in 1942.” -- Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame
Robert Brislawn worked for the USGS surveying. Gennevieve worked with him supporting the survey camp and drawing maps. She was also a teacher. Early in his life Robert went to barber school and worked in a barber shop.
At some point he realized the horses of pure Spanish blood were being methodically exterminated. To preserve the breed he started capturing horses descended from the Spanish horses that had escaped prior to and during the Pueblo Revolt.
The Brislawn conservation project began in 1925 with two full brothers as foundation stallions, Ute and Buckshot, a young grullo stallion. Monty, a buckskin stallion captured in 1927 was their sire. The mare was from the Ute reservation. Monte made his way back to the wild in 1944 and was never recaptured.
According to his son Neil, Brislawn met Monty and Sadie Holbrook not far from the Cayuse. They trailed small bands of horses and were itinerant horse traders.
Robert E Brislawn founded the Spanish Mustang Registry, Inc. in 1957. It was incorporated in Sundance, Wyoming. Neil named the organization. At the time the name, Spanish Mustang, was being used by the US Agricultural Department so it was chosen. Dipper drew up the papers and filed them on June 17, 1957, for the “purpose of preservation of the Spanish (Barb) Mustang.” – Bob Brislawn
The Brislawn brothers, Robert and Ferdinand, built their strains from a wide range of blood groups. They were preserved by the Brislawn family at the Cayuse Ranch in Oshoto, Wyoming. Some of the foundation strains are McKinley horses descended from the Book Cliffs, Utah group from the 1870s to the 1950s. The Brislawns had direct foundation stock from the Choctaw/Kiamichi strain. These came from the Kiamichi Mountains and were direct descendants from Choctaw Indian blood groups. Choctaw ponies were from the Conquistador blood stock and were thought of as the purest genetically.
The Brislawns developed a conservation program where horses with Spanish markers were captured from isolated feral herds, Native, and ranch strains. Other breeders were soon to follow their model.
San Domingo SMR #4 was featured in San Domingo: The Medicine Hat Stallion by Marguerite Henry. The children’s book is dedicated to “Mr. Mustang”, Bob Brislawn.
At its peak in the late 1980s, 12 family bands lived on the 3000-acre Cayuse Ranch.
The most comprehensive description of the Brislawn program is found in Gretchen Patterson’s Thesis The Preservation of the Colonial Spanish Horse and Robert E. Brislawn, Sr.
LOCATION
Cayuse Ranch, Oshoto, Wyoming, close to Devil’s Tower.
HUMANS CONNECTED TO HERD:
Robert and his wife, Gennevieve (Irvin) who died in 1942. Ferdie Brislawn
Robert’s children are Emmett, Neil UiBreaslain, Shane Brislawn, Mabel ‘Dipper’ Brislawn Brunson, Colleen Holbrook, wife of the late Bob Holbrook (Monte and Sadie’s son).
Emmett Brislawn and his wife Gioja (Webster), Josie Brislawn, Bige Brislawn, Aileen and Eddie Glonek and their daughter Laura Eloise Glonek,
PARTICULAR CONFORMATION DISTINCTIONS
“The Spanish Mustang is a medium sized horse, ranging from 13 2 to 15 hands with an average size of about 14 2 with proportional weight. They are smooth muscled with short backs, rounded rumps and low set tails. Coupling is smooth and the overall appearance is of a well-balanced, smoothly built horse. (“Spanish mustang - jwruau.inndie-campervans.de”) The girth is deep, with well laid-back shoulder and fairly pronounced withers.” -- SMR
Spanish Mustangs from this herd conform to the standards listed by the SMR.
COAT COLORS:
“From appaloosa to zebra striped dun as well as grulla, buckskin, roan, paint, palomino, cremello, ysabella, and perlino. And the more common colors of bay, chestnut, black and white. All color patterns are accepted in the Registry with the exception of Tobiano.” -- SMR
CURRENT STATUS:
Robert Brislawn died Jan 6, 1979. Emmett died in June of 2010. The ranch was sold in 2017.
Adam Edwards of Paha Ponies and The Spanish Mustang Foundation worked with the Brislawns to provide safe landings for the horses still on the Cayuse Ranch. They were joined by Return To Freedom, CANA Foundation, Cranio-Connection, Reach Out to Horses, Spanish Mustang Preserve and Zuma’s Rescue Ranch to rehome the herd.
Josie took over 100 horses to the Spanish Mustang Preserve in Bayfield, Wisconsin. A number of ponies stayed with Paha Ponies and 30 went to the Return To Freedom sanctuary.
“RTF is committed to conserving the rare and diverse bloodlines that define the American mustang. RTF’s Rare Breed Program also includes, for example, a small number of Choctaw ponies: a 100% pure tribal strain that originally arrived with Hernando DeSoto in the 1500s and carried the Choctaw and Cherokee on the Trails of Tears. These early strains carry with them unique genetic markers. The group will be entered into the sanctuary’s database, and the mares will receive fertility control.” -- RTF
RTF Brislawn horses have genetic connections to the feral horses of the Cerbat Mountains in Arizona and the Choctaw herd.
RTF Brislawn herd coat colors include grulla, true black, sabino, buckskin and dun.
http://www.equiworld.net/breeds/spanishmustang/index.htm
The Spanish Mustang Registry - www.spanishmustang.org
CERBAT
ORIGIN – HISTORY
The Cerbat strain has the tightest gene pool according to blood testing studies. Cerbat horses have the highest number of Spanish blood markers. Native Americans report that the Cerbat horses go back 200 years as pure, with untainted Spanish blood.
There is a Cerbat mustang Wild Horse population in the BLM Cerbat Herd Management Area.
Cerbats have been identified by DNA testing as of Colonial Spanish horse ancestry. (“Cerbat mustang - Wikipedia”)
Cerbats are recognized by the Spanish Mustang Registry as valid foundation stock for that breed.
During a drought in 1971 livestock ranchers shot the free-roaming horses in the area so cattle could have the water. About 18 Cerbat horses were captured and preserved in private herds. After time about 20 horses survived.
The BLM discovered a feral population in 1990 that were determined through blood testing to be related to the animals that had been preserved in the private herds. Blood tests showed no more than 5 ancestors. They were deeply inbred. The new Cerbat horses are healthy and strong, a bit larger than the first group. These newly discovered horses established more possibilities to improve the breeding program.
Bloodlines are maintained without inbreeding because Cerbat stallions have been bred with other Spanish ancestry horses.
Marye Ann Thompson was the registrar of the Spanish Mustang Registry.
It was Janie Debrott who met Marye Ann and Tom Thompson working with the Cerbat Herd to take a look at these horses that were discovered. I also believe Eva Wilbur-Cruce was there. An excerpt of Janie Debrott’s words, “Marye Ann and Tom Thompson have driven from Wilcox, AZ to meet us at the Wilbur Ranch to look at what may be the descendants of horses brought out of Mexico in the late 1870's from Padre Kino's headquarters, Mission Dolores established in 1687. (“The Wilbur-Cruce Horses | Spanish Barb Horses”) Marye Ann is the registrar for the Spanish Mustang Registry, and if anyone can tell us if these horses physically fit the type, she can. After our first glimpse of the horses, we excitedly set off down the boulder strewn mountainside in a barely controlled slide to reach the bottom and to get a closer look. There, grazing before us among thorny Ocotillo cactus and prickly Mesquite trees, was a liver chestnut, Medicine Hat pinto stallion and his two mares: one chestnut and the other a black. Marye Ann's enthusiasm became apparent as she led us from one distantly glimpsed horse band to another until we were caught at dusk with a mountain between us and our trucks parked at the old Wilbur Ranch homestead. Fortunately, it was the Fall season and we were not likely to run into any rattlesnakes in the dark, as they should have been curled up in their burrows, keeping warm. We followed a deeply cut trail back over the mountain, made by thousands of hoof prints. It led us to Arivaca Creek which was, in times of drought, the only available water. It bubbled softly as it flowed beside the old adobe walls of the abandoned Wilbur family home. Back at the vehicles, we recalled what we had seen that day. The list included a band of "dog soldiers", (a term for bachelor stallions), and a wildly colored, flaxen maned and tailed, Overo pinto with a bald face. There was another Medicine Hat stallion, this one a Tobiano pinto with his two mares, one a bay and the other a pinto. We also saw an old, grey stallion with a missing eye, who apparently had lost his mares to a younger, stronger stallion. There were several larger bands with Frame Overos (a large, white rectangle appears on each side of the body), chestnuts, blacks, and bays making up their numbers; some who viewed the world through a blue eye. Could it be that we have discovered a remnant strain of Colonial Spanish Horse!” To find horses naturally descended from the original breeding group, or menada, of 25 mares and a stallion bought to the Wilbur Ranch in 1877 from Rancho Dolores, by Father Eusebio Kino 113 years ago. They had indeed retained their Spanish markers.” It must have seemed as if those gathered there that day that they had stepped back in time. To see Debrott’s whole statement see the link in the Wilbur-Cruce section.
LOCATION:
Direct and indirect descendants of the small group from the Marble Canyon Cerbat herd area near Kingman, Arizona. The Cerbat Mountains (Walapai: Ha'emede) - a mountain range in Mohave County immediately north of Kingman.
Apache Trails Ranch, Wilcox, Arizona
HUMANS CONNECTED TO HERD
Marye Ann and Tom Thompson, Apache Trails Ranch, Wilcox, Arizona.
Ira Wakefield, Arizona Cerbat Mountains.
Ira Wakefield was a mustanger who in the 1960s captured the original group of Cerbat horses.
PARTICULAR CONFORMATION DISTINCTIONS
Like other horses of this type the Cerbat mustang still reflects the Andalusian horse in conformation; some can perform an ambling gait; calm, quiet, and intelligent; and conforms to, but somewhat heavier than the Spanish Colonial Horse height and weight standards of 14 to 15 hands tall; 750 to 800 pounds.
“Due perhaps to their centuries of mountain living, or simply perhaps to their genetic inheritance, their legs and feet are excellent with well boned legs and thick-walled feet. Backs are short, hindquarters are sturdy, deep and powerful. Chestnuts on forelegs are small and smooth, extremely small or non-existent on the rear legs. Ergots are tiny or non-existent. The ears are small and curved, eyes are rather high set. A definite relationship to the old type Andalusian can be seen in the facial profile. The chest is rather narrow compared to American breeds and well "veed" up. Shoulders are laid back and heart girth is deep.”
One interesting fact is that resting pulse rate in all individuals tested is rather low - in the low 30's which should be of value in any type of endurance competition.
COAT COLORS
Chestnut, bay, and roan with some grays, blacks, sorrels, and duns. White markings on legs and heads are common. Roan Cerbat foals are born roan, not a dark color that changes to roan.
CURRENT STATUS
Down to about 20 horses in 1971.
Discovery in 1990 by the BLM of matching genetic markers in a small herd of feral horses increases potential success in preserving the Cerbat strain. Conservation breeders are now slowing bringing the numbers up to a safer level.
https://returntofreedom.org/what-we-do/sanctuary/our-horses/cerbat-herd/
https://horseshoecrestranchmodelhorses.weebly.com/colonial-spanish-horsemustang.html
MEDICINE SPRINGS – GILBERT JONES
ORIGIN – HISTORY
Gilbert Jones “grew up listening to his father tell of the days when the Comanche still rode their "fancy fleet pinto ponies on raids into Texas." One story his father told "kindled my desire in later years to own a colorful mustang band." He told of seeing...about fifty Indian boys, eight to fourteen years old, riding their ponies of every color from the top of a hill to Cache Creek about half a mile away. They would ride single file at full speed up the creek bank and dive their ponies into a deep hole of water. Their ponies would run off a short distance and start grazing, waiting for their riders to return. Gilbert Jones maintained Spanish horse rancher strains.” --- Excerpt from – http://horsehints.org/Breeds/GilbertJonesStory.htm
Jones moved between Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. This increased the influence of his strain.
Jones early herds included Kiowa, Comanche, and Chickasaw horses, some being buffalo runners on the Texas Llano Estacado.
Jones had horses from Anglo rancher strains, like Tom Waggoner. The Jones Medicine Springs strain is a rare source of Waggoner, Tom East, Kiowa, and Comanche breeds.
Bob Brislawn and Jones exchanged ‘type’ horses – later Choctaw and Cherokee horses were also a high percentage of the genetics of the Jones horses.
All the above-named influences of the Jones horses merged into a single Medicine Springs strain.
On 5 March 2014 the Oklahoma State Legislature designated the Spanish Colonial Horse as the Heritage Horse of Oklahoma.
Coming soon correspondence between Gilbert Jones and Robert Painter.
LOCATION:
Medicine Springs, Oklahoma
HUMANS CONNECTED TO HERD:
Gilbert Jones and Bertha Inez Caswell Jones. They had two daughters.
PARTICULAR CONFORMATION DISTINCTIONS
Medicine Springs conformation conforms to breed standards.
COAT COLORS
Medicine Springs coat colors conform to breed standards.
CURRENT STATUS
The primary breeding herd of Choctaw, Cherokee, and Gilbert Jones strains of Colonial Spanish horses need immediate help to ensure stable, long-term conservation.
The Rickman herd also includes the Gilbert Jones line of Colonial Spanish horses.
Gilbert Jones, the founder of the Jones line, was born in 1908 in Texas. By the 1950s he had put together a herd of what he considered to be the best Colonial Spanish horses. When he passed away in 2000, his herd, which ran free in the Kiamichi Mountains of Oklahoma, was passed to Bryant and Darlene Rickman.
The Choctaw and Cherokee strains are seriously endangered. There are fewer than 200 horses and less than a dozen breeders. The foundation herd is held by the Rickmans. Six to ten breeders are needed to take on specific breeding groups of three to five horses, including a stallion.
Horse Illustrated, December 15, 2006.
http://www.albc-usa.org/ChoctawRescue/crChoctawrescue.html
https://www.rickmanspanishmustangs.com/gilbert-jones/
http://horsehints.org/Breeds/GilbertJonesStory.htm
PAINTER BARBS – LOUISE AND ROBERT PAINTER
Because Robert Painter was a prolific writer and left written records of much of his perspective and record that I have a well-rounded section for the Painter Barbs. Also contributing to my information on this strain is Connie Moore who headed the disbursal of the Painter Barbs and is facilitating the records being scanned and archived. The documents are being made available to the public as they are scanned. There’s a vigorous correspondence being scanned between Gilbert Jones and Robert Painter. This will be added to the Painter and Jones sections when they are available.
ORIGIN – HISTORY
Robert Painter began his research and work regarding Barbs when he was fifteen. He started with a gift horse, a Barb mare, to train and use at the ranch he was working that summer. She was different from other horses. She inspired him. By the time he was twenty-five he was studying and acquiring Barbs in Montana, Oklahoma, Old Mexico, Oregon, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, and the Book Cliffs of Utah. Painter interacted with ranchers in these areas. He didn't obtain horses directly from the wild as far as is known. He acquired them after others had captured them from the wild. Through this experience the conformation and characteristics of the Barb horse became ingrained. He read history and delved into their origin. Painter discovered how the Barb had been used in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
Robert Painter wrote on his website (shown below) the ancient history of the Barb. It’s a fascinating read. The Barb trails back in time to the Persians and Scythians, northeast of the Mediterranean Sea and the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. No one knows how long they had the horse before King Solomon was gifted some (c. 1950 BC). The horse of the Jewish-Hebrew population and Israelites started here. During their migrations and conquests the Barb developed as a powerful warhorse for the Berbers and Ishmaelites. The term Barbarian is related to the violent nature of the Berbers, the Barbarians. Painter credits the Franks of Germanic descent for stopping them.
Painter points to the Barb in Morocco and Spain’s victory over the Moors, due, Painter says, again to the Franks. Explorations and conquests to the New World required war horses. Spain defeated her enemies, who then departed, leaving horses that survived. History repeated itself on this continent when the Conquistadors were forced out. Painter tells us the Barb remained, surviving again.
Painter’s account of the survival on this continent indicates that the original Nez Perce horse was the spotted Barb. The US military conducted genocidal program and few escaped, some people on the ‘Chief Joseph chase’ headed to the Kiamichi mountains of Oklahoma with their horses. Some became feral and in inaccessible places.
“In the 1950's a few of these that could still be found and taken were gathered and built into a nucleus stock. Some of that nucleus, called by some of the old timers "the originals", were mixed with other breeds and thought by many to be simply wild mustangs. A few, such as those Mr. Painter gathered, were pure and have been kept so through the years. They are the basis for this Society and Registry and perhaps the primary hope for the future of the Barb. “ --- Robert Painter
The following quotes from Horse Illustrated, Robert Painter, Ava Wilber-Cruce, and Dr. D.P. Sponenberg define the Barb horse and reveal the history of this rare and threatened equine breed.
“The Barb is an ancient breed that was established in the Fertile Crescent of Middle Asia. The fast and agile Barb was a favored mount for the Berbers. (“Barb - Horse Illustrated”) In fact, the animal draws its name from this group of “barbarous” people. The Barb was originally a prized warhorse, which explains its worldwide distribution. As the Imazighen conquered new lands, the horses left behind were bred with native stock. Barbs were most plentiful along the coast of Africa and the Moors used them to invade Spain. The horses were later taken by the Conquistadors to the New World and “liberated” by American Indians. Blood of the Barb flows through the veins of many breeds, including the Thoroughbred, American Quarter Horse, Standardbred and Mustang. Few original Barbs remain in the world; most were gathered from the wild in the United States by Barb Horse Registry founder Richard Painter in the 1950’s to recreate the original type.” --- Horse Illustrated, December 15, 2006
The Spanish Barb, as described by Spanish Barb breeders, is a cross of the Barb and other Spanish horses. “The Barb is an established, very old breed. It is a true genotype. The Barb is that ancient horse from the Fertile Crescent area of Middle Asia, a definite breed or genotype.” --- Robert Painter, Quien Sabe Ranch.
“Spanish Barbs are descended from stock initially brought to the Americas during the time of Colonial Spain, beginning in 1493. (“About Horses | Spanish Barb Horses”) Today, they are part of a classification of horses commonly known as North American Colonial Spanish horses. The term Spanish Barb Horse was used because they are thought to be a blend of indigenous horses from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), and the Barb horses from North Africa. These crosses produced some of the most highly prized horses of the era and were sought after to improve other horse types.” --- Eva Wilber-Cruce, A Beautiful, Cruel Country, The University of Arizona Press.
Today’s Spanish Barbs are a direct remnant of those original Iberian saddle horses from the Golden Age of Spain and are a treasure chest of genetic wealth and desirable qualities from long ago. (“About Horses | Spanish Barb Horses”) ---D.P. Sponenberg, DVM, PhD, Associate Professor, Pathology and Genetics, Technical Panel Chair, American Rare Breeds Conservancy, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, VPI & SU, Blacksburg, VA, 1991.
The significance of the Barb horse has many facets. Barb horses moved in several directions when they arrived in the Americas. There are those who remained feral like the Cerbat and Book Cliffs strains. There are those that make up the Native American bands. There are the ones that are a part of ranch livestock. Barbs were gathered by old-time breeders like Robert Painter, the Brislawns, the Wilbur-Cruce family, and others. In the 1950s a few could be found and built into foundation stock.
Robert Painter didn't believe he had found some pockets of pure Barb horses. He knew the horses he found for the Painter line exhibited Barb characteristics.
Robert Painter believed that purity, as much as can be proven, has been established through extensive research into history, old drawings, and a zoologically based study of bones. Careful study has been made of the local history of the people and horses from areas where horses were captured.
It was Painter’s belief that the Barbs he possessed were as pure as any breed can be. He recognized that absolute purity is impossible to prove in any animal, as none can be actually followed back to their beginnings with irrefutable records.
Robert Painter did introduce an Arabian horse in his lines, and it is a foundation horse, most likely due to the genotype. Dr. Sponenberg and Victoria Tollman are best to reference on that subject. The Arabian registry papers are in the Painter files and the horse is identified as a foundation in all his breed records. Robert and Louise Painter were not interested in ‘improving’ the Barb, but instead to preserve the genotype and conformation. Painter’s focus was genotype, not phenotype. His introduction of that registered Arabian is very controversial in other registries. His choice in using this horse illustrates the different focus of his program from the choices other registries and organizations were making. Gilbert Jones, Robert Brislawn, Ilo Belsky, Tally Johnson, Romero, Yates, others and Robert Painter were walking parallel paths, but the programs were different. Robert Painter’s foundation stock came from these other lines. Each strain had its own standards that the others disagreed with.
When the Painter Barbs and the Spanish Colonial horse breed are combined it is a very small group of horses not influenced by the Thoroughbred and only one Arabian horse. They are extremely rare and genetically diverse. Contemporary management can decrease genetic diversity. Genetically diverse horses are able to evolve naturally through natural selection. The feral gene pool creates an arena where genetically linked diseases can be eradicated by breeders through outcrossing. The term outcrossing means the introduction of unrelated genetic material into a breeding line. Modern breeders must be mindful though in their breeding plan to preserve all the genetic resources that define the breed. Preserving the Painter Barb is possible. Maintaining the purity of this line is mindful thinking, especially since there were just sixty-seven horses left in Painter’s herd. DNA is being collected and a clear record of their genetics recorded. Genetic rescue is important.
The Painter records deserve preservation as well. Original records of all these strains should be safely archived. The Equus Survival Trust has offered to be the repository for the Robert Painter files once they have been digitized. They will also be made available to the public and are currently on a cloud drive with public access by request as they are being digitized and uploaded.
“Robert and Louise Painter have done a great job of horse conservation and have used a different strategy than most of the other significant conservation efforts. The Painter conservation effort centers around the most unique of the Colonial Spanish horse types, which is the Barb. This type is the most distinct from other breed resources in North America and is therefore the one that is most important to conserve. The Painters have carefully studied the Barb horse over many years, as well as closely scrutinizing other breeds and types such that an influence other than Barb can be noticed and identified. By critically evaluating horses for Barb background and Barb type they have assembled a herd of Barb horses that all cluster within this unique type. They have also carefully studied genetics and animal breeding so that this type can continue on in a viable genetic pool by carefully linebreeding and recombining the various foundation strains. What is most useful about the Painter program is that it involves a type across bloodlines rather than a specific bloodline. This is in contrast to most other programs, which are based as much on geographic (strain) origin as they are on type. By mating within the type but across bloodlines, the Painters have been able to assure survival of this type in a population that maintains sufficient genetic breadth to maintain great genetic health. The majority of their foundation stock is either from the Bookcliffs, Lower Bookcliffs, North Needles, Choctaw, Mexican, or McKinley herds.” --- North American Colonial Spanish Horse Update, August 2005, Text written by D. Phillip Sponenberg, DVM, PhD Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA © 2005. All rights reserved.
Coming soon correspondence between Robert Painter and Gilbert Jones.
LOCATION:
Quien Sabe Ranch, Midvale, Idaho
HUMANS CONNECTED TO HERD:
Robert and Louise Painter
PARTICULAR CONFORMATION DISTINCTIONS: Defined by Robert Painter on his website.
Alert and curious in demeanor, robust, spirited; 13-2 to 15 hands; 875 to 950 pounds; hot blood (that is, it has a red blood corpuscle count of 35% more than the cold-bloods, such as the draft horse; this allows them to tire more slowly and recuperate more quickly); tractable, unless abused; high equine intellect; eyes perceptive, set low and wide; nostrils elastic, crescent-shaped, with roomy nasal cavity allowing for large extension and ample air intake; ears small to medium; neck muscular but not coarse or short; back short, with just 5 lumbar vertebrae rather than 5 and a fused piece or 6; 16 or 17 rather than 18 pairs of ribs; loins deep and strong, allowing for heavier muscling, which results in weight carrying ability and strength to maneuver and push ahead; barrel well filled, with long underline; tail low set, with long croup which is in equal balance between hip, pin bone, and stifle; reaches full maturity at 7 to 9 years, with a corresponding increase in longevity.
COAT COLORS:
Painter Barb types conform to Barb horse coat color standards.
CURRENT STATUS disbursed 2022
When Robert Painter died he left sixty-seven Barbs whose lives and genetic makeup were in jeopardy. There were 25 stallions, 25 mares, and 17 - 2021 weanlings and 2020 yearlings. They are currently registered with the International Barb Horse Registry, which was created by Robert Painter. A team of equestrians led by Connie Moore listened in on a call from Dr. Sponenberg (DVM, PhD, Associate Professor, Pathology and Genetics, Technical Panel Chair, American Rare Breeds Conservancy, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, VPI & SU, Blacksburg, VA, 1991.), who explained the importance of the Painter herd.
“This left no question that we had to pivot to genetic rescue. We had to change the mission to in fact, continue the man’s dream, passion and life work. But as I learned more about their high intelligence, extremely sensitive nature and incredible beauty, I thought not only of the immediate situation but the next generation. With only approximately 400 in North America and 3000 in the world, critically rare, we faced a certain demise. It was then I knew that the call was not to save 67 lives, but something much, much more.” --- Connie Moore, Spanish Barbs Who Need Homes, 4-22. (excerpted)
The Painter Barbs have been disbursed. “They went first to established heritage breeders, then to private homes interested in being a part of genetic preservation, then private homes, then rescues. They went to Canada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, New York, Utah, Oklahoma and Connecticut. All prospective homes completed an application which was reviewed and checked by “rescues”. Each horse went with a private treaty bill of sale with the exception of one rescue which required an owner surrender. All the homes were the very best and we continue to watch over the horses. Bills of sale had a first right of refusal and rescues were required to keep us updated on where the horse is. All the rescues right now are interested in breed preservation.” --- Connie Moore, Spanish Barb Horse, Administrator 7/18/22
When Eva Wilbur-Cruce sold her Spanish Barb horses there were seventy-seven horses, including only seven foals as the others, along with some adult horses, had been killed by mountain lions. There were an equal number of mares and stallions. Wilbur-Cruce sold all the Barbs to breeders, even the ‘extra’ stallions. The Brislawn family disbursed their herd similarly. The same holds true with Robert and Louise Painter’s herd at the time of his death.
ROBERT PAINTER WEBSITE - http://ruralnetwork.net/~centaur/index.html
Horse Illustrated, December 15, 2006. In this article the name Richard Painter is the name used. It must be a typo on their part.
ROMERO – MCKINLEY AND ROMERO – MARQUEZ – GONZALEZ
ORIGIN – HISTORY
The Romero/McKinley strain was bred for generations. The Romero ranch was transferred to the McKinley family. Spanish Barb lines influenced this strain.
Another NM Romero family developed the Romero-Gonzalez-Marques band in Rio Ariba County.
All the families were engaged in trade with the Comanche tribe for several centuries but were most active in the 1800s. There were flashy sabino paint patterns that still influence horses from the Bob and Gilbert Jones strain.
“Foundation animals came from the McKinley-Romero Ranch in central New Mexico. These horses had been running wild on open range since the 1850s. In 1934, the Taylor Grazing Act required previously open range to be fenced, and a number of these horses became trapped within the new fences, where their progeny remain to this day.” --- Spanish Barb Horse Association
LOCATION
Cebolla, New Mexico
Rio Ariba County
HUMANS CONNECTED TO HERD
Romero and McKinley families.
Romero, Gonzalez, and Marques families.
PARTICULAR CONFORMATION DISTINCTIONS
This strain conforms to the standards of breed conformation as defined by the SMR.
COAT COLORS
Variety of dark as well as dun colors. Some with flashy sabino paint patterns.
CURRENT STATUS
A small number of horses from the original strain are still raised nearly wild on large expanses.
Conservation herds exist in places like Lame Deer, Montana.
Alan Bell received and trained a group of McKinley horses in 2000 to improve their conservation.
SULPHUR
ORIGIN – HISTORY
The Sulphur herd management area in Southwest Utah is one area that still has Spanish-type horses today, especially in the North Needles area.
This region is along the Old Spanish Trail trade route where many horses traveled during and after the days of Spanish conquest. This was a well-worn route traders and Ute Indians took through the area repeatedly. Feral horses are believed to have originated from this source.
Chief Walkara’s horse raid into California may be the origin of Sulphur horses. Others made many horse raids into California where horses were distinct from other feral strains. Strong indications of other influences on the feral horses of this region are supported by history and geography.
Many horses from the northern end of the Sulphur management area clearly have the Spanish type.
A group of Sulphur horses was accepted into the SMR in 1994, and the second group in 1995. Earlier horses from this area are reputed to be among SMR foundation horses, mainly coming from Kent Gregerson.
Sulphur horses remaining in the wild are in a remote area - these horses are frequently harassed by a variety of people. Management of the feral herds needs to be improved.
Blood typing by Gus Cothran reveals a very high frequency of Iberian markers in the Sulphur horses and are sources of Colonial Spanish horse type.
Not all feral Sulphur horses have a Colonial Spanish phenotype.
LOCATION:
Sulphur Springs area of Utah, east of Ogden and the Great Salt Lake.
Home Mountain Range area in southwest Utah, near Ogden, Utah.
HUMANS CONNECTED TO HERD
BLM
PARTICULAR CONFORMATION DISTINCTIONS
Uniform in phenotype, and most of the variation encountered could be explained by a Spanish origin of the population. See Dr Cothran’s report on blood typing.
COLORS
Variety of colors
CURRENT STATUS:
August 1993 Dr. Sponenberg came to Utah and inspected thirty-four Sulphur horses that the BLM had adopted out to various individuals. His evaluation: "The Sulphur Herd Management area horses that are present as adopted horses in the Salt Lake City area appear to be of Spanish phenotype. The horses were reasonably uniform in phenotype, and most of the variation encountered could be explained by a Spanish origin of the population. That, coupled with the remoteness of the range and blood-typing studies, suggests that these horses are indeed Spanish. As such they are a unique genetic resource, and should be managed to perpetuate this uniqueness. A variety of colors occurs in the herds, which needs to be maintained. Initial culling in favor of Spanish phenotype should be accomplished, and a long-term plan for population numbers and culling strategies should be formulated. This is one population that should be kept free of introductions from other herd management areas, as it is Spanish in type and therefore more unique than horses of most other BLM management areas." He later states: "The horses removed during the last few years from the Sulphur Herd Management Area are Spanish in type. The fact that the horses were so consistently Spanish type is evidence that these horses have a Spanish origin," This evaluation therefore establishes the Sulphur horses as Spanish in appearance.
Sulphur horses near the Home Mountain Range near Ogden, Utah have been accepted in SMR, Inc.
Sulphur Horse Ranch, Taylorsville, N.C operates a small breeding program that “strive to keep the Spanish type, temperament, intelligence and beauty of the Spanish Colonial type. All breeding stock are registered with the ASHA and have been DNA tested by the U of K, parentage DNA has been completed on all foals. Also, all breeding stock are in the process of being registered with the Iberian Sport Horse and Warmblood Registry.
Dr Phil Sponenberg report on Sulphur horses – http://www.sulphurhorseranch.com/SulphurHistory.html
Dr Cothran report on Sulphur horse – http://www.sulphurhorseranch.com/DrCothranSulphurs.html
http://www.sulphurspringshorseregistry.com/8.html
WILBUR - CRUCE
ORIGIN – HISTORY
In the late 1980s in Sasabe, Arizona, the last known vestige of Spanish Mission-type horses were the horses of the Wilbur-Cruce family that started with 25 mares, and a stallion bought in 1885 from Juan Sepulveda, a horse trader from Northern Mexico. His horses originated in Northern Sonora in Mexico, the area of Father Kino's missions. This has been a source of high-quality horses since circa 1700.
Original horses were a closed strain except for a single horse used for two years in the 1930's It was a "paint Morgan" from Colorado. It has been reported that the description and location make it more likely that he was some sort of Spanish horse. This stallion was traded for some of the Wilbur-Cruce strain and was turned out on the range. The ruggedness of the range combined with his being the new to the area makes it doubtful that he contributed much, if anything, to the herd.
Wilbur-Cruce Horses were discovered on the ranch in Southern Arizona in 1990, where they had been living for over 113 years. Their origin goes back to the late 1670s, to Mexico at Rancho Dolores, where Father Eusebio Kino, a Jesuit priest, established his headquarters. Kino was responsible for bringing the first livestock to this area and spreading them northward as he established his mission churches.
It was Janie Debrott who met Marye and Tom Thompson working with the Cerbat Herd to take a look at these horses that were discovered. I also believe Eva Wilbur-Cruce was there. An excerpt of her words, “Marye Ann and Tom Thompson have driven from Wilcox, AZ to meet us at the Wilbur Ranch to look at what may be the descendants of horses brought out of Mexico in the late 1870's from Padre Kino's headquarters, Mission Dolores established in 1687. Marye Ann is the registrar for the Spanish Mustang Registry, and if anyone can tell us if these horses physically fit the type, she can. After our first glimpse of the horses, we excitedly set off down the boulder strewn mountainside in a barely controlled slide to reach the bottom and to get a closer look. There, grazing before us among thorny Ocotillo cactus and prickly Mesquite trees, was a liver chestnut, Medicine Hat pinto stallion and his two mares; one chestnut and the other a black. Marye Ann's enthusiasm became apparent as she led us from one distantly glimpsed horse band to another until we were caught at dusk with a mountain between us and our trucks parked at the old Wilbur Ranch homestead. Fortunately, it was the Fall season and we were not likely to run into any rattlesnakes in the dark, as they should have been curled up in their burrows, keeping warm. We followed a deeply cut trail back over the mountain, made by thousands of hoof prints. It led us to Arivaca Creek which was, in times of drought, the only available water. It bubbled softly as it flowed beside the old adobe walls of the abandoned Wilbur family home. Back at the vehicles, we recalled what we had seen that day. The list included a band of "dog soldiers", (a term for bachelor stallions), and a wildly colored, flaxen maned and tailed, Overo pinto with a bald face. There was another Medicine Hat stallion, this one a Tobiano pinto with his two mares, one a bay and the other a pinto. We also saw an old, grey stallion with a missing eye, who apparently had lost his mares to a younger, stronger stallion. There were several larger bands with Frame Overos (a large, white rectangle appears on each side of the body), chestnuts, blacks, and bays making up their numbers; some who viewed the world through a blue eye. Could it be that we have discovered a remnant strain of Colonial Spanish Horse!” To find horses naturally descended from the original breeding group, or menada, of 25 mares and a stallion bought to the Wilbur Ranch in 1877 from Rancho Dolores, by Father Eusebio Kino 113 years ago. They had indeed retained their Spanish markers. It must have seemed as if those gathered there that day that they had stepped back in time. To see Debrott’s whole statement see the link below.
"The Spanish horses thrived in the desert and were the horses of the day. They were our companions from sunup to sundown, and sometimes into the night, year in and year out. They had speed, stamina, and intelligence, and, strange as it may seem, they had feelings.” --- Eva Wilbur-Cruce, 1987
“The Wilbur-Cruce herd was brought to the attention of breeders of Colonial Spanish horses in 1989 and illustrated an important point when dealing with the Colonial Spanish Horse – critical conservation of the genetic resource of these populations for the organized studbooks to remain open and receptive to inclusion of new pure herds as they are recognized and documented – Eventually new herds will be recognized only rarely – will always contain valuable genetic material for conservation.” --- Spanish Barb Association
“The Wilbur-Cruce horses are more variable in type than the horses in the registries, even though they have a Spanish origin. This is interesting because they are an example of a closed herd that includes some outlier Spanish types that are taller and heavier than the usual Colonial Spanish Horse type. While this does not detract from the importance of the herd, breeders should focus on perpetuating the more distinctive Iberian type in the herd.” --- Spanish Barb Association
Coming soon a radio interview with Eva Wilbur-Cruce.
LOCATION:
Wilbur-Cruce Ranch, southern Arizona close to Magdalena region of Arizona
HUMANS CONNECTED TO HERD:
Wilber Family and Eva Wilbur-Cruce, whose grandfather founded the Wilbur Ranch.
PARTICULAR CONFORMATION DISTINCTIONS
"....the Wilbur-Cruce horses show the greatest genetic resemblance to "Old Spanish" breeds and North African Barbs. These horses, based upon the analysis I have just done, are probably the best or near best representatives of the old Spanish type that was brought to the New World". --- Dr. Gus Cothran, PhD, Texas A&M Clinical Professor, Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
COAT COLORS
Coat colors conform to breed standards and uniform breed phenotype.
CURRENT STATUS Disbursed
When Ava Wilbur-Cruce disbursed her Barb herd there were seventy-seven horses, including only seven foals as the others, along with some adult Barbs, had been killed by mountain lions. There were an equal number of mares and stallions. Wilbur-Cruce sold all the Barbs to breeders, even the ‘extra’ stallions. The Brislawn family disbursed their herd similarly. The same holds true with Robert and Louise Painter’s herd at the time of his death.
“In 1990, the riparian portion of the Wilbur-Cruce Ranch was sold to the Nature Conservancy. Due to the horses’ genetic importance, Dr. Wilbur’s granddaughter, Eva-Antonia Wilbur-Cruce, donated the direct descendants of the original herd to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC). The Conservancy confirmed that these horses were pure and direct descendants of the original Spanish horses brought to the New World.” --- Returntofreedom.org
Dr Phil Sponenberg wrote the following report for the Livestock Conservancy in 1991:
”An optimistic estimate of the number of pure strains of horses derived from Spanish Colonial days that persevere to this day, would be five strains. Most other strains have long been absorbed into the Quarter Horse breed, (with draft and Thoroughbred influence), or have undergone extinction. The Wilbur-Cruce strain is the only known ”rancher” strain of pure horses that persist in the southwest. The Wilber-Cruce horses are of great interest because they are a non-feral strain. The only other strains of Spanish horses in existence to this day are feral strains in certain isolated areas (Kiger and Cerbat BLM herds currently, although examples of pure horses of other populations now extinct or contaminated, are present in owned, managed herds), and the Choctaw/Cherokee strains which originated in the Southeast. To this very short list can be added the Belsky and Romero/McKinley strains, but neither of these can claim the historic isolation that the Wilbur-Cruce horses have had, and both are somewhat of doubtful purity as to Spanish ancestry. The Wilbur-Cruce horses, as a non-feral strain, are therefore truly unique.
Visual examination of the Wilber-Cruce herd indicates that the herd history is very likely accurate. The horses are remarkably uniform, and of a very pronounced Spanish phenotype, In some instances this is an extreme Spanish type, such as is rare in other Spanish strains persisting in North America. This type is illustrated in paintings of Spanish horses during the colonial period, and it was a pleasant though great surprise to see it persisting to this day. The horses varied over a very narrow range from this extreme type to a more moderate type that is more common in other North American strains and Iberian strains today.
The need to conserve this herd is great, since they do represent a unique genetic resource. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has become interested in rare breed conservation over the last fifteen years, and their interest in horses is limited to those breeds that are uninfluenced by the Arabian and the Thoroughbred. The reason they have limited their interest and energy to horses without such influence is the incredible scarcity of such populations worldwide. The Wilbur-Cruce horses fit in this category very securely, and are therefore of great interest and importance, not only in North America, but in the worldwide efforts to conserve genetically unique populations of livestock.
The American Minor Breeds Conservancy is very interested in this population. It must be emphasized that this interest is very great in the case of the Wilbur-Cruce horses, and very limited with regard to most other horse types. For example, the AMBC has no interest in the conservation of western feral populations except for the few (two) of purely Spanish phenotype. The Wilbur-Cruce population is a most significant discovery of a type of horse thought to be gone forever.” --- Dr Phil Sponenberg
“The American Minor Breeds Conservancy was recently fortunate to have been able to directly intervene and conserve a unique herd of horses.
The Wilbur-Cruce Mission herd (Mission refers to their origin), was located on the Wibur-Cruce Ranch near Arivaca, Arizona. This ranch had been in the ownership of one family since the late 1870s. The horses on the ranch had been bred by three generations of the ranch family, (originally Wilbur, but now Wilbur-Cruce by marriage). Eva Wilbur-Cruce, the present and elderly owner, states that the herd began with the purchase of 25 mares and a stallion from Juan Sepulveda in 1885, who gathered the horses from Father Eusebio Kino's Rancho Dolores area. Mission Dolores and Rancho Dolores were established by Kino not long after his arrival in the Pimeria Alta, the area made up of southern Arizona and northern Sonora during the late 1600s hundreds and early 1700 hundreds. Kino was essential in establishing the production of livestock in the Pimeria Alta. He brought in good quality stock of various species and was responsible for the establishment of the mission chain in the Pimeria Alta. Because of this background, interest was increased in the horses, for we do not know how many of this sort of horse survive in Mexico.
*Editor’s Note: The Wilbur family’s oral tradition concerning the horses was corroborated in 2019, when Rene Celaya, the great grandson of Guadalupe Sepulveda, attended a promotional event for the Wilbur-Cruce Mission horses. He confirmed the story of his great, grandfather sending large herds of horses driven by his son Juan, from his Rancho to be sold. Rene verified that these horses were descendants of Kino's horses.
No other horses had been added to the herd with the exception of a single stallion, reportedly a “paint Morgan” from Colorado that ran with the herd for two years in the 1930’s. This history is interesting, since these horses were very likely to be purely Spanish mission/ranch stock from the Southwest. Such stock is very rare, even in the Spanish Mustang Registry and Southwest Spanish Mustang Registry, which cover pure Spanish stock. As to the “paint Morgan,” who could have had some effect on the herd, but was unlikely to be the same as Morgans today, (color alone would rule that out) and was likely Spanish himself. The terrain is very rugged on the ranch, and he could only have had minimal impact on the herd at any rate having not been raised there and adapted to the environment.
The land on which the horses ranged varies from steep, rocky terrain with Mesquite trees and cactus such as Ocotillo to Cottonwood/ Riparian Woodland along Arivaca Creek. This land was adjacent to the Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge, and Mrs. Wilbur-Cruce was selling the land to the Nature Conservancy to be added to the Refuge. The Refuge has a specific mandate to reintroduce the endangered Masked Bobwhite Quail. Since the Refuge has no such mandate for horses, they had to be removed.
Fortunately, the mustang grapevine found out about these horses through Marye Ann Thompson, a long time conservation breeder of Spanish Mustangs. Steve Dobrott, employed by the Refuge as a wildlife biologist, contacted Mary Ann (registrar of the Spanish Mustang Registry), because he had read Eva Wilbur-Cruce’s book, A Beautiful, Cruel Country. In it Eva tells the story of the family’s “little rock horses” and this made him curious to know if the current horses on the ranch could be Spanish in origin. That is how I became aware of them and their history. This really is the first important lesson in the rescue: each breed and each species benefits from a network of interested people that keep their ears and eyes open. This is the best way to turn up leads of new populations, or herds about to be dispersed. This informed network is one of the very important functions of AMBC, and keeps rare or unusual herds and flocks from disappearing without a trace, and without anyone’s knowledge that something unique has been lost.
Mary Ann Thompson was the specific part of the grapevine that informed me of the horses. She is essential in the conservation of a very unique horse strain based on feral horses from the Marble Canyon of the Cerbat Mountains in Arizona. I had not seen her in years, so I decided, at the bribe of wild horses and hot food, to go out in January and evaluate the Wilbur-Cruce herd with her. We also had an opportunity to evaluate some horses recently captured from the Marble Canyon area, which was an added bonus.
We evaluated what horses we could find. The herd was estimated at between 75 to 100, and we certainly saw 60 or so in one day. A drought had begun, and the lack of water forced the horses to use a few waterholes along the creek. One of those had been dug out of the sand by the horses. This concentrated the horses for easy viewing. It is amazing, in the mountains, to witness how quickly horses can disappear. This first inspection was a critical part of the assessment, for it allowed us to determine if the history made sense, based on appearance.
The horses did indeed look pure Spanish, except for two, very tame, tattooed, racing, Quarter Horse mares that obviously were not a part of the ranch population. As had been observed by those who made a census of the herd when they were still at the ranch, the mares were unable to join the herd because they had not developed locally and been adapted to the extremely steep, rocky terrain. We were curious about these, but figured it would be easy to sort through and remove from the breeding population.* The horses were about 14 to 15 hands, slightly larger than many wild strains. They had various shades of chestnut, bay, black, and grey, with some Tobiano, Overo, and Sabino paints. These were very interesting and indeed popular in the local area as using horses in the mountains. Recent captures made to reduce the size of the herd, had removed many pintos and all the Grullos, Duns and Palominos, as they were seen as easy to sell. The lesson here is that conservation breeders need to watch the rare variants to assure that they persist in the population.
*Editor’s Note: It was later discovered the mares had been stolen by their owner’s neighbor because they so frequently trespassed on his property. The neighbor chose the unoccupied Wilbur Ranch as a good spot to hide the mares.
At this point the main lesson was to hurry up and wait. The horses were to be removed by June, but we were hoping that a reversal of policy would be possible and the horses could remain as a managed herd on the refuge. We did negotiate the donation of the horses, by Mrs. Wilbur-Cruce to the AMBC, in order to more effectively monitor their status. At this point Mrs. Wilbur-Cruce had a stroke, and we were in fact lucky to have timed the donation when we did, so that the horses could be saved. She is now largely recovered from the stroke, but the stroke does serve to illustrate how precariously perched are those populations in the hands of elderly breeders without interested, younger generations.
The drought continued into the late spring, which had the unfortunate consequence that foals were being killed by mountain lions. This happened to several foals, and indeed some of the adult horses had scars that are consistent with bouts with lions. We also had a few horses stolen off the range. Some of the very interesting individuals were never found. The Arizona State Livestock inspectors must be given full credit for helping effectively with the legal ramifications of the horses, including the stolen ones. They really went out of their way to help, and were essential to the success of the whole operation.
With the drought and a deadline of June, it was decided to remove the horses and place them with interested breeders. Once again, the mustang grapevine worked well, and we had plenty of breeders used to working with range horses and familiar with conservation breeding that wanted these horses. Some people were disappointed in not getting horses, some were critical that it was not more widely publicized. Still, the horses are now in the hands of good breeders, and that was the first priority of the rescue.
Because of the drought, the creek was the only water source, and it was fairly easy to trap the horses at water near the ranch homestead. They were then loaded by using the ranch’s old, mesquite, corral chute into an open topped bob-tailed truck and removed to a defunct feed lot where they were held until all horse had been captured.
This went fairly smoothly under the guidance of Richard Jordan of Benson, Arizona. His work cannot be praised highly enough. The herd numbered 77, including only 7 surviving foals. One half of the herd consisted of stallions and the other half, mares. Very few yearlings were present, because of lion predation. The horses were then taken to a rural area outside of Tucson, Arizona, to an arena and a few pens owned by the “Old Tucson” movie set and amusement park which gave the public some chance to see them.
At that point I went back out to Arizona, in the record-breaking heat of 114 degrees, to sort through the herd and place the animals with the various owners. We placed all the mares with breeders, and enough of the stallions to have a viable population into the future. The goal was to place the horses in such a way that the genetic variability was fairly evenly distributed throughout the breeding groups. Excess stallions were auctioned on a very hot evening. They brought less money than expected, but Mary Ann Thompson, who attended the auction, says that all ended up as using or breeding horses and none went to the meat market. This is amazing given the age and sex of the horses sold.
Blood samples were also taken for blood typing. It became apparent in looking at all the horses captured, that some few were probably not Spanish and the blood typing was the final clue. A few horses were obviously not consistent with a Spanish origin. There were the two quarter horse mares previously mentioned. It is uncertain the extent to which similar escapades had gone on in the past, but this would certainly change the opinion of the purity of the herd. Fortunately, blood typing in horses can help sort through this sort of thing, and Dr. Gus Cothran of Kentucky (now Texas A & M), helped immensely by blood typing this herd. This is a time consuming process. The results of the typing indicate that the history is accurate; these are indeed a unique population with a long history of genetic isolation from other horses. The few outside horses had been introduced so recently as to not have any genetic effect on the herd.
AMBC has done something very worthwhile in this rescue. Valuable contacts were made with the BLM, wild horse organizations, and others interested in conserving rare sorts of horses. AMBC also learned a great deal about the value of a network of informed and interested people, as well as how to use the network effectively. In the next few years other such rescues may be possible. It is an excellent accomplishment, if AMBC can step up and take imperiled animals for which they can be responsible and then place them with breeders. With that in mind I hope that AMBC can build a rescue fund so that future, such endeavors have a secure base of funding.” --- Dr. Phil Sponenberg PhD, DVM, 1991
Edited and Updated by Jane Dobrott, 2020; Capture Underwritten by The Livestock Conservancy; www.livestockconservancy.org
https://www.spanishbarb.com/_files/ugd/47e6a1_24e58f01e5ed4373859edf54fb06c874.pdf
©2022 Connie Doughman