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Identifying Authentic Spanish Mustangs


Here you will find articles that will enable you to more readily
recognise an authentic Spanish Mustang.




Finding a Pure Spanish Mustang
By Susan Catt

The last five years I have been blessed to be involved with the Spanish Mustang Horse. I have owned eleven, four of which were born on my ranch. The last two years I have been the editor of the annual publication of the Spanish Mustang Regtistry, Inc., coming into contact with breeders and Spanish Mustang enthusiasts from all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

So what is a Spanish Mustang, and who owns him? The following criteria should help you identify authentically pure Spanish Mustang horses.

1. He is a registered horse, with registration certificate from the Spanish Mustang Registry, Inc. (SMR)
2. The authentic Spanish Mustang is not rounded up off ranges or Government lands.
3. The Spanish Mustang has a traceable pedigree to SMR registered foundation stock.
4. He has been acquired from a reputable breeder in good standing with the SMR.

If you plan on buying an authentic Spanish Mustang or plan on breeding your mare to a Spanish Mustang, you should first be sure that the above criteria are met. Many people have fine grade horses either adopted through the Bureau of Land Management or caught wild off of Private Lands. It is believed in error that these robust, high stepping massive maned steeds are of Spanish Mustang heritage. More than likely these horses are exhibiting either pony or draft blood. Not all Spanish breeds of horses have heavy manes nor high action.

It is important to understand that the Spanish Mustang is a recognized breed of horse. In current times, only a small group from the Cerbat (Marble Canyon area near Kingman, AZ) and the Sulphur (Home Mountain Range area near Ogden, UT) herds have been accepted into the Spanish Mustang Registry, Inc. And these were carefully authenticated through obtaining a thorough history, and remote accessibility to other horse breeds either wild or domestic. Other herds known to carry high percentages of Spanish Mustang blood are Banker Ponies (NC, VA), Cracker Horses (FL), Kiger Mustangs (OR), and Pryor Mountain Mustangs, (MT). Although, considered “Colonial Spanish Horses”, The Banker, Cracker, Kiger, Pryor Mountain Mustangs are not accepted into the Spanish Mustang Registry and are considered as NON-pure. The locations where these horses reside are known to have draft, arab, quarter and other ranch and farm type horses including Army Remount horses introduction into the general area. The result is a hardy, successful, rangebred grade horse who still fancies the title of "mustang", and whom may carry Spanish presence.

Educating yourself before committing your dollars is the only way to be certain that your next horse, or foal to be, is either a Spanish Mustang or sired by a Spanish Mustang. And that, that horse will emanate both physical characteristics and behavioral characteristics true to the Spanish Mustang breed.

The Spanish Mustang Registry, Inc. was incorporated in 1957 in Wyoming. The name, Spanish Mustang was recognized by the Agricultural Department of the United States at that time and designates this particular breed only. All other horses claiming to be Spanish Mustangs are misrepresented.

There are several other Mustang registries claiming Spanish Mustang elegibilty. Many of these began with registered stock from the Spanish Mustang Registry, however, some of them added Spanish Colonial Stock and other non-designated bloodstock. Since there are a total of 3700 registered living and deceased authentic Spanish Mustangs in the breed. It is left up to the decerning horseman, whether to buy into mixed blood from maybe thousands of Colonial Horses. Or, join the ranks of preservationists who are members of the Spanish Mustang Registry, in their effort to protect, promote, and preserve the authentic, original Spanish Mustang.

Where can you get more information about true authentic Spanish Mustangs? Contact The Spanish Mustang Registry, Inc. HCR 3, Box 7870, Willcox, AZ 85643
There are several breeders in Arizona, they are:

Rockin’ H Ranch, standing Chemehuevi (Cerbat)SMR 1713;

Painter Spanish Mustangs, standing Ceruleo Barbos (Brislawn)SMR 1417;

Ron Huizing, standing The Symbol of Excellence (Brislawn), SMR 1909;

Celtic Cross Ranch, standing Azul’s el Milagro al Asad (Brislawn/ McKinley)SMR 1864,
& Conquistador (Brislawn/Cerbat) SMR 0000;

Apache Trail Ranch, standing the following stallions:
Phoenix (Cerbat) SMR 1130,
Castille's Last Chance (Cerbat/Brislawn) SMR 1600,
Hijo de Castille (Brislawn/Cerbat) SMR 1073,
El Nino (Brislawn/Cerbat) SMR 2346,
El Cordobes Cordebes(Cerbat) SMR 1677;

Joyce Davis, standing, Santana’s Shadow (Brislawn) SMR 1676

The above mentioned stallions are the only registered authentic Spanish Mustangs standing in Arizona. There are owners of Spanish Mustang mares and geldings also residing in Arizona. A Complete listing of Breeders or Members is available upon request from the Spanish Mustang Registry at the address above.

Brislawn denotes: Horses who are direct decendants from varied bloodgroups preserved by the Brislawn family at the Cayuse Ranch in Oshoto Wyoming. These bloodgroups will encompass all of the following, plus many other foundation strains.

Cerbat denoted: Horses who are directly or indirectly decending from the Marble Canyon Cerbat group, outside of Kingman Arizona. Cerbats sport the highest number of Spanish Blood Markers in the breed and are known to have the tightest genepool as per blood testing studies.

McKinley denotes: Horses who are directly or indirectly decending from the McKinley/Romero Ranch in New Mexico. (Dispersed in estate sale 1969) A very rare group, nearly lost in totality.

Bookcliffs denotes: Horses who were direct foundation stock from the Bookcliffs-Utah, group from the 1870’s - 1950’s.

Choctaw/Kiamichi denotes: Horses who were direct foundation stock from the Kiamichi Mountains and are direct decendants from Choctaw Indian bloodgroups. The Chotaw Pony’s were considered among the purest of the Conquistadoran bloodstock.

BUCKSHOT -- SMR 1, As an aged stallion. -- Dun.
Bred by Monty Holbrook -- foaled in 1943.
Decending from the last of the pure BookCliffs
Spanish Mustangs, in Utah

CHEMEHUEVI SMR 1713, 100%Cerbat -- Chestnut Roan.
Bred by The Apache Trail Ranch -- foaled in 1991.
Mangas Coloradas SMR 1347 x Supai SMR 351.
This stallion is a third generation decendent of
the foundation breeding stock of all pure Cerbats
in captivity. He traces directly to Ira’s Possum
and his sire Midnight Special. Both stallions
leaving a dominant mark on the Spanish Mustang
breed. Many of Chemehuevi’s siblings & cousins are
latteraly gaited and highly sought after for their poweress
and durability. His genetic history has been authenticated
for 130 years. Native American memories traces the
Cerbat herd back some 200 years as pure and untainted.

AZUL’S EL MILAGRO AL ASAD SMR 1864 -- Dun.
Bred by Spanish Horse Conservatory -- foaled in 1988.
Tenawa SMR 1179 x Rose in the Wood SMR 1064.
This stallion carries a rare lineage to Red Ant SMR 82,
one of the last decendants of the famed Romero/McKinley
herd, New Mexico. He traces three times to Buckshot
SMR 1, mentioned above, and also carries a single
line to a rare Bookcliffs stallion High Chapparal SMR 436.
Finally this stallions pedigree boasts the famous pacer
stallion, Narragansett (Not of standardbred fame),
also from the Bookcliffs in Utah. The Bookcliffs line
tends to sport long thick manesand latteral gait but
is no longer a pure strain.

HIJO DE CASTILLE SMR 1073 -- Dun.
Bred by The Apache Trail Ranch -- foaled in 1982.
Castille SMR 762 x Calexico SMR 512.
This is a linebred Buckshot SMR 1 stallion who
also carries 25% Cerbat blood through his sire. He is
a direct decendant to Narragansett, the Bookcliffs
pacing stallion. His mother is the granddaughter
to the highly sought after grulla Mexican bred mare,
Mexi Cali Rose SMR 29. Hijo sports an average to
sparse mane and tail coupled with exquisite Spanish
Mustang classic conformation.

The stallions, Ceruleo Barbos a black stallion and his son,
The Symbol of Excellence, also a black stallion, carry a high
percentage of Ka-Maw-i and Four Lane blood.

Ka-Maw-I, was a breathtaking black Choctaw/Kiamichi line bred stallion.

Four Lane, one of the last Bookcliff stallions, was a very nice grulla roan.

I hope that the above information and bit of geneology will help you when you are looking for an authentic Spanish Mustang stallion for your mares. There are many to choose from, and all of them of the highest quality available to the public.