COLONIAL SPANISH MUSTANGS
"America's 1st Horse"
Krysta with her adopted wild mustang, Katalina, Colonial Spanish Mustang from Corolla, North Carolina, 2014
These are Spanish Colonial Mustangs. They are believed to be America’s first horse. To some, they are a nuisance and an invasive species, even though they have been here since before this country was a country.
They descended from the horses of Spanish Conquistadors and Explorers shipwrecked off the Atlantic coast or marched northward up the spine of Mexico into the once Spanish areas of the American Southwest. They were adopted and beloved by both Native Americans of the Great Plains and by the earliest English settlers of what would eventually become the thirteen original colonies. But in a modern America, with little use for horses beyond rarified sporting events, this beautiful foundational breed of horse is endangered.
These horses play a big role in our history both in and out of the wild. They are descended from the most sought after horses of Spanish nobility of the fifteen century. Native Americans and Colonial settlers realized these horses were great frontier horses because they are small and very sturdy. The Mustangs are also known for their tremendous endurance and comfortable gaits.
David Grant, the "Pee Dee Cowboy" and Producer of Horse Tales. Shown with South Carolina State Heritage Horse, Marsh Tacky (strain of the Colonial Spanish Mustang)
They are gentle, affectionate, and intelligent horses. The Mustangs are also known for their tremendous endurance and comfortable gaits. Mustangs are also perfect from programs that help people with special needs or those suffering from conditions like PTSD.
