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Horse of the Americas Newsletter
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June 15, 2007 |
Volume 1, Number 1 |
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Saving a Dying BreedWild mustangs have been roaming the Outer Banks of North Carolina for several hundred years. Descendants of horses brought to the New World by Spanish colonists; they numbered over six thousand as recently as the 1920’s. Now only two herds remain wild on the Outer Banks, the Corolla herd that numbers less than 125 and the Shackleford herd of approximately the same size located 175 miles to the south near North Carolina.
For several days in late February, a team of inspectors from the Horse
of Americas Registry and the American Indian Horse Registry studied the
two herds to determine whether they still demonstrated the
characteristics of the ancient Spanish horses. The inspection included
views of the horses in the wild along with observations of a few captive
horses from each herd. The team searched the Corolla Wild Horse
Sanctuary looking for skeletal remains order to confirm that the herd
was composed of horses that bore the unique vertebra of the original
horses of the Spanish colonists. Several skeletons were found and the
official report of the team of inspectors made it clear that the horses
are just what they have been reputed to be—descendants of Colonial
Spanish horses.
Press release: For immediate release Contact Steve Edwards
757-357-2103 Youth Program Feature
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From the Sulphur Corner….By Duane White
I was lucky enough this past weekend to go to a speed show at a local park. The turnout was good and a cold rainy morning soon turned into a warm sunny afternoon and as I sat through class after class of different speed events I couldn’t help but compare our horses to the one’s competing. Granted there were plenty of horses there that took great care of their riders, young or old and didn’t go too fast for the talents of their riders or spook at unseen ghosts along the way, they took in all the commotion with a grain of salt and took care of their precious cargo. Such horses are worth their weight in gold no matter what breed they are. Most of the riders were there for fun and not for trophies or ribbons but just for fun or training their new horses the in’s and out’s of the show. We cheered on the local neighbor girls who work at the local diner and happen to be some pretty amazing riders in their own right and did quite well. All in all, although nice horses I would say less then a handful of the 50+ horses were anything to write home about although we did happen to see 2 horses that stood out from the crowd and when we went over to investigate they happened to be Paso Fino’s belonging to 2 girls under 12, one just bought 10 days prior and at his first show. They stood out as Spanish but also as one of the few calm, level headed bunch that didn’t bat an eye at anything or balk at any of the games! We talked Spanish horses and they also own a Spanish Mustang who is in training and it was nice to talk to folks who valued the same traits in these horses we all do. Follow this link for the full story: From the Sulphur Corner Duane Ponyman1964@hotmail.com www.whitepinesspanishmustangs.com 2007 ANNUAL MEETING This year’s annual meeting will be held October 5, 6, & 7 at John & Penny Hatkes’ Hickory Springs Horse Campground in Attica, Indiana. See Google Map links.
The Hatkes’ have plenty of room for both primitive (tent) and RV camping and will be free of charge for our HOA members. There is an outbuilding with 2 bathrooms, and 2 showers. Additional portalet units are planned for camper’s convenience. There are a limited number of electrical hook-ups available for RV’s. Those who will require electrical hook-ups are requested to contact the Hatkes’ by early August to allow time for the addition of more hook-ups if they are needed. Did I mention that camping is free & right on the premises? It doesn’t get any better than that! Also note, there will be plenty of free hay for the horses as well as divided areas for corralling them safely.
For accommodations off site there is the charming Hotel Attica, the new Attica Motor Inn and a fine bread & breakfast at The Apple Inn. All are within a few miles of the meeting site. It will be necessary to make reservations as soon as possible because there is a popular off road “Rock Climbing” event at the Badlands on the same weekend as our meeting.
To see the full schedule of events & seminars follow this link:
ALBC Marsh Tacky Horse Conservation Project By Jeannette Beranger, ALBC Research & Technical Programs ManagerThe American Livestock Breeds Conservancy began an investigation into the Marsh Tacky hor se breed through a lead given to ALBC Technical Advisor, Dr. Phillip Sponenberg of Virginia Tech’s Veterinary College by members of the Florida Cracker Horse Association. Members of that association had heard of horses in South Carolina that were very similar to their Florida Cracker horse (a strain of Colonial Spanish horse). Florida breeders decided to see for themselves. Initial inspection showed that the breed of horse in South Carolina, the Marsh Tacky, did in fact resemble their horses in Florida but had some distinct differences. There were very few left according to the remaining Marsh Tacky breeders. Upon returning to Florida, the Florida Cracker breeders then contacted Dr. Sponenberg as he is a leading authority on horse genetics, in particular Colonial Spanish horses. They thought he may be able to shed more light on the Marsh Tacky horse and help conserve the few that were left. During the spring of 2006, Dr. Sponenberg, along with two other ALBC staff members, Marjorie Bender and Jeannette Beranger, made a trip to South Carolina to begin an ALBC field investigation and determine if the Marsh Tacky could be a surviving descendant of the Spanish horses that arrived in the Americas as early as the 1500’s.According to Dr. Sponenberg’s research, he states that “Colonial Spanish Horses are of great historic importance in the New World. They descend from horses introduced from Spain during the age of the conquest of the New World. They are a direct remnant of the horses of the Golden Age of Spain and that type is mostly or wholly extinct now in Spain. Our Colonial Spanish horses are therefore a treasure chest of genetic wealth from a time long gone.” If the Marsh Tacky was indeed a strain of these genetically significant horses, then there conservation would become a priority for ALBC in or der to ensure the continued survival of the breed and the genetics they represent.To learn what the initial field inspection of a number of Marsh Tackies revealed, follow this link: Marsh Tacky Horse Conservation Project
ON THE TRACKS OF
ADELANTADO
By Stephanie Lockhart While most of you have shed the coats of your horses winter hair, we still have a few here up north that refuse to completely let go. I was a little skeptical about how well polished our horses would look when we headed out April 29-30 for the 4th annual Everything Equine, a multi-state horse expo. This was our third year in attendance with the horses, and our extra large booth full of information about the Colonial Spanish horses of Red Road farm was again a popular attraction. There were some pretty fancy horses there for demos and presentations, but really it was our horses that shined, maybe not their fluffy coats, but their presence.
Our four-legged's in attendance were Baca geldings Morado, Ringo, and Frio
who trailered over with his new owner to participate in our demo. Also the
two year old Choctaw filly Tallulah, and of course the movie star, Oscar,
was there. The 7,500 horse enthusiasts that come to this event continue to
enjoy seeing "Hidalgo" displayed at our booth with the other horses. The
biggest attraction was allowing kids to "paint their own Indian Pony" with
tempura on our horses bodies. By the end of the weekend we have three
horses colorfully plastered with hand prints. Vermont governor Jim Douglas
paid us a visit and remarked on the great article that he read in Vermont
Life magazine about the horses at Red Road farm.
Follow link to learn what happens next at
On The Tracks of Adelantado
Northeast Colonial
Spanish Horse Club
Hello from the newly formed group for
Colonial Spanish horse lovers! We’ve formed this group to promote the
Colonial Spanish horse to the people of the Northeast. There are only a
few of us with this rare breed up here but we’re going to try and change
that! A few members are doing dressage with their Spanish Mustangs and
getting many compliments, others are simply bragging on their horses and
doing a fantastic job getting the word out about this great breed.
We have become an affiliate with a
New England horse magazine called the Horseman’s Yankee Peddler
and we submit an article every month; Hopefully getting the word out
by this avenue! As our members are so spread apart it is hard for us to
get together to do much as a group, but as the club grows we’ll be doing
more. As for my own 6yr old Spanish Mustang, Maverick, he’s been a great
ambassador for the breed. He is a wonderful trail horse and willingly
tries new obstacles on the trail and impresses anyone who watches him.
Together we go many places most people wouldn’t even think of! If you
live in the northeast (or even if you don’t), come for a visit and have
some fun!
Happy Trails!
Melissa Valley, President
valleyfarm@gmail.com Sharon Baran copyright (c) 2007
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