Cherokee's Spirit Farm

Scattered across the country a small piece of American history survives - a living, breathing remnant of days gone by - The Colonial Spanish Horse.

 

This unique breed has gone by many names. They have been called the Spanish Mustang, the Barb, and the Original Indian Horse. Regional strains have been called Cayuse, Banker, the Marsh Tacky, Cracker and “broom tail”. Where Native American people made him famous, he was named for the tribes that rode him- like the Choctaw and Cherokee ponies.

 

All of these names refer to the same little horse who built the American culture with his sweat and blood - who ran the Pony Express, drove Longhorns to market – and fought and died on both sides of the Civil War and in the Indian wars of the Old West.

 

The breed today looks strikingly similar to the horse who stepped off the ships of Spain in the 1500 and 1600’s - a truly breath-taking piece of American history. Today they are listed as endangered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Probably less than 3,600 remain.

 

Small yet mighty, Colonial Spanish Horses range in size from 13 to 15 hands and comes in a rainbow of colors - from pintos to roans -appaloosas and dun - and every variation in between. Many have blue eyes, lots of white trim, and primitive markings – such as brindling and zebra striping.

 

The Colonial Spanish Horse is a very attractive, smooth-bodied horse. He is uniquely designed- with a perfectly balanced, uphill conformation, enormous heart girth, great lung capacity and well-sprung ribs. He is short backed- often with one less vertebrae and rib than modern breeds.

 

The tendons and joints, along with the unique design of the hip and hindquarters - called the “Spanish hip” - are one of the breed’s greatest assets. They offer flexibility unequaled in more modern breeds and have a stride so long that the hind foot lands almost under the rider’s stirrup.

 

All of these abilities combined contribute to his extraordinary stamina, weight-bearing ability and smooth, ground-covering gaits.

 

But he is so much more than just a colorful and efficiently-designed little horse. He is living history and America’s First Horse.

 

He carried the Pony Express rider, the Mountain Man, the Native American, and the Cowboy.  And he is still proving his worth today. Colonial Spanish Horses make a great choice for any long distance work - be it competitive trail or endurance riding. Historical re-enactors can be proud to ride America’s First Horse to complete their regalia.

 

The athletic abilities of the Colonial Spanish Horse make them outstanding choices for dressage, pony hunters, and even eventing. Their innate cow-sense makes them easy to train for team penning and roping as well as general ranch work. And their trainability and ease of care makes them an ideal choice for an all-around family horse.

 

America’s First Horse is still with us, still proudly carrying today’s equestrians with the same style and grace with which they carried our forefathers to work, to war and to play.

 

If you’re planning on getting somewhere on horseback – there is no finer way to travel - than on the back of this historic Colonial Spanish Horse.