History & Horses That Have Shaped The American Mustang:See Also "America's Heritage - Wild Horses" "Old Spanish" horses from Spain at the time of the Conquest
The Spanish Conquerors brought over the best horses they could find. These included every conceivable color and many breed types. Eventually the demand for horses outgrew their ability to import from Spain. So they set up breeding colonies on islands in the Caribbean and Atlantic coastal areas, and from there, horses were distributed throughout North, Central and South America, eventually contributing to the development of many new breeds on both continents: The Peruvian Paso, Puerto Rican Paso Fino, Criollo, Missouri Foxtrotter, Rocky Mountain Horse, Kentucky Mountain Horse, even the American Quarter Horse. These as well as modern Andalusian & Lusitano horses - also descended from "Old Spanish" type horses - share many characteristics both physically and genetically with modern day mustangs.
The Barb and the Spanish Jennet were two of the horse types brought over by the Spanish. The Jennet came in two color patterns: pinto and appaloosa.
"Lady Conaway's Spanish Jennet" by John Wooton, 18th century painterAlthough there were no doubt earlier instances in which horses escaped or were abandoned and became feral, it was the Great Pueblo Revolt of 1680, in which thousands of horses were released from the mission ranches, that gave birth to the vast wild horse herds of the Great Plains, Great Basin, and western Mountain regions. Horses also spread out to the East, where they are nearly all gone now, and up into the Great Basin, where they thrived and continue to live today. 
"Wild Horses" painting by George Catlin [American Painter, 1796-1872]
Horses came into California from Baja and Mexico, being brought along "El Camino Real" to the Spanish missions and upward into Northern California. (This according to an exhibit at the Gene Autry Museum in Burbank, CA) "Old" and Modern Spanish Horses: | "We will never know just exactly what horses were brought to the New World, but early records are of a wide variety of colors and markings. Some of the color names used to describe Cortez's horses are almost assuredly describing spotted horses as well as routine white marks. This is evidence that white marks and at least some body spotting patterns appear early in the Colonial Spanish era. These patterns, and white marks in general, therefore strike me as very consistent with an Iberian origin."
D. Phillip Sponenberg, DVM, PhD |
Since there was no photography in the 1500's and 1600's, we have to rely on artwork and written records to determine what horses looked like that the Spanish brought to America. |
Today's Spanish breeds are descendants of the same "Old Spanish" stock that our mustangs are. However, they have changed over the years, just as modern mustangs have, through both natural and human selection and the introduction of new genes from outside stock. Interestingly, there are only a handful of genetic markers that unequivocally indicate ancient Iberian origins, and yet, these same markers are lacking in today's modern Iberian horses. The markers are just that - markers - of no known functional importance, which the modern Iberian horses have lost over the years as an accidental consequence of selective breeding for other traits. Yet, again by chance, they survive in certain American Mustangs. The Kiger, Sulphur Springs, Pryor Mountain, Lost Creek, Carter Reservoir, and Twin Peaks herds all carry these Old Spanish markers. Many individuals from other herd areas have also been tested at the request of their owners, and found to have these markers. As more herds and horses are tested, we will no doubt find that more mustangs than previously believed descend from Old Spanish lineage. They are not "just ferals from recent ranching operations" - recent ranching operations may have managed them and introduced other stock into the wild herds, but the wild herds of Iberian origin were pre-existing in many cases. 
Ute horsemen riding horses acquired from the Spanish; Photo from Library of Congress
The Ute horses above look much like many mustangs of today:
 Benny the Mustang herding cows
Click here to read FurTrapper.com's INDIAN HORSE HISTORY to read about the contribution of the Mountain Men and Native Americans to the North American Horse.
Nez Perce Scout, photographed by Edward Curtis 1910 | 
Horses on the range on a Crow Reservation, circa 1910 | 
Native Horsemen at the Spokane River, c. 1910. Photograph by Edward Curtis | 
Edward Curtis, "Cayuse Woman with Horse" wearing holiday finest, 1910 |
The Native American "Indian Pony" breeds were developed by highly skilled Native American people. Those in the North used horses of both Spanish and French horse ancestry (including the Percheron and Canadien) to develop their animals, including the best-known Native breed, the Appaloosa. Native Horsemen in the more Southern regions had more access to pure Spanish horses, so their horses were smaller, quicker, and very athletic. THE Appaloosa
Lori McWhorter and her Warm Springs HMA
Appaloosa Mustang, Justy | 
Dave Freeman and Dakota, an Appaloosa mustang
from Twin Peaks HMA in California | 
Northern California Appaloosa Mustang at an adoption
Warm Springs, Oregon HMA mustangs for adoption (photo: Andi Harmon) |
Famous explorer Meriwether Lewis was very favorably impressed with the breeding accomplishments of the Nez Perce, as noted in his diary entry from February 15, 1806: "Their horses appear to be of an excellent race; they are lofty, eligantly [sic] formed, active and durable…some of these horses are pied with large spots of white irregularly scattered and intermixed with black, brown, bey [sic] or some other dark color. " It is unknown how many of the Nez Perce’s horses were spotted, but a possible estimate is ten percent. Settlers coming into the area began to refer to these spotted horses as “A Palouse Horse”, as a reference to the Palouse River, which runs through Northern Idaho. Over time, the name evolved into “Palousey,” “Appalousey,” and finally “Appaloosa.” In the mid-1800s, settlers flooded onto the Nez Perce reservation, and conflicts soon ensued. The Nez Perce War of 1877 resulted in their herds being dispersed. - From The Appaloosa Horse Club's breed history. To READ MORE ABOUT THE APPALOOSA HISTORY from the Appaloosa Horse Club, and the Appaloosa Museum breed history, click the underlined links. The Appaloosa, developed by the Nez Perce people, is the most well-known Native American-derived breed, but there were others. Click here to read about the Cayuse Indian Pony 3. PIONEER & MOUNTAIN MEN
Historical Re-Enactment of "Mountain Men" at 2006 Tournament of Roses "EquestFest"It is unlikely that the pioneers had a great influence on mustang herds, but there may have been instances in which a rider succumbed to injury or the elements, and the horse ran off and joined the wild herds. The "Mountain Men" were fur trappers - often French emigrants, who preferred the larger, "cooler-blooded" French-Norman horses such as the Percheron and Canadien. Northwest Coast native groups obtained these horses from Canadian traders, which they used to develop their Appaloosa horses and Cayuse Indian Ponies.
Library of Congress photo 4. Military Cavalry Re-Mount ProgramS: (American CAVALRY and for the European Market)
 Click to see this wonderful old photo of a Cavalry ReMount post in Southern California in its entirety, taken about 1917. Photo from the Library of Congress.Click to read about The US Military - Cavalry Re-Mount Program The quick, athletic, hardy mustangs were appreciated by military units in both the US and Europe. Their ready availability on the open range was also attractive. Local ranchers in Northern California, Nevada, and Oregon were sometimes able to contract with the US military or other buyers for European armies, and were able to make tidy profits selling these "remounts." (from STEENS MOUNTAIN by E.R. Jackman & John Scharff) Often, Thoroughbred, Morgan, Draft, or Quarter Horse-type stallions were introduced into the wild herds to improve size, while maintaining (hopefully) the desirable characteristics. Of course, not all were rounded up, and those remaining are the ancestors of many of today's wild herds. 
The Boer War used many imported American Mustangs, who were rounded up and sold profitably by Great Basin ranchers. Photo from Library of Congress
I have read that over 1 million American Mustangs were sent to European and African wars between the last years of the 19th Century and the end of the First World War, and none returned. This is a "contribution" that mustangs have made to the formation of the modern world, which ought to be acknowledged. 
from a postcard sold at the Gene Autry Museum in Pasadena, photograph from The Library of Congress
Ranch Horses: Ranchers living on the open range allowed their breeding to stock to roam freely. They managed the selection of stallions and mares, and rounded up the offspring as needed for ranch work. Over time, many of these herds became truly feral. 
Ranch in Elko, Nevada, photographed in 1915 by Rothstein
Many herd areas still produce horses who bear strong resemblance to their Thoroughbred, Standardbred, Hackney, Quarter Horse, or whatever other breed that was once bred by ranchers in the area.  Another photo from the Library of Congress, showing a typical cowboy (approximately 1/4 of which were Black - did you know that?) and a typical cow pony.
It was a two-way street: The traditional "Cow pony" with his "cowy" instincts is from mustang stock with strong Spanish lineage. The original Spanish imports were very "cowy" from generations of selective breeding in Spain, and they passed their instincts on to the horses who eventually populated the plains and Great Basin, and were the seed stock for ranching operations. Ranchers mixed their larger Thoroughbred or horses that would now be called Quarter Horses into the wild herds to reap the good instincts, quickness, and hardiness of the wild stock, while gaining improved size from the introduced stock. Some of these horses, in their turn, became wild. See http://www.oneskyranch.com/ponies.htm for more cow pony history.
Joseph Swasey horse herd at Reid Nielsen Pond in the Sinbad area of Utah in the early 1900's DRAFT HORSES joined wild horses for a variety of reasons:Sometimes they were abandoned due to economic failure or because they were replaced with a tractor Other times they were deliberately introduced to "dilute" or "improve" the wild herds, by adding size and cooling the natural temperament of the "hot" Spanish horses. During & after the subjugation of the American Indian, draft horses were deliberately released with the carefully developed Native herds, in order to further humiliate and destroy them.) An often forgotten Draft type ancestor is the Canadien: Belgian
 Shire
The Shire is the draft breed most often mentioned in old accounts
| Clydesdale
Many mustangs today show resemblances to Clydesdales. However, the Sabino gene that is responsible for Clydesdale coloring is the same that is in the Shire, which is mentioned more often in old records.
| Percheron
The Percheron was also popular in the old days. With its Arabian blood, it was a little lighter-stepped and more lively in temperament than some of the other heavy breeds, which made it a good choice for Fire Horse work, as well as general purpose driving/riding farm work. | Canadien
 "New France furnished the horses taken to the western settlements at Detroit and in the Illinois area. Many of these horses were allowed to run loose in large herds and were only brought in when needed for work. Great numbers are known to have escaped to run with the mustangs of the American plains - an ancestor never mentioned in writings of the American Mustang." - From The History of the Canadien Horse |
Saddle horses were the basic transportation unit up until the coming of the automobile. Smooth-riding gaited American saddle horses like the Tennessee Walker and Missouri Fox Trotter were the Corvettes and BMW's of the day. Just like the working ranch stock, "extras" roamed freely on the range, and many stayed there, becoming ancestors to today's wild horses. Morgans and gaited saddle horses like the Tennessee Walker or Missouri Fox trotter were popular in the old days, for their comfortable ride over long distances, and easy handling.It is no surprise that many American mustangs test genetically to bear a close resemblance to today's gaited American saddle horses.
Tennessee Walkers ridden by The New Buffalo Soldiers, a Historical Re-Enactment & Preservation Group | 
American Saddlebred (one of the gaited North American saddle breeds, closely related to Tennessee Walkers) horses owned by Scripps Miramar | The Cleveland Bay: The Cleveland Bay horse is known for its solid build, sure-footed-ness, and being an all around strong horse. There are many theories as to the origin of this breed, ranging from the Roman invasion of England to the Andalusian Stallions crossing with native mares of the North Yorkshire region. The first Cleveland Bay stallions were imported to Maryland, Virginia and Massachusetts in the early 1800's. Later William Cody, America's Buffalo Bill, chose the Cleveland Bay for his Wild West show. Western States utilized the stallions in their breeding of range horses, to help and improve the size and substance of Western range horses.
- From Fairview Farm, Horses on Higher Ground
and The Cleveland Bay Society of North America | 
 |
 Hambletonian
Many of today's wild herd areas have a history of "Hambletonian" carriage horses being raised in the area. "Hambletonian" is an old-time term for any gaited carriage horse; The name comes from a famous stud named Hambletonian, who was the father of today's Standardbred breed; The famed stallion Hambletonian was foaled May 5, 1849 on Jonas Seely's farm in Sugar Loaf, NY. Raised by William Rysdyk in Chester, NY to become the progenitor of the modern trotting horse. Died, 1876.
 photo from Chester County History
The term "Hambletonian" was commonly used in earlier times to denote a pacing or trotting horse, for either saddle or harness use, such as the Standardbred. The Hambletonian was the Cadillac of carriage horses, prized by ranchers.  Years before baseball, harness racing was America’s original national pastime. Harness racing officially began in 1806 when farmers would challenge each other to a "brush" on the road – a race for a short distance at top speed. After the race, these same horses would also then pull a plow or take the family to church on Sunday morning.
- from Carnegie Center's Currier & Ives Exhibit
Harness racing became wildly popular in the 1800's, continuing into the 1900's, and many people in wild horse country raised and bred trotters and pacers. Many American mustang herds test genetically to bear a close resemblance to today's gaited pacers and trotters
For more about Standardbreds: www.imh.org/imh/ bw/standard.html
Then as now, ponies served as children's mounts. They were also used in mining operations. Due to their small size, they could fit into smaller tunnels to bring back the ore. Only a few Herd Management Areas have known pony ancestors.
 A son of pioneer settler Joseph Swasey riding his pony in the Sinbad, Utah area - early 1900's. Welsh Pony & Shetland Pony
The Fox and Lake HMA in Nevada and the Sinbad HMA in Utah include descendants of Welsh Ponies who were used in the mining industry. The Sheepshead HMA in Oregon has the Silver Dapples color gene, which is rare except in the pony breeds and Rocky Mountain Horses The Pine Nut HMA in West-Central Nevada is thought by many to have Shetland Pony ancestors. Regardless of whether or not they have Shetland in them, they are definitely a small, pony-sized herd of wild horses. Their color variation includes Silver Dapples, which is most common in certain pony and gaited saddle breeds, especially the ROcky Mountain Horse (which is a light, smaller-sized saddle horse).  since February 3, 2006
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