Spanish Mustang Type Basics

[@KaceyBarton]

I'm currently doing research into the character design of a Spanish Mustang, and I found this video (as well as the others on this channel) very insightful. Thank you!

[@sigridyounger425]

I also enjoyed this video also.

[@suzystone244]

I LOVE this type.....the true Spanish❤

[@theresemalmberg955]

What the heck! It looks like the video cut off before he was finished! I was looking to see what Robert Brislawn and others have described as the forelegs being an inverted V rather than a square. I am very disappointed in what was otherwise an excellent video.

[@PahaPoniesSpanishMustangs]

Yeah....its not something talked about much and so asked presenter. His explanation was that the northers horses are so different than the desert horses and since they had to cross that they manifest sporatically. Im using the southern blood to keep my horses narrow. One can feel that breastbone protruding past the shoulder is the starting point for the A chest verses H shaped chest

[@theresemalmberg955]

@@PahaPoniesSpanishMustangs I would like to see a video or at least photographs showing a Spanish Mustang next to a Quarter Horse or other common breed. Without a side by side or front to front comparison, it's really hard to tell exactly what is meant by V-legged or narrow. What does a rounded cannon bone look like next to an elongated one and so forth. Now I have read LOTS and LOTS of descriptions of Spanish Mustangs and I have seen LOTS and LOTS of photographs, but I think I speak for a lot of people that unless you show the two breeds side by side people aren't going to know what you are talking about. My take on this--and I know it is probably heresy--is that while yes, the Spanish Mustang does have conformation features that differ from other breeds, those differences are not all that noticeable to those who are not familiar with horses in general. For example, I can look at a picture of a draft horse and I can tell you that that is NOT a Thoroughbred; I can look at a picture of an Arabian and tell you that isn't a Thoroughbred either; but if you put a Thoroughbred, a Standardbred and yes, even a Quarter Horse together, I think I might be hard pressed to tell which one was which. So why don't Spanish Mustang enthusiasts SHOW how their horses differ anatomically next to a "regular" horse instead of talking about it? That's why I was really disappointed when the video cut off when it did. It did not educate or inform me any further and again I think I am not alone in thinking this.

[@theresemalmberg955]

@@PahaPoniesSpanishMustangs What would be extremely helpful is to SHOW a Spanish Mustang and a Quarter Horse or other breed next to each other and point out the differences between the two. Quite frankly, I cannot see any significant physical differences between the Spanish Mustang and other breeds. Having a visual comparison would go a long way in showing what a A chest versus an H chest looks like. To me it is a lot like the differences between a Standardbred and a Thoroughbred. I'd be hard put to tell one from another even though there are supposedly physical differences (head shape, for one). Whereas I have no trouble distinguishing an Arabian from a Clydesdale because the differences are so great and so obvious. I have no doubt that Spanish Mustangs are remarkable horses but I suspect that they may have been over-hyped a bit and that when it comes down to it they are no better or worse than any other breed whose enthusiasts claim it is the best breed ever.

[@PahaPoniesSpanishMustangs]

Few people have been around them as much as I, and it's a never-ending learning situation. Especially if you didn't grow up on a horse. The problem is that realistically, there were so few that were considered full blood by the 70s that they had to allow potentially marginal horses into the program. Bankers, for example. Even today, 55 years later, folks are still saying "oh what about these?" it is accepted by some that the early preservation folks were too strict, but others say too slack. Check out my page in the next few days, and I'll try to do a video on the subject....problem is I don't have any non SM's. But the difference is pretty profound and can kind of be summed up culturally. Hispanic culture is smooth flowing with brio, us culture is more butch and contained. No one says that these horses are 100% only Colonial Spanish Horse blood...no doubt some of the tribal blood has different things in there and the blm, starting in 1970, swapped horses from one hma to the other pretty heavily. Not to mention the countless registries that took early sm blood to improve their projects further eliminating some strength of characteristics.

[@PahaPoniesSpanishMustangs]

Practically as well, a difference is lineage. Their pedigrees go way back. Another thing is you can gallop my stallion Dutch for 50 miles straight....and do it again the next day and next.

[@davechristensen8299]

This horse is the true wild mustang conformation type, before the genes of saddle horses and draft horses got into the wild herds. They are very hardy. This horse is a paint and a buckskin. It has a white face, blue eyes, a dorsal stripe and "zebra stripes" up the lower legs. I think the Spanish must have brought very colorful horses to the Americas! They often have color genes that have been bred out of modern horses, because our culture prefers uniformity.

[@PahaPoniesSpanishMustangs]

I was told by Joty Baca the spanish by and large were against color patters and preferred solids.

[@PahaPoniesSpanishMustangs]

White is too easy to see from a distance

[@davechristensen8299]

@@PahaPoniesSpanishMustangs There were lots of "Paints" (white spotted horses) in the wild herds I have seen in the desert West. If the Spanish did not like spotted horses, maybe they sent them to the Americas to get rid of them? How do you explain this?

[@PahaPoniesSpanishMustangs]

@@davechristensen8299 there for sure were all colors. Spanish aristocracy is probably sporting a different horse than farmer horses.

[@weloveTM123]

So what is the main difference between a Kiger Mustang (they happen to be the direct descendants of the horses that conquistadors brought in the new world) and a Spanish mustang?

[@NishanthRajiwtbawlb]

Same thing, kigers are just one specific herd

[@conniedoughman8379]

There are several strains of horses descended from the Colonial Spanish horse. From Dr Phillip Shonenberg about Kigers: · Feral horses from the Kiger region in Oregon are selected to be dun, grullo, or red dun-managed herds - feral and private breeders - range horses periodically rounded up and adopted to interested buyers. · Conformation is currently somewhat variable - some still more traditional Spanish type - others smoother, taller than usual Spanish type of conservation interest - this conformation could result either from crossbreeding in the past or from selection within the original Spanish base - no matter, the taller, smoother type is less useful to Spanish horse conservation. · Kiger is most remote from the others in terms of type and in terms of the conservation philosophy of the breeders.

[@PahaPoniesSpanishMustangs]

Connie... what are you talking about? His statement excludes them as Spanish Mustangs...not includes

[@PahaPoniesSpanishMustangs]

The kiger is the us federal governments ploy to sell more horses from the range to the masses. They saw in the late 60s that there was great steam in preserving what was left of the old Spanish pony (thanks largely to the B 2:51 rislawns and jumped on that bandwagon. So they created a sellable myth to stir interest and dumped a lot of money into advertising. So how are they different. 1. Height A SM is 13 to 14.2 hands... 2. You need to shoe a kiger them if you use them. Rarely a sm. 3. You use a qh bars saddle (regular saddle)on a kiger verses an arabian bars on a sm 4. Muscling... you see every muscle in a kiger but a sm you see none 5. body shape. The highest point on the back end of a sm should be its spine at the croup. This may sound silly but its pivotal (pun intended) to range of motion of the back legs. On a kiger it will be the hip. 6. Brain. You have hundreds of years of surviving in the wilds verses 40. Work with both kinds of horses....and you will then see the difference. The sm has an incredible confidence that is not replicable.

[@PahaPoniesSpanishMustangs]

​@@NishanthRajiwtbawlbno....not even close