Colonial Spanish Horse - Modern Breeds and Types

Modern Breeds and Types

The wide array of horses considered to be near-pure descendants of original Spanish stock carry a variety of names. They include the following modern breeds or breed substrains:

• Abaco Barb
• Sorraia
• Iberian sulphur horse
• Galiceno
• Mustang substrains considered to be Colonial Spanish:
  • Gila Bend Mustang
  • Kiger Mustang
  • Pryor Mountain Mustang
  • Spanish Mustang
  • Sulphur Mustang
  • Wilbur-Cruce Mission horse

DNA analysis has been used by breeders and horse associations to trace the connections among the breeds. Hardy Oelke used MtDNA to show Sulphurs have a link to the Sorraia.

In early 2001, the American Sulphur Horse Association was invited to participate in a joint genetic research project studying Iberian breed horses. Dr. E. Gus Cothran of the University of Kentucky Equine Research Dept. (now at Texas A&M), and Professor Maria Mar D'Oom of the University of Lisbon, Portugal, proposed the study. They wanted to assess the relationship (if any) among the Iberian (Spanish and Portuguese) breeds. As a recognized Iberian breed (Old World blood) now found in the New World, the Sulphurs were included in the study. As a result of the testing, Sulphurs were found to carry the Iberian/Barb 1 Sul mtDNA pattern. This meant that the direct maternal line was descended from the Iberian/Barb. The female siblings and daughters of these horses have the same mtDNA.