Pets

The Mustang and Galiceno ponies both descend from Spanish horses introduced to the American continent by the conquistadores in the 16th century. Mustang is a corruption of mesteita, meaning a group or herd of horses, and is used to refer to the wild or semi-wild horses that used to roam in great numbers in the western states. The Galiceno, originating in Galicia in north?west Spain, was introduced into the US during the 1950s and was recognized as a breed in 1958.

THE MUSTANG
Descended from the Spanish horses brought to America by the conquistadores the Mustang population is now much reduced but some still survive in wild horse refuges in the western states. At the beginning of the 20th century there were an estimated one million wild horses. However, organized killing to supply pet food and meat for human consumption had reduced the number so drastically by 1970 that the Mustang was protected by law as an endangered species. Anxious to conserve the wild horse heritage, enthusiasts formed a variety of societies to preserve, improve, and promote Mustang stock.

The first Mustang support group was the Spanish Mustang Registry, founded by a Mustang breeder, Robert Brislawn, in 1957. It aimed to preserve the purest possible strains of early Spanish horses of both Barb and Andalucian type. Then in the 1960s the American Mustang Association was formed to preserve and promote the Mustang through registration and an intelligent breeding programme. A third organization, the Spanish Barb Breeders' Association, was formed in 1972 with the aim of restoring the true Spanish Barb horse. It set up a breed standard based on documented descriptions made between the 15th and 18th centuries and encouraged highly selective breeding. All these societiesn seek to preserve strains, or related strains, of horses that have in effect been lost in the id World and now survive in environments [at have been instrumental in fixing their original character.

There is no overall description of the Mustang, no true type, strains will vary according to the perception of those tempting selective breeding. Nonetheless, the Mustang breeder Robert Brislawn was definite about the type of horse he wanted to preserve in Wyoming. He looked for a small horse of about 1.42 m (14 hh), short in the back, low in the withers, with a low, sloping croup, and weighing about 360 kg (800 lb). In fact, after a study of skeletal remains, Brislawn believed that the horse, which he called a "primitive Barb" ("primitive" meaning early in the context of the American horse population), should have 17 ribs and 5 lumbar vertebrae like the Arab horse, rather than the 18 ribs, 6 vertebrae structure of other breeds. Coats range from roan or grulla (slate-blue to mouse-brown) to dun and buckskin (dark cream). Mane, tail, and lower limbs are black, ears are small and rimmed with black hair, and the head is small and neat.

THE GALICENO PONY
The Galiceno pony of Mexico is another example of the Spanish legacy. It takes its name from its place of origin, Galicia, an area famed for its smooth-gaited horses, which were distinguished by a swift, running walk. That natural gait, so much prized in 16th-century Europe, is retained by the modern Galiceno, which, though not standing much more than 1.42 m (14 hh) and referred to as a pony is, in fact, a small horse in both character and proportion. The breed derives from some of the earliest horses brought by the Spanish from Hispaniola (also known as the island of Haiti) in the 16th century and is probably much influenced by the hardy Sorraia and Garranos of the Iberian peninsula. They inherited their tough constitution and are said to be tractable, intelligent, and versatile. They are naturally quick, responsive, and agile and are popular for ranch work and competition. In Mexico the Galiceno is still used as an everyday riding horse and is also worked in harness.