So few people have had any exposure to an actual Colonial Spanish Horse that most horse people have no idea how they should look. To many people, Barbwire, a Grand Canyon, has a head that brings to mind a draft horse, or even a cartoon of an old nag.
To those of us who have spent thousands of hours of riding these horses a head like this brings to mind smooth gaits and incredible stamina. Narrow chests,rafter hips, high spine and wide pin bones bring to mind a malnourished horse to those who have only seen modern breeds. Those of us who have knocked off a fifty or more mile ride on one of these horses and noted the complete lack of fatigue that the animal shows recognize that it is precisely these traits that allow the horse to cool quickly and move efficiently.
I see in Barbwire, Red Feather, Stitch, Wanchese..etc..pick a horse..Millions of years of survival, under often brutal conditions..I see the best horses old Spain had to offer, and an insurance hedge, if you will..It cost quite a bit of money to get explorers and missonaries to the New World from the old. If one happens to be underwriting a mission of exploration or conquest, whatever the motive, one does not send poor tools to get the job done..you would send the very best, as the life of a pioneering explorer does not pay off on "Well, we got close."
ReplyDeleteA quick glance at the face of Manteo, 'Chese, Tradewind, or Scoudrel Days brings to my mind the horses of aristocracy.
May not be too fond of the motives or tactics of the Spanish empire,
But it is tough to argue with success. The quality of their horses is indisputable.
Add to all that, hundreds of years of survival beyond domestication..and you wind up with a critter with pretty good street cred.
I don't really care what "Horse World" thinks of them..Horse Nation recognizes their superiority in may aspects. Go ask the Choctaw, Cherokee, Nez Perce, Lakota, Cree, Apache, Comanche...well, you get the point.
Put another way, I would rather ride with Black Kettle than about anybody..history did not produce better horsemen.
La Primera is still Es un cavallo primo. -Lloyd