Country of origin | United States |
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Traits | |
Distinguishing features | hardy horse of Spanish Colonial Horse type, found in many colors |
Breed standards | |
The American Indian Horse is defined by its breed registry as a horse that may carry the ancestry of the Spanish Barb, Arabian, Mustang, or "Foundation" Appaloosa.[1] It is the descendant of horses originally brought to the Americas by the Spanish and obtained by Native American people.[2] The registry was created in 1961 when some breeders of Colonial Spanish Horse bloodlines considered the Spanish Mustang breeders to be departing from the original "Indian horse" phenotype.[3] The organization was started "for the purpose of collecting, recording and preserving the pedigrees of American Indian Horses."[4] The registry also allows the "hybrids [sic] and descendants" of the original Spanish Colonial Horse to be registered.[5] Horses registered with other breed registries to be double-registered with this organization if the horses meet the conformation requirements.[1]
American Indian Horses generally range in height from 13 to 16 hands (52 to 64 inches, 132 to 163 cm) and weigh between 700 and 1,000 pounds (320 and 450 kg). They may be any coat color and both pinto and leopard spotting patterns are common. They are hardy, surefooted, and no draft horse breeding is allowed.[4] Some may be gaited.[5]
There are five registration categories:
American Indian Horses are ridden in western-style classes in horse show and Gymkhana speed events.[5] They are also used for pleasure riding and trail riding.