BioHorse
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In 2014 I received an invitation to be a member of the BioHorse Consortium. It was an honour to have contributed to some groundbreaking research into the Spanish horse bloodlines in the Americas.
In a context of Spain and the Criollo, results regarding the Spanish Mustang have been significant.
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In total I sent in to the project leaders at the University of Cordoba 25 Spanish Mustang DNA profiles. These included some from our horses and others by contribution from Windcross Conservancy in South Dakota.
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The paper with all results and data has been published in an academic, peer-reviewed journal. I am delighted to bring the paper to this website. Please note copyright regulations and citation information as stated on the paper.
For the website of
BioHorse: Iberoamerican Equine Biodiversity Project
click on the image above
Banner image © BioHorse
Click on title for the published paper
The legacy of Columbus in American horse populations
assessed by micro-satellite markers
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Quote 1
"It is notable that the Spanish Mustang showed stronger signatures of admixture with Iberian Peninsual breeds than remaining USA breeds."
(p.5)
Quote 2
"[The] Spanish Mustang breed showed a higher genetic similarity to Criollo horse populations from other regions than to those from the United States breeds."
(p.5)
Quote 5
"In our analyses, the inclusion in the North American cluster of the Spanish Mustang and Mount Taylor Mustang breeds, which are considered to be close descendants of horses brought to America from the Iberian Peninsula, could increase the Iberian and Celtic genetic contribution to the North American cluster which would not be as important in other breeds from the United States."
(p.9)
Quote 3
"Our results reveal a clear subdivision of two major clusters, that is USA breeds, except Spanish Mustang and the Paso Fino Colombian lineages."
(p.8)
Quote 4
"The Spanish Mustang is considered a direct descendant of Iberian horses with less Thoroughbred influence, which is confirmed by our results and revealed a closer genetic relationship with other Criollo and Iberian populations, rather than with other North American horse breeds analysed, which were more admixed."
(p.8)
COMMENT
These results are exciting for the Spanish Mustang breed. It is validation of the horses being closer to their Iberian Peninsula roots than other North American breeds. To see confirmation of the Spanish Mustang's close affinity to the Criollo and Paso Fino Columbian lines refutes previous speculations that they were not .
In summary, the Spanish Mustang breed can be embedded into the framework of Latin America and migratory patterns that took its ancestors to the borderlands of Meso-america and southwest USA.
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With thanks to all researchers at BioHorse from us at Spanish Mustangs Europe.
S.F.
