The Arrival of Horses into the Americas
The map at left is from Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America by Judith Dutson. It shows the places and dates of the arrival of European horses into the "New World."
On the introduction of modern horses to the Americas
The voyage of Columbus in 1492 set in motion exploration and exploitation of new territory. Pope Alexander VI in 1493 granted Spain dominion over all lands, discovered or undiscovered, in the New World. On his second voyage in 1493, Columbus returned to the Islands of Hispaniola and Cuba with livestock, including horses, to establish settlements on the islands. It was decreed that all Spanish ships that followed would carry more livestock. By 1514, Cuba was under the full control of the Spanish. Under the expertise of these settlers, Iberian horses bred and flourished on the islands. Expeditions that sought out new lands and treasures brought horses with them from the islands. The earliest exploratory expeditions went to Mexico in 1517 (Cordóba) and 1518 (Grijalva), but did not bring horses. In April of 1519, Cortés set out to discover more about Mexico, mostly in search of gold. He brought along 16 horses. By June of that year, he established the settlement of Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz. It took only 2 years for Cortés and his men to conquer the Aztecs. During this time, Cortés received reinforcements and supplies, including more horses from Cuba.
Over the next few decades, more Spanish settlers came to the Mexican mainland bringing with them livestock from the Islands. Many of them moved southward and inland to establish new settlements. From 1535-1542, explorers with Francisco de Coronado reached as far north as areas that are now in Arizona and New Mexico, including the Grand Canyon, and into Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
The Spanish ranchers ran their livestock much as they did back in Spain, with free ranging livestock that they would round up as needed. The horses were able to breed freely. Natural selection rather than artificial selected breeding has resulted in the horses we now know as the Galiceño Horse. This area of Mexico is relatively isolated on the coast because of the high mountains with dense cloud forests, so the horses remained relatively pure. Preliminary results of genetic tests done by Dr. E. Gus Cothran at Texas A&M University on our Galiceños show them to be closest to the Garrano horses (also called Minho) of Portugal, a primitive horse of the Iberian Peninsula. This gave plenty of opportunity for native peoples to take horses and other livestock, and for feral herds to develop.
Over the centuries, these Colonial Spanish horse populations have bred within their own herds and have remained relatively genetically pure. How could this be with so many other horses that could dilute the genetic purity? Hardy Oelke in the book "Born Survivors on the Eve of Extinction" writing about Spanish Mustangs suggests that it is because the Spanish Colonial horses are clanish, avoiding horses of other breeds. Our observations with our herd of Galiceños supports this idea. We have 32 Galiceños in the same 52 acre pasture with 10 other horses of different breeds (Arabians, Tennessee Walkers, Appaloosa, Quarter Horse). The Galiceños do segregate themselves and run as a separate herd. That will result in genetic isolation even if there is no physical or geographic isolation.
Many of the Horse Breed accounts overly simplify history and include unsubstantiated conjecture, resulting in some erroneous beliefs and conclusions. Bonnie Hendricks (Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds) in reference to the Galiceño breed, simply states that Cortés brought 16 horses with him. The implication is that these were the horses that gave rise to the Galiceños. That is not the case. All of these 16 horses were accounted for. However, not only were more horses brought to the mainland during the two years of the conquest, but for many years afterwards as new settlements were founded. What we now consider Galiceños are the result of nearly 500 years of natural selection within the feral herds in southern Mexico. They are a land race that developed in their new environment. Records also show that these horses were brought along with missionaries as they established outposts throughout Mexico and what is now southwestern USA.
Meanwhile, exploration continued into South America and North America. Settlements in South America apparently tended to keep their horses under closer control with very selective breeding programs. Consequently, they developed unique breeds. This story should be a chapter unto itself.
There were also expeditions into Florida and partly up the East Coast of North America. Ponce de Leon in 1513 explored Florida’s east coast from near St. Augustine south through the Keys and up the Gulf Coast to Tampa Bay area, but he had no horses. However, he returned in1521 with horses and other livestock to establish a new colony near Charlotte Harbor, but it was abandoned and no horses were left behind. Similarly, Pánfilo de Narvaez brought 40 horses with supplies to establish a settlement near Tampa. It also failed and there are no records of horses surviving. Hernando de Soto came ashore near Tampa Bay in 1539 with 200 horses and his expedition traveled throughout Florida north through the Carolinas, into Tennessee, south into Alabama, west into Mississippi, Arkansas and finally Texas. All horses were accounted for. However, these early explorers gained the attention of more explorers and settlers. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded Saint Augustine on September 8, 1565, which was thereafter continuously settled. Settlers, supplies and livestock continued to come from Cuba and Hispaniola. Spanish horses were established in Florida and were very successful on the ranches and farms being settled throughout the rich grasslands of central Florida. However, English settlers came to Florida during the 17th and 18th Centuries bringing with them their draft horses. This resulted in cross breeding of these Spanish and English horses. Spanish traits remain in many of the east coast horse breeds and strains.
References
96 Horse Breeds of North America by Judith Dutson
Born Survivors on the Eve of Extinction by Hardy Oelke
Conquest by Hugh Thomas
Conquistador by Buddy Levy
Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds by Bonnie Hendricks
First Encounters. Spanish Explorations in the Caribbean and the United States, 1492-1570 by Jerald T. Milanich and Susan Milbrath
Florida Indians and the Invasion from Europe by Jerald T. Milanich
Horses of the Conquest by R. B. Cunninghame Graham
Spanish Horsemen and Horses in the New World by Janice M. Ladendorf
The Hernando de Soto Expedition Edited by Patricia Galloway
On the introduction of modern horses to the Americas
The voyage of Columbus in 1492 set in motion exploration and exploitation of new territory. Pope Alexander VI in 1493 granted Spain dominion over all lands, discovered or undiscovered, in the New World. On his second voyage in 1493, Columbus returned to the Islands of Hispaniola and Cuba with livestock, including horses, to establish settlements on the islands. It was decreed that all Spanish ships that followed would carry more livestock. By 1514, Cuba was under the full control of the Spanish. Under the expertise of these settlers, Iberian horses bred and flourished on the islands. Expeditions that sought out new lands and treasures brought horses with them from the islands. The earliest exploratory expeditions went to Mexico in 1517 (Cordóba) and 1518 (Grijalva), but did not bring horses. In April of 1519, Cortés set out to discover more about Mexico, mostly in search of gold. He brought along 16 horses. By June of that year, he established the settlement of Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz. It took only 2 years for Cortés and his men to conquer the Aztecs. During this time, Cortés received reinforcements and supplies, including more horses from Cuba.
Over the next few decades, more Spanish settlers came to the Mexican mainland bringing with them livestock from the Islands. Many of them moved southward and inland to establish new settlements. From 1535-1542, explorers with Francisco de Coronado reached as far north as areas that are now in Arizona and New Mexico, including the Grand Canyon, and into Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
The Spanish ranchers ran their livestock much as they did back in Spain, with free ranging livestock that they would round up as needed. The horses were able to breed freely. Natural selection rather than artificial selected breeding has resulted in the horses we now know as the Galiceño Horse. This area of Mexico is relatively isolated on the coast because of the high mountains with dense cloud forests, so the horses remained relatively pure. Preliminary results of genetic tests done by Dr. E. Gus Cothran at Texas A&M University on our Galiceños show them to be closest to the Garrano horses (also called Minho) of Portugal, a primitive horse of the Iberian Peninsula. This gave plenty of opportunity for native peoples to take horses and other livestock, and for feral herds to develop.
Over the centuries, these Colonial Spanish horse populations have bred within their own herds and have remained relatively genetically pure. How could this be with so many other horses that could dilute the genetic purity? Hardy Oelke in the book "Born Survivors on the Eve of Extinction" writing about Spanish Mustangs suggests that it is because the Spanish Colonial horses are clanish, avoiding horses of other breeds. Our observations with our herd of Galiceños supports this idea. We have 32 Galiceños in the same 52 acre pasture with 10 other horses of different breeds (Arabians, Tennessee Walkers, Appaloosa, Quarter Horse). The Galiceños do segregate themselves and run as a separate herd. That will result in genetic isolation even if there is no physical or geographic isolation.
Many of the Horse Breed accounts overly simplify history and include unsubstantiated conjecture, resulting in some erroneous beliefs and conclusions. Bonnie Hendricks (Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds) in reference to the Galiceño breed, simply states that Cortés brought 16 horses with him. The implication is that these were the horses that gave rise to the Galiceños. That is not the case. All of these 16 horses were accounted for. However, not only were more horses brought to the mainland during the two years of the conquest, but for many years afterwards as new settlements were founded. What we now consider Galiceños are the result of nearly 500 years of natural selection within the feral herds in southern Mexico. They are a land race that developed in their new environment. Records also show that these horses were brought along with missionaries as they established outposts throughout Mexico and what is now southwestern USA.
Meanwhile, exploration continued into South America and North America. Settlements in South America apparently tended to keep their horses under closer control with very selective breeding programs. Consequently, they developed unique breeds. This story should be a chapter unto itself.
There were also expeditions into Florida and partly up the East Coast of North America. Ponce de Leon in 1513 explored Florida’s east coast from near St. Augustine south through the Keys and up the Gulf Coast to Tampa Bay area, but he had no horses. However, he returned in1521 with horses and other livestock to establish a new colony near Charlotte Harbor, but it was abandoned and no horses were left behind. Similarly, Pánfilo de Narvaez brought 40 horses with supplies to establish a settlement near Tampa. It also failed and there are no records of horses surviving. Hernando de Soto came ashore near Tampa Bay in 1539 with 200 horses and his expedition traveled throughout Florida north through the Carolinas, into Tennessee, south into Alabama, west into Mississippi, Arkansas and finally Texas. All horses were accounted for. However, these early explorers gained the attention of more explorers and settlers. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded Saint Augustine on September 8, 1565, which was thereafter continuously settled. Settlers, supplies and livestock continued to come from Cuba and Hispaniola. Spanish horses were established in Florida and were very successful on the ranches and farms being settled throughout the rich grasslands of central Florida. However, English settlers came to Florida during the 17th and 18th Centuries bringing with them their draft horses. This resulted in cross breeding of these Spanish and English horses. Spanish traits remain in many of the east coast horse breeds and strains.
References
96 Horse Breeds of North America by Judith Dutson
Born Survivors on the Eve of Extinction by Hardy Oelke
Conquest by Hugh Thomas
Conquistador by Buddy Levy
Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds by Bonnie Hendricks
First Encounters. Spanish Explorations in the Caribbean and the United States, 1492-1570 by Jerald T. Milanich and Susan Milbrath
Florida Indians and the Invasion from Europe by Jerald T. Milanich
Horses of the Conquest by R. B. Cunninghame Graham
Spanish Horsemen and Horses in the New World by Janice M. Ladendorf
The Hernando de Soto Expedition Edited by Patricia Galloway