The Cerbat mustang is a
Wild Horse
The wild horse (''Equus ferus'') is a species of the genus ''Equus'', which includes as subspecies the modern domesticated horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') as well as the endangered Przewalski's horse (''Equus ferus przewalskii''). The Europea ...
population of Arizona, found in the Cerbat
Herd Management Area
Herd Management Areas (HMA) are lands under the supervision of the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that are managed for the primary but not exclusive benefit of free-roaming "wild" horses and burros. While these animals are techni ...
in that state. Their main coat colors are
chestnut
The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.
The unrelat ...
,
bay, and
roan. While their
phenotype
In genetics, the phenotype () is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The term covers the organism's morphology or physical form and structure, its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological proper ...
is similar to the classic
Colonial Spanish horse, the actual origin of Cerbat mustangs is unclear, but they have been identified by DNA testing as of Colonial Spanish horse ancestry, and they are recognized by the
Spanish Mustang
The Spanish Mustang is an American horse breed descended from horses brought from Spain during the early conquest of the Americas. They are classified within the larger grouping of the Colonial Spanish horse, a type that today is rare in Spain. ...
registry as valid
foundation stock
Foundation bloodstock or foundation stock refers to animals that are the progenitors, or foundation, of a breed or of a given bloodline within such. Many modern breeds can be traced to specific, named foundation animals, but a group of animals ma ...
for that
standardized breed.
Cerbats possess the ability to
gait
Gait is the pattern of movement of the limbs of animals, including humans, during locomotion over a solid substrate. Most animals use a variety of gaits, selecting gait based on speed, terrain, the need to maneuver, and energetic efficiency. Di ...
.
Characteristics
The Cerbat mustang is said to be similar to the classic
Andalusian horse
The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE (Spanish language literally translates to “Spanish pure breed”. This name is sometimes capitalized when used in English-language publications, but is all lower-case in Spanish, wh ...
in
conformation,
[ and has characteristics consistent with Spanish horse type.] They are tall, and average 750 to 800 pounds in weight.[ The first generation in captivity, however, was said to stand only .] Cerbats are most commonly bay and roan, but there are some grays, black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
s, sorrel
Sorrel (''Rumex acetosa''), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ('dock' being a common name for the genus '' ...
s, and duns
Duns may refer to:
* Duns, Scottish Borders, a town in Berwickshire, Scotland
** Duns railway station
** Duns F.C., a football club
** Duns RFC, a rugby football club
** Battle of Duns, an engagement fought in 1372
* Duns Scotus ( 1265/66–1308 ...
found on the Cerbat Herd Management Area
Herd Management Areas (HMA) are lands under the supervision of the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that are managed for the primary but not exclusive benefit of free-roaming "wild" horses and burros. While these animals are techni ...
(HMA) in Arizona.[ Those in private hands are said to only be bay, roan, or chestnut. White markings on legs and heads are common.][ Roan Cerbat foals are born roan, unlike some roan ]foal
A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. When the foal i ...
s of other stock that are born a dark color and "roan out" as they get older, fading in color. They are considered calm, quiet, and intelligent.[ Some Cerbats can perform intermediate ambling gaits.][
The ]feral horse
A feral horse is a free-roaming horse of domesticated stock. As such, a feral horse is not a wild animal in the sense of an animal without domesticated ancestors. However, some populations of feral horses are managed as wildlife, and these ...
bands today are found in Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. For this reason, they are accepted by the Spanish Mustang registry.[ There is no formal Cerbat horse registry at present and the variety is very rare in captivity, with a high number of 45 horses registered,] and a stable number of about 70 feral individual still found in the Cerbat HMA.[
]
History
The Cerbat mustang is named for the Cerbat Mountains
The Cerbat Mountains ( yuf-x-wal, Ha'emede:) is a mountain range in Mohave County in northwest Arizona immediately north of Kingman. The Cerbat Mountains and the White Hills (Arizona) adjacent north, are the dividing ranges between the Detri ...
, where its herd is located.[ It is hypothesized that the animal is descended from Colonial Spanish horses brought to ]New Spain
New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...
– today's Southwestern United States – in the 16th century. Other hypotheses are that they arrived in the area in the 18th century or were abandoned by ranchers in the early 19th.[ They have been blood-tested and determined to be of Colonial Spanish horse ancestry. The Cerbats are described as of "classic Andalusian" type.] The Cerbat herds were documented as well-established by 1860. In 1971, numbers dropped dramatically during a drought when livestock ranchers shot many free-roaming horses, believing that they were competing with cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
for scarce water resources. At that time, about 18 Cerbats were captured and preserved in private herds. After the passage of time, about 20 horses were found to remain in the area. In 1990, another remnant feral population was discovered by the Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...
and blood testing determined that they were related to the animals that had been preserved in private herds. Cerbat stallions in captivity have been bred to mares of other Spanish-ancestry mustangs to keep the bloodline alive without inbreeding
Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...
.[
]
Uses
Cerbat Mustangs are used in many ways, including endurance riding
Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled long-distance races. It is one of the international competitions recognized by the FEI. There are endurance rides worldwide. Endurance rides can be any distance, though they are rare ...
, eventing
Eventing (also known as three day eventing or horse trials) is an equestrian event where a single horse and rider combine and compete against other competitors across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. Thi ...
, trail classes, ranch and cattle work, team penning
Team penning is a western equestrian sport that evolved from the common ranch work of separating cattle into pens for branding, doctoring, or transport.
Today it is a fast-paced event that gives a team of three riders on horseback from 60 to 90 s ...
, roping, and other western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
competition.
References
External links
*http://lenjohnsonproductions.blogspot.com/2014/10/cerbat-spanish-mustang-history.html
*http://www.angelfire.com/az/xochitl/Cerbats.html
{{short description, American horse breed
Horse breeds
Feral horses
Horse breeds originating in the United States