About the New Mexican Horse Project

Over 30,000 acres dedicated to the preservation and protection of the wild horses of the American west

The New Mexican Wild Horse Project started in 1999 with a desire to find if there were any of the original horses from the Spanish Colonial period still in existence.  The desire was not based on the idea that it would find them, it was merely a quest to see if they existed.  Many individuals and organizations claimed to have these horses but when asked for scientific and historical proof, little was offered to validate their claims.

From this confusion, the New Mexican Wild Horse Project was born. Enlisting the efforts of one of the top equine DNA specialist in the world along with noted Spanish Colonial experts, the members of the New Mexican Wild Horse Project decided to take a different approach to fundraising.

Instead of asking the public to donate to help the preservation of the wild horses we felt that by opening store fronts and allowing individuals to talk to the caretakers of these magnificent creature the average person may get a better understanding of their plight.

All of the profits from Both the Wild Horses of the West Art Gallery and Kanab Leather go  into a fund that is used to purchase more land where the wild horses can run free. In the USA today there are approximately between 22,000 to 35,000 wild horses. The majority of them are located in the state of Nevada. The BLM issued a proclamation that it wanted to euthanize 9000 of them.

The percentage of mustangs carrying  strong Spanish DNA is around 7%. The problem is that no one can accurately distinguish the difference between a Spanish mustang and a standard mustang.  The best individual’s guess is only correct 50% of the time.  That is why we of the New Mexican Wild Horse Project DNA test all of the horses that we round up, knowing that only 7 out of 100 will prove up for us. That is why it is important for us to make sure those found are protected and not exploited.

The mottos of the New Mexican Wild Horse Project are first to "Preserve and Protect" and to always "Allow the Wilds to be Wild."

Thank for your time,
Carlos LoPopolo