Wild Horses of the West : History

 

1492: Columbus's first voyage carried no horse, however, after his first voyage Columbus and all others who traveled to this region flying a Spanish flag were required to carry horses, so ordered by the King of Spain.

 

1493: "The first horses to arrive in the New World were transported by Christopher Columbus (Colon) on his second voyage. The Catholic King wrote to his secretary, Fernando de Zafra and asks him to choose twenty fighting horses along with five "dobladuras" mares from the members of the "Santa Hermandad" which was in Granada. It was customary among the men of arms to ride a non-castrated horse; meanwhile by "dobladura," we understand this meant a second horse in case the first one went down. Now these were not the only horses that left Andalusia in 1493; among the 1,500 people on board, some took their own animals. Andres Bernaldez, who had a close relationship with the admiral, took a total of 24 horses and 10 mares.
In spite of this, the spirited horses shown in the Seville parade were exchanged for "scabby horses" which arrived very weak and ill treated after the journey. Columbus had no option but to complain to the monarchs about the exchange that the squires had made." So the first group of horses that came to the new world were not the prime horse flesh that ran in the fields of Spain but the bottom of the barrel, so to speak. This may be why, on many of the early voyages from Spain, the survival rate for horses was only 20% or less. The "Horse Latitude" was called that because this is the area where many horses did not make it passed and when they died they were tossed overboard if they could not be used for food or other things.

Christopher Columbus symbolically offers the "New World" to Charles V

 From Diego Muñoz Camargo's Historia de Tlaxcala a Sixteenth Century manuscript.

This depiction is confusing because as we know Columbus did not bring horses on the first trip. It seems Diego Muñoz Camargo's has taken some liberties with the actual event. What i find interesting is the armour.

 

1496: Reports to the crown showed that the La Espanola presidio had twenty horses, after Columbus's second voyage.

A Note:
The term for a "stallion" during this period was "caballos/cavallos enteros," meaning "entire horse."

A Note:
Until the horse came to the new world, humans (mostly women)or dogs carried the supplies of the nomadic tribes in the new world on their backs.

 

 

1498: Columbus on his third voyage transported 14 mares.

 

1501: Ovando's fleet brought 59 horses from Spain; ten of which were privately owned and ten stallions that were from the Royal Herd.

 

1504: In the New World citizens were not allowed to use of the horses before this date. Only the military and the royalty were allowed to use horses.

 

1507: The last legal consignment of 106 exported mares left Spain, because the King set a ban on the exportation of any more animals without official license or permit.

 

1517: Hernandez de Cordova took horses to the Yucatan

 

A Note
According to Don Roberto the Spaniards who settled the communities of, Cuba, Santo Domingo, and Puerto Rico bred horses especially for war, to sell to conquerors going to to war with Peru and Mexico. These horses were descended from the famous breed of Cordoba, long since extinct. The Breed is said to have been formed during the Arab Caliphate in Cordoba by four sires brought from Yemen or the Hejar and crossed with native mares. Without a doubt most of the horses of the first Conquistadores came from the plains of Cordoba.
He also says:
"Illimitable space, perpetual grass and water, and a free natural life, have transmodified the Spanish horse in the four hundred years that have elapsed since the first horse came to the Americas, that it is almost of another breed."

 

A year later, as he again advanced on Mexico, Cortez was captured as he rode a dark brown horse called "El Romo" (The Roman), because of its nose, "The horse was either fat, or tired, and gave out as it faced the enemy." ("Romo could also mean flat nose or perhaps mule like.")

 

1519: Cortez lands on the mainland and marches to Mexico City with 16 horses. Bernal Diaz del Castillo, who recorded the expedition wrote, "The natives had not seen horses up to this time and thought that the horse and rider were all one animal."

The horses and owners:

1. Captain Cortez had a "vicious dark chestnut," which died when they arrived at San Juan de Ulua. (Un caballo castano y zanio) (Not vicious, Not chestnut, a dark bay horse almost brown.)
2. Pedro de Alvarado and Hernando Lopez de Avila owned "a very good sorrel mare (yegua),"(yegua castana muy buena) (Not sorrel a bay mare.)
3. Juan Velasquez de Leon had a "gray mare (yegua) called La Rabona,"
4. Alonzo Hernández Puerto Carrero had a “good gray mare (yegua) charger,"
5. Cristoval de Olid a "dark chestnut," (A dark bay.)
6. Francisco de Montejo and Alonzo de Avila a "parched sorrel, not good for warfare," (A dark chestnut, liver chestnut)
7. Francisco de Morla a "dark chestnut," (A dark bay.)
8. Juan de Escalante a “light chestnut with three white stockings,” (Light bay.)
9. Diego de Ordas a "gray mare (yegua)
10. Pedro Gonzalez de Trujillo "a good chestnut," (A perfect bay.)
11. Gonzalo Dominquez "a dark chestnut," (Dark bay.)
12. Pedro Moron, a settler of Bayamo, a "dapple horse with stockings on the forefeet," Denhardt translates/describes this horse as a "pinto." (I agree with Denhart. "Overo" in this case means "pinto." "labrado de manos," has been interpreted as "having the forelegs iron burned" possibly to treat so previous illness.)
13. Vuena, a settler at Trinidad a "dapple horse almost black," (A pinto horse, almost black; with a few white patches. Un caballo OVERO algo sobre morcillo: no salio muy bueno.)
14. Lars, a "Light chestnut," (A light Bay.)
15. Ortiz, the musician and Bartolome Garcia a "good dark horse called El Arriero,"
16. Juan Sedeno, a settler at Havana, a "chestnut mare (yegua) which foaled (El La Dron`e) on the ship,"

 

El La Dron`e is consider the first mesteno. The legend is that the colt, of the chestnut mare, escaped or was left behind during the march to Mexico City. This horse was then seen running with the deer for many years until it was able to steal a mare from one of the later Spanish bands.

 

During the next six months, Cortez was joined by more Spaniards sent by the crown, with the original intent of placing him under arrest, but who joined him instead. These new groups brought with them many horses, the exact count is not known but during a least three different battles, Culuca, Zocotla, and Xalatcinco, 15 horses were killed, and 10 wounded.

In one instance on the way to Mexico, Cortez lost his horse, killed in skirmish, he then was given, El Arriero (see listing #15 above.), a black horse. Later on the same road to Mexico, Pedro de Moron lost his good mare in an attack. The Indians found the body and cut off its head and paraded it around various villages to show it was mortal. Pedro also died of his wounds a few days after the battle.

In total Cortez thought he had, lost during the battles, 300 men, 20 horses, and all the remaining horses were wounded or hurt in some way. When he reached Tlaracala, a place of safety, he took a true count found that he had really lost 1200 native allies, 400 soldiers, and almost all of his horses for he only had 12 horses alive.

 

A Note:
Bernal Diaz states:
"Only the horses, and they alone, inclined the victory to the Spanish side."

The Meeting Between Cortés and Montezuma
Codex Durán (chapter LXXIV) c.1579-1581

Notice the color of Cortez's horse and that it has no armour.

 

1520: Miguel Diaz de Aux and 50 soldiers with 30 horses joins with Cortez.

1520: Diego de Camargo set sail from Jamaica with three ships, 150 men and 7 horses.

1520's: Horses now inhabit all the islands of the Caribbean.

 

1521: Ponce de Leon lands in Florida with 50 horses.

 

1523: Mares are prohibited from being taken out of the Caribbean Islands.

1523: Francisco de Garay weighed anchor with 16 ships, 600 men, and 150 horses. He landed at the mouth of the Rio de las Palmas on July 25th

 

1525: Cortez loses 68 horses in 12 days crossing the mountains between Mexico and Central America. One horse, El Morzillo, that was hurt, a splinter in its foot, was left behind with a native chief at Peten-Itza Lake. In 1625 Spanish priests found that the horse had been turned into a god and its image was being worshipped.

 

1526: Trade for horses renewed. Horses were so valued, breeders only traded for slaves and gold.

 

1528: Panfilo de Narvarez landed in Florida with 42 live horses out of the 80 with which he started. All of the horses of the Narvarez expedition were either slain in battle or eaten by their masters. Cabeza de Baca was a member of this expedition.

 

1530-1540: Market and supply centers for horses move from the Caribbean's to the mainland, New Spain, Mexico City, Venezuela, and Peru.

 

1535: Don Alonzo Luis de Lugo brought to the New World 200 horses and mares. The horses were short backed without much daylight showing underneath their bellies, lengthy pasterns, short legs firmly jointed. (Lugo is in the Galica region of Spain. In theory all ships sailed from Sevilla city. If sailed from Galize the horses could be Galizenos horses?)

 

1539: De Soto rode a dappled stallion named "Aceytunero" on his expedition from Florida to Mississippi. Between 223 and 250 horses accompanied him and his troops. Of the horses that left Cuba 20 died before reaching Tampa Bay and the first horse off loaded was shot "in the vitals" before it made it to the shore.

 

1539: De Soto lost 80 men and 35 horses at the battle or ambush of Mauville or Mobile. At this point Soto had lost more then 100 horses and 200 men.

 

1539: Coronado expedition came to the region in 1540. The expedition started with 540* horses and 4 mares, but they lost several, some to natural causes, others killed during battles, and even a few to during hazardous events. *Almost 29 horses and seven mules were lost during the battle of Arenal, 3 were lost during a river crossing at Rio del Lino when they were exploring the area around present day Kansas, 3 were lost during a Buffalo stampede and 12 died of exhaustion. What is interesting is that no horses, other than those killed, remained after the expedition. All horses are accounted for when the expedition return to New Spain. Some writers/historians claim that Coronado brought 1597 horses with him on his expedition but I think they combined the total number of all the LIVESTOCK not just the horses. This is the individual horse count by owner.

*This figure comes from the actual document and the listing of all the individuals and their horses.

 

1540: Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca landed at Santa Catalina on his way to Paraguay, where he was to be governor. Of the 40 horses he left Spain, with only 26 survived the journey.

1540: The first branded horses enter what is now the United States of America. Breeding of horses regulated by Council of the Indies and the horses were protected and subject to periodic veterinary checks of stallions. Prohibition of colts, less than two years of age, mounting mares, enacted.

A Note:
Faulkner writes about the wild horses of the Pampa, "The wild horses move against the currents of the winds."

1540: De Soto lost 20/80 haltered horses in a fire set by a Chickasaw chief and 30 more with arrows.

1540: The first horses race of record in what is now the United States of America was run on December 27th between Rodrigo Maldonado and Francisco Vazquez de Coronado near the community now known as Bernalillo, New Mexico. Coronado fell off his horse in front of Rodrigo's horse and was hit in the head.

 

1541: Coronado's party noticed "packs of dogs and also that they were used as pack animals."

1541: Viceroy Mendoza put allied Aztec Chieftains on horses to lead their tribesmen. Possibly the first time a New World native rode a horse.

1541: DeCampo, a soldier with Coronado's forces, deserted with a mare. He turned up 2 years later in Panuco, New spain in the company of De Soto's returning men and he was without the mare.

 

1542: De Soto's "Thirty Lancers traveled 450 miles through swamps and forest in 11 days.

 

1543: The claim by De Soto's remaining men is that "4 or 5 horses were turned adrift/loose. But they were killed by the natives before the men were out of sight.

 

1547: Governor of New Spain, now Mexico, Antonio de Mendoza, had 11 estancias and over 1,500 horses.

 

1565: Admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles settled Florida and brought 100 horses and mares. The first generation of horses and mares were eaten between 1566 and 1573.

 

1570's: Spanish Jesuits set up a mission on the York River in the Chesapeake Bay area. Within a few months, the local Indians killed all the Spaniards.

 

1579: According to Madaline Nichols, an English voyager, states that the Patagonian Indians were riding " Spanish horses of the Pampas."

 

1580: The Rodriquez Chamuscado Expedtion had 9 soldiers, 3 Franciscan Friars, 90 saddle and draft Horses, and 600 cows,goats,ewes, sheep and hogs.

 

1582: Antonio Espejo's, group which consisted of Fray Beltran, Antonio Espejo, 12 soldiers, servants and several others left from San Bartolome on November 10, 1582. The expedition followed the same route that the Rodriquez expedition had traveled and was equipped with 115 horses and mules. It is believed that a "Sorel horse" was left behind by the expedition.

 

1585-1587: Three separate voyages brought English settlers to Roanoke, Virginia and North Carolina, John White, who had been governor of the Roanoke colony and had gone back to England for supplies, return in 1590 and found no trace of the settlers.

 

1590: On August 21st Gaspar Castano de Sosa and 170 persons, men women and children left the town of Alamaden, Nueva Leon, and marched to New Mexico.

 

1591: In 1591 Captain Juan Morlete, with fifty soldiers was sent to arrest Sosa and return the expedition to New Spain. The entire expedition left New Mexico in the summer of 1591.

 

1593: Another unauthorized expedition entered New Mexico. This expedition was lead by Leyva de Bonilla and Antonio Gutierrez de Humana. This expedition never made it back to New Spain.

 

1596: Onate wrote,"The country is so immense (tan larga) and so full of wild mares (llena de yequas cimarronas)." He lost 300 horses and mules in a thirty day period due to the "cimarronas/meastena's."

 

1597: The Salazar Inspection for the Onate Entrada

 

Muster Roll taken on January 8, 1598.

Soldiers

Don Juan De Onate, from Zacatecas, age 81 horses, 101 mares, 96 colts, 41 mules, 799 head of cattle, 198, oxen, 2,517 head of sheep, 383 rams, 716 goats, 47 hogs.

Royal Alguacil of the Expedition, Gaspar Lopez de Tavora, from Lisbon, age 30, 15 horses.

Fray Jurado, 4 horses.

Campaign Captain Alonso de Quesada, from Mexico City, age 32, 22 horses, 15 mares, 3 mules

Maese de Campo Don Juan de Zaldivar, from Zacatecas, age 28. (Killed in 1598 at Acoma.)

Alferez Real Francisco De Sosa Penalosa, from Avile, age 60, 100 oxen.

Alferez Pedro Robledo, from Maqueda, age 60, 40 horses, 20 mares, 6 colts, 5 mules, 6 head of cattle, 12 oxen.

Alferez Juan Perez de Bustillo, from Mexico City, age 40, 24 horses.

Alferez Diego Nunez de Chaves, from Guadalcanal, age 30, 12 horses, 2 mules.

(Killed in 1598 at Acoma.)

Alferez Bartolome Romero, from Corral de Almaguer, age 35, 20 horses, 6 mules, 2 oxen.

Alferez Alonso Nunez de Hinojosa, from Plasencia, 2 horses*.

Alferez Bartolome Gonzalez, from Corrla de Almaguer, age 29, 10 horses, 1 mule.

Alferez Juan de Victoria Carvajal, from Ayotpel in the marquisate of the Valley, age 37, 15 horses.

Alferez Juan Pineiro, from Fregenal, age 30.

Contador Alonso Sanchez, from Castile, age 50,

Treasurer Don Luis Gasco de Velasco, Cuenca, age 28, 10 horses, 2 oxen.

Purveyor General Diego de Zubia, from Guadalajara, age 36,

Juan Perez de Donis, secretary of the government, from Asturias, age 58, 6 horses.

Captain Marcelo de Espinosa, from Madrid, age 21, 15 horses, 4 mules.

Captain Alonso Gomez Montesinos, from Villanueva de los Infantes, age 38, 10 horses.

Captain Alonso de Sosa Penalosa, from Mexico City, age 48, 35 horses, 30 mares, 33 colts, 110 head of cattle, 65 oxen, 500 sheep, 80 goats.

Captain Marco Farfan de los Godos, from Seville, age 40, 16 horses, 1 mule.

Captain Felipe de Escalante, from Laredo, age 47, 19 horses, 7 mules. (Killed in 1598 at Acoma.)

Captain Pablo de Aguilar Ynojosa, from Ecija, age 36, 16 horses, 16 oxen.

Captain Juan Moreno de la Rua, from Salamanca, age 44.

Captain Juan Gutierrez Bocanegra, from Villanueva de los Infantes, age 44, 15 horses, 1 mule.

Captain Gregorio Cesar, from Cadiz, age 40, 16 horses, 5 mules, 16 oxen.

Captain Gaspar de Villagra, from Puebla de los Angles, age 30.

Captain Joseph Brondate, from Aragon, age 25, 10 horses, 4 mules, 16 oxen.

Sargento Mayor Vincente de Zaldivar, from Zacatecas, age 25, 24 horses and 2 mules.

Sergeant Hernan Martin, from Zacatecas, New Spain, age 40, 15 horses, 20 mares, 8 colts,2 mules, 22 head of cattle, 26 oxen.

Sergeant Rodrigo Zapata, from Azuaga, age 23, 10 horses

Francisco Sanchez, soldier, from Mexico City, age 30, 16 horses, 6 oxen.

Pedro Sanchez, From Mexico City, age 58, 26 horses.

Juan Rodriquez, from Oporto, age 40, 9 horses.

Sebastian Serrano, from Mexcio City, age 28,

Diego Robledo, from Maqueda,

Alonso Robledo, from Cimapan, New Spain, 3 horses, 1 mare.

Pedro Robledo, Temazcaltepeque, New Spain, (Killed in 1598 at Acoma.)

Francisco Robledo, from Valldolid, New Spain, (Sons of Alferez Pedro Robledo.)

Alonso del Rio, from Puerto Real, age 28.

Simon de Bustillo, from Mexico City, age 22, horses, (Son of Alferez Bustillo.)

Juan del Canto, from Mexico City, age 25.

Hernan Martin Gomez, from Valverde de Reina.

Francisco Cadino, from Salices de los Gallegos, age 36, 9 horses, 1 mare.

Francisco Hernandez Cordero, from Guadalajara, New Spain, age 22.

Baltazar de Monzon, from Mexcio City, age 20.

Geronimo de Heredia, from Cordoba, age 38, (son of Captain Diego Hernandez de Heredia.)

Luis de Araujo, from Castile, age 30, 3 horses. (Killed in 1598 at Acoma.)

Marcos Garcia, from San Lucar de Barrameda, age 38.

Hernando de Segura, from Condado da San Juan del Puerto, age 27.

Juan Griego, from Negroponte, Greece, age 32, 13 horses.

Juan Lucas, from Puebla, New Spain, age 28.

Pedro de los Reyes, from Mexico City, age18.

Don Juan Escarramad, from City of Murcia, New Spain, age 26, 8 horses, 2 mules.

Miguel Rodriquez de Villaviciosa, from Renteria, age 20, 10 horses.

Juan Gonzales de Vargas, from Carmona, age 22, 10 horses.

Leon de Ysati, from Valle de Haro, age 23, 10 horse, 1 mule.

Diego de Ayardi, from Guadalajara, New Spain,

Juan Velazquez, from Zalamea de la Serena, age 24.

Estevan de Sosa, from Havana, age 21, Francisco de Ylan de Sosa, from Valle de Altillo, age 23, (brothers.)

Alonso Sanchez, age 22, & Juan de Salas, age 20, from La Puana, sons of Contador Alonso Sanchez.

Lorenzo Salado de Rivadeneira, from Valladolid in Castile, Spain, age 23, 12 horses.

Pedro San Martin, from Zacatecas, New Spain, age 25, 5 horses, 1 mare.

Leonis de Trevino, from Zacatecas, age 26

Lucas de Tordesillas, from Zacatecas, age 30, 8 horses.

Juan Moran, from Mora de Toro, age 27.

Antonio de Sarinana, from Galica, age 19, 15 horses, 2 mules.

Francisco Vido, from Mexico City, age 20, 2 horses.

Cristobal de Herrera, from Jerez de la Frontera. age 19, 2 horses.

Antonio Conde, from Jerea de la Frontera, age 18, 2 horses.

Diego Castilla, from Seville, Spain, age 19, 2 horses.

Cristobal Gullin, from Mexico City, age 20,

Francisco de Villalba, from Cadiz, age 20, 2 horses.

Ysidro Xuarez, from Jerez de los Caballeros, age 20, 2 horses.

Bartolome de Herrera, from Seville, Spain, age 20, 2 horses.

Juan de Olague, from from Panico, age 19.

Pedro Rivera, from Zacatecas, New Spain, age 19.

Juan Velarde Colodro, from Madrid, Spain, age 28, 9 horses.

Pedro Lopez Calvo, fromMolina Seca, age 20.

Antonio Rodriquez, from Canis in Lisbon, age 28

Francisco Martin, from Ayamonte, age 60.

Francisco Vazquez, from Cartaya, age 28, 1 mule.

Francisco Ramirez, from Cartaya, age 24.

Juan Camacho, from Trigueros, age 50. (Killed in 1598 at Acoma.)

Francisco de Ledesma, from Talavera de la Reina, age 25, 8 horses.

Francisco Garcia, from Mexico City, age 35.

Juan Medel, from Ayamonte, age 43, 12 horses.

Martin Carrasco, from Zacatecas, age 30, 8 horses.

Juan de la Cruz, from Toluca, age 19., 2 horses

Matis Sanchez, from Sombrerete, age 15., 2 horses

Francisco Martinez de Castaneda, from Berganza, age 18, 2 horses.

Pedro Rivas, from Puebla de los Angeles, age 20, 2 horses.

Hernan Martin, from Verlanga, age 20, ( Son of Sergeant Hernan Martin Gomez.)

Francisco de Olaque, from Panico, age 17, 2 horses.

Diego Blandin, from Coimbra, age 40. 2 horses.

Alvaro de Barrios, from Coimbra, age 26, 2 horses.

Juan de Ximenez, from Truxillo, Spain, age 30, 2 horses.

Rodrigo Velman (Flemish), from Trimonia, age 33, 2 horses.

Settlers

Manuel Francisco Perez, from Portugal, age 30, 8 horses, 1 mule.

Martin Ramirez, from Lepe, age 33, 8 horses. (Killed in 1598 at Acoma.)

Lorenzo de Munuera, from Villa Carrillo, age 28, 6 horses.

Juan de Cazo Baraona, from Mexico City, age 50, 14 horses, 8 oxen.

Bernabe de las Casas, from the island of Tenerife, age 25, 12 horses.

Francisco Hernandez Guillen, from Seville, Spain, age 50, 2 horses.

Alonso Martinez, from Higuera de Vargas, age 46, 8 horses.

Alonso Verela, from Santiago in Galicia, age 30, 12 horses, 2 mules, Pedro Varela, from Santiago in Galicia, age 24, 10 horses, 1 mule, (brothers.)

Juan de Leon, from Cadiz, age 30, 10 horses.

Gonzalo Hernandez, from Coimbra, age 50.

Gonzalo de la Carrera, from Alcala de Henares, age 25, 6 horses.

Francisco Sanchez, from Sombrette, age 24, 8 horses, 2 colts, 4 mules.

Hernando de Hinojos, age 36, & Sebastian Rodriquez, from Cartaya, age 30, 14 horses, 18 mares, 2 mules, 3 oxen. (Killed in 1598 at Acoma.)

Marcos Cortez, from Zalamea de la Serena, age 30, 8 horses. (Killed in 1598 at Acoma.)

Asencio de Arechuleta, from Ybar, age 26, 10 horses, 2 mules.

Manuel Diaz, from Talavera, age 20, 3 horses.

Cristobal Sanchez, from Sombrerete, age 27, Juan Rodriquez, from Sombrerete, age 23, (brothers), 40 horses, 20 mares, 2 mules.

Miguel Montero de Castro, from Mexico City, age 25, 6 horses.

Juan Ortiz Requelmo, from Seville, age 28, 8 horses.

Alonso Naranjo, from Castile, age 42, 10 horses, 22 head of cattle.

Cristobal Lopez, from Avilleas, age 40, 15 horses.

Andres Perez, from Tordesillas, age 30, 15 horses.

Juan de Pedraza, from Cartaya, age 30, 16 horses, 4 head of cattle, 4 calves, 20 oxen.

Note

Many individuals on this muster roll ,completed on January 8,1598, did not for one reason or another, make the entrada with Onate. I don't know if those who Onate supplied with horses and equipment retuned the items if the did not make the trip..

 

 

1598: The muster rolls for the original Onate entrada showed that he and the settlers brought to New Mexico over 1500 head of horses and mules, (1007 horses, 237 mares, 137 colts and 91 mules. 119 of these horses and 85 of the mares belonged to Onate, the other horses and mares were owned by the settlers. After a brief severe winter at San Juan Pueblo, Onate resettled his people at San Gabriel across the river from the original settlement. Very few documents relate to the livestock of the settlers however one incident occurred where a report was made, it was a military event. In 1599 during the month of October a patrol that was going to the pueblo of Zuni encountered a freak snow storm that caused a halt to the march and forced the patrol to set up camp approximately twelve leagues west of the pueblo of Acoma. During the evening in blizzard like conditions, almost thirty head of horses managed to break out of the temporary corrals set up by the soldiers. The next day when it was found that the horses had escaped the soldiers mounted a search but to no avail. This is the first band of horses, of record, in what is now the United States of America to run free.

1598: Sargento Mayor Vincente de ZaldivarIn in the fall of 1598 lead a group of soldiers to the eastern plains of New Mexico, where they tried to capture and pen buffalo. The pen that was constructed was large enough to hold approximatley 10, 000 buffalo.

The events that followed killed 3 horses and wounded 40.

" The cattle started nicely toward the corral, but then turned back in a stampede towards the men, and rushing through them in a mass, it was impossible to stop them. For several days we tried a thousand ways of shutting them in or surrounding them, but in no manner was it possible to do so. This was due to fear, for theyare remarkably savage and ferocious, so much so that they killed three of our horses and badly wounded forty."

 

1600: Reinforcements came from New Spain the animal count was 275 horses, 10 mares, 10 colts, and 16 mules. Also brought to New Mexico were 277 oxen and 613 cows. For the next twenty year's little information about horses is found in the documents except there was a complaint filed against Onate by some of the settlers, stating that most of the horses were either killed or in poor condition.

Note:
The Spanish settlers, unlike the soldiers of the presidio who kept their horses locked up, allowed their horses and mares to run free on the llano's around their estancias'. When a settler wanted a horse he or she would go to the llano and trap one and bring it to his home and work with it as was needed. If the captor felt that the horse or mare had special qualities then he or she would place his or her brand on the animals and claim it for his or her own. This animal was then kept near the estancia and not turned back to the llano. This I believe, at least in the "Kingdom of New Mexico" was the start of the "Cimmerone's or Mesteno's."

 

1607: On May 13, four and a half months after leaving England leaders of the expedition of 105 colonists, which now number 104 because one individual died during the voyage, selected a site on the James River for a settlement. This settlement became known as Jamestown.

 

1608: Captain Christopher Newport, commander of the 1607 expedition sailed back to England and returned with settlers and goods.

 

1623: It is not until this date that horses are mentioned again. Fray Benavides, in his journals makes note of an encounter with a band of Gila Apaches and the War Chief is riding a horse. This is the first time any documents refer to Native's riding horses. The Spanish allowed the natives to work with and around the animals but refused to allow them to ride them. It was forbidden to trade horses to the natives, at least by the settlers.

 

1625: Nuevo Leon was given to Matinez de Zavala to establish and settle. Alonzo Leon a lieutenant of Martinez's was the first person to bring horses to the interior of Texas in a settlement effort

 

1629: The English imported horses to their colonies on the eastern seaboard.

 

1630: Fray Benavides states that "These people (Native Americans) were very punctual in obedience to the governor, and came forth with own arms and horses whenever required."

 

1638: Fray Juan de Prada wrote: "without cattle-raising it would be difficult for the missions to survive."

 

1639: The cabildo of Santra Fe wrote the viceroy complaining about the fact that the missions had so much livestock. It was suggested, "inasmuch as the king contributed to the support of the missionaries, that the cattle be divided among the setlers and the same should be done with the horses. All of them (the missions) have as many as thirty or fourty horsesapiece. They kep three or four horses very daintly, for they are quite valuable, and are taken to New spain and sold."

 

1640: Governor La Rosa accused of trading horses to the Apaches for buffalo hides and other pelts. Other governors accused also, but nothing ever came of it.
It seems from the beginning the plains or nomadic tribes of Native Americans saw the value of the horse other than a trade item. As time progressed, these groups became proficient in the use of the animal and it changed their way of life dramatically as we will discuss later.

 

1650: Reports of horses being used by Indians in conflicts with Spanish. The settlements both Indian and Spanish lost many horse from around there setlements because of the free roaming bands allowed to run/graze on the llano's. Most of the horses thta the Indians obtained were not gotten from raids but through round ups of free roaming animals. This is where the term "mesteno" (This term became mustang with the advent of the cowboy.) started being used.

 

A Note:
1665: The first horse racing track in the United States of America is laid out on Long Island, New York

1665: The first importation of horses to New France (Canada.)

1665: The first recorded settlement expedition crossed the Rio Grande and was led by Azcue from Monterrey. The settlement that he tried to establish had to be abandoned because of Indian attacks. The settlers left 200 head of horses behind for the Janamberes Indians

 

 

1674-76: The next major infusion of horse s into the region came in 1674-76, four years before the Pueblo Revolt that forced the Spanish out of the region for 12 years. Fray Ayala, a priest, who was working in New Mexico went to New Spain and brought back several hundred horses. He also returned with the first recorded convicted criminals known to be allowed to enter the province. These convicts are known as "White Collar criminals," today.

 

1680: Records examined from the Pueblo Revolt, starting with Governor Otermine's retreat to Guadalupe del Paso show that when the settlers retreated, they did so hurriedly and left anything that they could not deal with easily, behind. Otermine and the settlers from the north took only 900 head of livestock, the rest remained. Over 3000 head of horses that were running outside the estancias remained at the settlement of Santa Fe alone. It is believed that from these horses and mares came the first infusion of what would become "Mesteno's or later Mustangs."

1680: Henri De Tonty noted that the "cadodaquis Indians" possessed 30 head of horses which they called "Cavalis."

 

1681: Canada (New France) had 94 horses

 

1684: The chronicler of the Mendoza expedition which reached the Concha River in Tejas (Texas) wrote " when Mendoza met the Tejas Indios they were a settled people who raised grain in such quanity that they even fed it to their horses."

 

1685: Canada (New France) had 156 horses.

 

1687: Alonzo Leon notes " when in Tejas he found mounted natives." Also Tonty when he reached the Hasinai village of Naouadiche traded for four horses, two had marked on there hips an "R" with a "crown" above it. and one with an "N."

 

A Note:
In South America the word "mustang meaning wild horse" is unknown. There wild horses are called "baguales." A word that is believed to denote a Querendia Indian Chief that resisted domesticity, as did his people, who lived in the area of Buenos Aires in 1582.

 

 

1688: Tonty claimed that the Indians of eastern Teao (Texas) used the horse for both war and hunting. In battle they would use pointed saddles, wooden stirrups, and body coverings of several animal skins, one over the other. They would arm the breasts of the horses with the same material.

 

A Note: D.E. Worcester wrote "All indication point to the evidence that the style or riding, the saddles, the armor and some of the weapons used by the mounted Indians of the southwest were of Spainsh origin or design."

 

1689: General Alonzo de Leon with 114 men, 720 horses, and mules ( 85 loaded with packs, probable mules), lost 102 horses because of a stampede east of the San Antonio River. All of the horses were returned, but a week later 32 ran away because of another stampede and they were never found.

 

1690: 126 horses went stray between the Frio and Medina rivers due to a stampede.

 

1691: Terin's reinforcement expedition lost 60 horses due to a stampede near the Rio Grande and 75 horses near the Guadalupe river. The expedition was a failure. But before it was abandoned, St. Denis, the romantic Frenchman who reported lead mines never seen by anybody else, testified that "thousands of cows, bulls, stallions, and mares" covered the surrounding ranges.

 

1692: New Mexico Don Diego De Vargas's, Governor of New Mexico (1691 to 1697 and 1703 to1704), died at Bernalillo at the casa of Fernando Duran y Chaves in 1704.
The horse, by this time, has been established as a permanent fixture in the southwest and the high plains region of what would become the United States of America and Canada. As we can see horses had been traded to the nomadic native population for at least sixty years, because of this other non-nomadic tribes were introduced to the horse. The first trades made to non-Hispanics were to the various Apache tribes that traveled through the Rio Grande valley. The spread from the valley area was to the west and the east then north. The western spread came from the Gila Apaches, located in what is now western New Mexico and Arizona. The eastern spread came from the tribes that traded in the Taos and Pecos pueblo areas.

"The new era which commenced with DeVargas' arrival introduced methods of handling differences in a way that neither the local Native Americans or the local Spaniards were used to. This caused great animosity among the Spanish families toward DeVargas and his administration. Even though DeVargas was a strict military man he put the concept of peace and harmony before his military practices. There are many reasons that can be seen as to why he was placed in prison for three years and why this was allowed by the people of New Mexico at the time, but if we look at those reasons now we can see that if he had not handled the situation the way he had the 1696 revolt may have been the final blow to the northern province from which, under Spanish rule may have never occurred.

During the first five years of the resettlement efforts the settlements of Santa Fe , Santa Cruz and Bernalillo were under constant attach from the non-alliance group who wanted the Spanish out of the area. Added to this was the constant lack of supplies and the coming and goings of settlers and soldiers. To most of the individuals this environment was new and in some instances they could not cope. On top of the various problems the harshness of the environment created situations that were nearly insurmountable. On one hand you had many prominent individuals who were reared under the old method, that of the pre-revolt era. This condemned the Native Americans to a class of servants and propagated less than humans attributes toward these individuals. On the other hand you had a new group of individuals from Mexico City who were artisans and tradesmen who, even though they needed laborers, looked at life in a different fashion. These people were not here to take back something lost, but to build something new which would be their legacy to the generations to come.

Then of course you had the soldiers, both civilian and military. Both under the same rules when actively engaged in services but under different rules when there were no engagements or threats. As you can see there are a three distinct groups. The soldiers, both civilian and military, the old families returning to reclaim privileges lost, and the new families coming with the promise of a new life and the benefits which came along with this endeavor such as titles, land and possible riches."

Of the approximate 1082 individuals who came back to New Mexico , over six hundred were returning to their birth land. To the other four hundred this would be a new environment. This becomes important as to the underlying feeling toward the indigenous population. We must remember that these individuals are coming back to what they considered their homes, of which they were driven out by the people they were now confronting and also had the upper hand over by nature of the reconquest. When we consider that for the next five years there would be constant fighting, lack of supplies and in the fourth year a famine which depleted all the livestock and another attempt by the Pueblo to overthrow the settlements, it is understandable that the settlers needed to blame someone. In 1697 the blame fell on DeVargas and his administration which lead to DeVargas' imprisonment for three years.

When we look at the information which is related in the census within this volume we not only can see how the people were living, but can also see what their occupations were and we get an idea of what they expected when they arrived. The Crown was not only sending bodies to inhabit an area to create a buffer between the frontier and the interior of New Spain , they were trying to establish a viable community. DeVargas brought with him a complete complement with which he could create a community. There were farmers, merchants, administrators, artisans, laborers and clergy complimented with a small contingency of professional military men. This last contingency also gives us some insight as to the communication and trade relationships with the Orient due to the transferring of soldiers back and forth between New Spain and the Philippines . ( See Zeven SL#29 1692 Census.)

 

1695: Canada (New France) had 580 horses.

 

1709: Canada (New France) The government restricts each farmer to 2 horses and 1 colt.

 

1712-1715:New Mexico The first women of record, anywhere in what is now the United States of America or Canada, to be issued her own brand, Elena Gallegos.

 

1715:New Mexico A campaign to Moqui (area now owned, in Northern Arizona, by the Navajo Nation) ordered by Governor Felix Martinez (1715 to 1717), included 109 soldiers, 11 clergy, 317 pueblo natives, 343 horses and 10 mules.

 

1719: A Frenchman named DuTisne saw 300 horses among the Pawnees in the Arkansas River area. He traded for 2 of the horses and a mule, all had Spanish brands.

 

1720: Canada (New France) has 5,270 horses.

 

1721: Canada (New France) has 5,605 horses.

 

1724: The "Canzas" tribe on the lower Missouri River do not yet have the horse. De Bourgmont wrote " They were moving camp and they loaded their possessions on "dog travois" and on the backs of their women."

 

1730: Horses with New Mexico brands were being used by the natives of Saskatchewan, Canada.

 

1738: The "Mandans" of the Dakota Territory are horseless at this date.

1738: La Verendrye writes to Prairie Assiniboin of the Red River region in Manitoba: "They make dogs carry even the wood to make the fires, being often obliged to camp in the open prairie from which the clumps of wood may be at great distance. The women and dogs carry all baggage."

 

1741: The peoples of the upper Missouri possessed great numbers of horses and mules.

 

1744: New Mexico Ordinance issued in Santa Fe for the villa of Santa Fe. All horses, mules, burros, pigs, sheep and cattle will from the fifteenth of March will be lock up and not permitted to run free in the town, until the harvest of the crops of wheat, corn and hay are completed.

 

1756: New Mexico Bando(law) issued by Francisco Antonio Marin de Valle Governor of New Mexico (1754 to 1760). No citizen of New Mexico will let his horse or cattle run loose, under penilty, if he be Spanish of 20 pesos fine and two (2) months in jail, if indian, Twenty five (25) lashes and three (3) months in jail.

 

1765: Canada (New France) has 13,488 horses.

 

1766: The Presido of Santa Fe lists that the soldiers have a total of 617 horses and 120 mules

 

1802: The Sioux stole a lot of horses that had shoes on, the first they had ever seen.

 

1803: The Sioux stole some "Wolly horses" from the Crow.

 

1812: The Sioux first captured wild horses.

 

1814: New Mexico Donation made to the Navajo Nation (reason unkown at present). The escort for the journey to deliver the gifts consisted of 225 men with 141 horses and 141 mules. Don't believe any of these animals were part of the gifts.

 

1819: Stephen H. Lang on a military reconnaissance saw 2000 Pawnee warriors with between 6000 to 8000 horses.

 

1824: Swan, the chief of the Two Kettle tribe had all his horses killed.

 

1825: High water in the Missouri River, many horses died.

 

1831: A fur trader claims to have seen 10,000 (mostly Spanish) horses on the grass around a Crow main camp.

 

1849: Crow Indians stole 800 horses from the Brule Sioux.

 

1868: Texas cattle first brought into Sioux Country.

 

1876: The Sioux and the Cheyenne along the "Little Big Horn" had between 20,000 to 40,000 horses.