Pictures and text herein are copyrighted 2000 by
The American Indian Horse Registry,
9028 State Farm Rd.,
Lockhart, Texas 78644.
Phone: (512) 398-6642
A question which is often asked is "What is the American Indian Horse?"
If you desire, you may trace their ancestry back to the mists of antiquity and to the dust of the Arabian desert where they were housed with honor in the black tents of the roaming Bedouin tribes. From there they traveled to Spain, were bred with Barb and Andalusian stock and became known as the best horses in the world at that time. From Spain they were brought to the New World on the ships of Columbus and the Conqustadores during the 15th and 16th centuries. The Indian Horse has gone by many names:
call him cow pony or buffalo horse; mustang or Indian pony; Cayuse or Spanish pony--basically they are all the same animal.
Virtually every color known to the horse appears in this breed. The Original and his crosses and hybrids may be appaloosa spotted, paint, and solid colored with every variation imaginable occuring. 1996 AIHR Jr. Color Champion was Born To Run, a overo appaloosa stallion owned by Dreams 'N Color Ranch in Canton, Texas, and bred by Rancho San Francisco in Lockhart, TX.
The Indian Horse is well-made, has excellent feet and legs and has as much savvy as any horse that ever lived. Height ranges from 13 to 16 hands; weight 700 to 1,000 pounds with a few individuals over or under. The natural colors of each horse were enhanced with paint by the Native American horsemen. On AIHR page #2 you'll find a conformation chart comparing Original conformation to both a Modern and an Arabian. There's also a war paint symbol chart for painting your Indian Horse.
The Indian Horse's loyalty is legend as is their toughness and intelligence, and anyone fortunate enough to share their lives with one knows how truly special they are.
The American Indian Horse Registry is headquartered in Lockhart, Texas at Rancho San Francisco. AIHR was established in 1961 to collect, record, and preserve Native American bloodlines as well as the bloodlines of other rare Spanish Mustang and Spanish Barb horses and their crosses and hybrids. Rancho San Francisco is home to a herd of fine "O" Indian Horses and a collection of western and Indian Americana, as well as a library pertaining to the history of American Indian Horses.
AIHR offers five divisions in which to record Indian Horses. The "O"'s or Originals are also known as Spanish Colonials, Spanish Mustangs, and Barbs. These are pure Spanish horses and may also be registered in other Spanish Colonial Registries.
"AA" or Indian horses are at least 50% Original type. They may be declared "AA" by AIHR's inspectors after age four ,or they may be born in "AA", the offspring of an "O" and any mating other than with another "O".
"A" division horses are Indian Horses of unknown pedigree which were approved through inspection, Most BLM adoptees and some other horses of unknown pedigree may be registered in the "A" divsion. Many horses whose pedigrees have been lost but who show Indian Horse type may be eligible for registration in the "A" division.
"M" or Modern Indian Horses are often double registered in other western registries such as Paints, Appaloosas, and others which have mainly modern bloodlines. Many of these horses trace to Indian stock in their foundation bloodlines, but also have more Modern blood such as added Thoroughbred bloodlines.
"P", AIHR's pony division, registers ponies which show Indian type or color but also carry European pony bloodlines such as Shetland, Welsh, Connemara, Gotland, etc. which is not registerable in any other AIHR division.
Nanci Falley mounted on the famous Original mare Choctaw Star receives the Tuffereno Redman Award for the best Native American Costume at the 1995 AIHR National Show.
Originals, or "O"'s, are not bred to conform to modern standards, but rather to preserve Native American tribal bloodlines.
Originals, or "O"'s, represent the real horse of the Spanish Colonial period through the Old West. Probably less than 3,000 of these wonderful and
historic horses are left today. Most horses registered with SMR, SSMA, SBBA, HOA, Barb Horse International and some other pure Spanish Colonial registries qualify for "O" registration.
If you would like to see a graphic comparing Original Indian Horses to the modern Paint or to the Arabian plus info on Original head chararcteristics,
click here.
Here's Virginia Brumley of Le Manege in New Caney, TX showing Brother Love, Champion Original at Halter and Champion Solid Color at the 1999 AIHR National Show. "Bro" is owned by Le Manege and Karma Farms of Marshall, Texas. "Bro" is also a registered Spanish Mustang, Barb and Sorraia Mustang.
Karma Farms' Dance Magic, owned by Karma Farms of Marshall, Texas, was the 1998 Champion Original at Halter. Victoria Speir showed the blue corn appaloosa stallion, a son of Choctaw Sun Dance, AIHR Premier Stallion #1.
"AA" Class horses are known to be at least 50% Original blood or of exceptional "O" type. Horses being inspected for "AA" registration must be at least 4 years of age or older. At the request of the owner, horses with a strong Spanish appearance and no known pedigree such as Bureau of Land Management Adoptees and other "found" horses may be inspected by AIHR officials once the horse reaches age 4. Here Gretchen Patterson crosses a creek at a competitive trail ride. She is mounted on the fine "AA" mare Carmelita by the Original stallion Choctaw Sun Dance and out of the Modern mare Hickory Dee. This mare is provably 50% Original because her sire was an Original.
"AA" Champion at Halter and Performance at the 1999 AIHR National Show was Fandango Mist, shown and owned by Peggy Johnson of Monroe, Louisiana. The blue corn gelding also captured Reserve Champion Solid Color. Sired by the Original stallion Blue Mist and out of the "AA" mare Private Dancer, herself a past AIHR National Champion, "Mist" is 3/4 Original by blood. He was bred by Karma Farms, foaled at Wild Star Ranch, and returned to Karma Farms where he was started under saddle by 12 year old Tomlyn Speir. Peggy has already begun the young gelding's NATRC career, completing Mist's first competitive trail ride in 1999.
(Below) Elizabeth Austin Shepard's mare Wyoming's Dolly, is another kind of "AA". Dolly was captured from the wild by the Bureau of Land Management. She was inspected at maturity by AIHR inspectors who found her to possess very strong Spanish characteristics and passed her into the "AA" section by inspection.
Today, Dolly has won her AIHR Hall of Fame award as well as raising some fine "AA" Indian Horses for Dreams 'N Color Ranch.
Overall Champion Indian Horse at the 1998 AIHR National as well as Champion "AA" at Halter and Reserve Champion Solid Color was Chelsea Blue Dove, owned by Ashia Yother of Canton, Texas. "Dove's" pedigree is completely unknown, but she has won AIHR "AA" championships in 2 decades. Her Original type is obvious from her color and conformation. She was inspected after age four and passed in the "AA" division.
Class "A" horses have unknown bloodlines, but show Indian Horse type. Most BLM horses qualify for "A" registration as well as many so-called "grade" or "backyard" horses. Class "A" horses are eligible to be inspected at age 4 or over and may be passed to "AA". Here is Kyle Germany of Wild Star Ranch on his "A" gelding Dusty Boy in a competitive trail competition. Despite the fact that Dusty's pedigree is unknown, his conformation and palomino color testify to his Indian Horse blood, but he also shows Modern type. He has proved his "tough" in numerous NATRC competitions as well as AIHR shows.
Dusty Boy returned to the show ring with wonderful success in 1999, capturing the "A" division titles at Halter and Performance. He was shown at halter by Lisa Germany of Wild Star Ranch. He sures seems to be proud of that Champion rosette!
Class "M" horses include breeding of modern type. They may have parents registered in AQHA, APHA, ApHC, APA, etc. These modern horses trace to Indian bloodlines, but that blood may be many generations in the past. Such ancestry will be shown on the AIHR registration certificate. This lovely tobiano Paint is double registered as an "M" Indian horse as well as having American Paint Horse papers. He was the "M" champion at halter at the 1997 AIHR National.
Showing an Indian Horse in any division is lots of fun for kids or adults alike, whether your horse is an "O", "AA", "A", "M" or "P".
Class "P" is for ponies of Indian Horse type. Eligible ponies include those with Galiceno, POA, Shetland, Welsh, etc. in their pedigrees. Ponies of unknown ancestry may also qualify. Here Bud D. Pone, many times AIHR pony performance champion, negotiates a bridge at the AIHR National Show's trail class with Sabrina O'Connor up.
No horse or pony exhibiting draft horse breeding will be registered with AIHR. Membership is open to any owner of an Indian Horse or to any person interested in the American Indian Horse. Members receive THE AMERICAN INDIAN HORSE NEWS, issued quarterly, and qualify for lower registration rates. They are also eligible to participate in the various awards programs offered by AIHR.
Regular Membership (Partnerships, Family or Individual)=$15 per year (includes subscription).
Overseas Membership (includes Canada, Mexico)=$20 per year (Add $10 for Airmail). US Funds only, please! Include name, mailing address, and phone. Please request listing as an AIHR breeder if you raise Indian Horses for sale. Send to AIHR, 9028 State Farm Rd, Lockhart, TX 78644.
AIHR wants an Indian Horse Club in your area! Indian Horse Shows are truly family affairs. We need more clubs throughout the US. Contact AIHR President Nanci Falley at (512) 398-6642 for more info on starting a club/and or sponsoring an Indian Horse Show in YOUR area.
Want more AIHR info? Check out the great Indian Horse page of Chris and Kelly Hurd at: http://www.mediadesign.net/indianhorse/. And speaking of Kelly Hurd, meet Kelly and her Original Indian Horse gelding The Sundance Kid.
AIHR NATIONAL--In Sept. 2001 at Navarro County Expo Center in Corsicana, Texas. If you'd consider working a position at the show or would like to donate awards, contact AIHR and let Nanci know what YOU will do to make the 2000 National Show the best ever!
The Southwest Regional Championship Show will be held in June at the Marshall City Arena. Come join us and show off that Indian Horse!
AIHR Local Club Shows include:
NETASA (Tyler/Canton, Texas area):
NETASA Indian Horse Club--2001 schedule not yet announced. For more information on NETASA events, contact David Frey at [email protected] or Crystal Crowell at (903) 963-7872.
Tejas Indian Horse Club (Marshall, Jefferson, Carthage, Texas/Shreveport, LA):
Tejas will plan its 2001 shows in Feb, 2001. If you wish to attend this meeting and help us plan our show schedule, please contact Vickie Ives Speir at [email protected] , phone # (903) 935-9980
or Gretchen Patterson at [email protected] , phone (903) 938-0498.
If your AIHR club has dates which you would like listed on this page, please send info.
Indian Horse breeders are invited to trade links with us! Just add a link to this page, and we'll be glad to add your page to this breeder listing. E-mail our webmaster Vickie Ives Speir at the link below so that she can add your page to this online listing of AIHR breeders.
Indian Horse Links
For more information or for applications for registration, write AIHR, 9028 State Farm Rd., Lockhart, Texas 78644. AIHR president Nanci Falley is not yet online. You may reach AIHR approved judges Vickie Ives Speir and Gretchen Patterson for info inquiries. But please remember we can only provide unofficial answers to your questions. We are volunteers only to answer questions until AIHR itself is online.
Sorry, but you must request forms directly from AIHR by mail or by phone. Webmaster cannot mail out info or forms, only answer email inquiries. Please write AIHR for applications for registration, formation of Indian Horse Clubs or other official AIHR forms or business.
Thanks to Jamie and Gail Hicks for their great pictures from the 2000 and the 1999 AIHR National Indian Horse Show which are posted at their photopoint.com site.
Check them out at:
AIHR National Show pictures at Photopoint. Thanks again, Jamie!
Here's a page of IH fun. Click here to see the Tejas Indian Horse Club riding in the historic Jefferson, Texas Mardi Gras Parade last year.
Want to see Indian Horses performing at the Four Winds Renaissance Faire?
Click here!
