Native Mexican Horse

Origin: Mexico.Native Mexican Horse
Height: Roughly 15hh.

Color: Any.

Physique: Small saddle horse of varying type, but a lean-framed animal with good shoulders, short back, strong loins, and hindquarters, hard legs with plenty of bone, and hard feet.

Description: The Mexican horse is thought to be a mixture of the breeds running wild in North and South America, possessing Andalusian, Arab, Criollo, and Mustang blood and of course originally traced to the horses of the Conquistadors. It is a tough, handy little animal, adapted by natural selection to a harsh climate, quick and flexible enough to be used for ranch work, and brave enough to face a bull in the ring.

Like many other countries that admire horse breeding and equine sports, Mexico is one such nation. It is known for its interest in horses that it acknowledges.

Mexico had witnessed a revolution in which a variety of horse breeds participated. Most of the varieties that took part in it were not native to the country. Most of the horses were largely killed in the revolt and faced extinction.

Mexico did not have any particular Native horse. In due course, a distinguished group of people came forward to create an inhabitant horse for Mexico. They worked out on desired and precise characteristics which they wished to be present in their local breed of horse.

Reminiscences of the previous horses and traits like grace and convenience in work and ride were given importance. A crossbreed was developed with preferred traits by crossing Spanish Andalusian stallions to Quarter Horse and Criollo mares of a particular variety.

Several crossbreeds were developed by making frequent attempts. Finally, a breed with desired characteristics emerged at the Domecq Center of Equine Reproduction in Texcoco. It became popular as Azteca as the country’s charro association members named it that way.

Azteca:

Most of the breeders tried to match the conformations and put forward their breeds. To maintain a systematic order and to meet the recognized standards need for authority was felt. In 1972, the Mexican Association of Race Horse Breeders Azteca was founded to define the confines of horse registration. The organization was legally acknowledged by the Agriculture and Cattle Secretary of the Mexican government. It worked collectively with most of the veterinarians and experts and developed a scientific breeding program in genetics and breeding for the Aztec horse.

Azteca is Mexico’s horse breed, also known as the National Horse of Mexico. It possesses all the preferred characteristics.

Evolution of the Azteca horse breed:

The Aztec horse breed was developed by the Mexican government on an extensive scale. In 1985, a seminar was held in Mexico to confirm a cross-breeding map. The objective behind this was to give a platform to confirm a crossbreeding plan for the creation of a new breed-Azteca. The cross-breeding plan covered various aspects.

These are as under:

• A cross-breeding plan to arrive at a pure Azteca A was determined
• Different stages of crosses were classified as E, F, D, C and B
• Azteca A is a creation of at-least three generations of the five transitional stages
• A number of mixture of different level Azteca’s can be crossed to obtain the Azteca A level, till the resulting offspring has the recognizable ratios of breed contributions
• The elementary Azteca horse may not carry more than 3/4th’s blood of either Spanish or Quarter Horse and no more than 1/4th of the Criollo horse breed
• A thoroughbred Azteca A may be no more than 5/8’s Spanish or Quarter Horse and no more than 1/4th Criollo horse breed

Characteristics of Native Mexican Horse

The native Mexican horse features true characteristics by procuring the best possible and pre-desired combinations of traits. These are:

• A height of about 15h.h.
• A mix of Spanish stock, Arab and Andalusian blood
• A probable American wild Mustang influence
• Extremely hard with strong limbs and feet.
• Agile, courageous, and ideally suited stamina for the Mexican ranches
  Athletic ability

See more: Murakoz Horse