Re: RC: Feral was Barefoot/Strasser/fads...

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated Fri, 29 Jun 2001 10:52:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com> writes:

<< The sources I had  used (I can get it back out if anyone is
interested) had detailed records form Spain on how many horses came with
each shipload of Conquistadors.  Take into account that about 3/4 of
those were stallions and there was a high attrition rate.  Many campaigns
recorded how few survived...many were eaten.  Then they had quotes from
early settlers on the huge herds of horses in the west when they arrived.>>

They were pretty well accounted for until 1690.

 <<The math didn't work out. >>

The conditions were absolutely ideal in most of the West at that time for a virtual population explosion.  No, the math would not work out given repro data from current situations--but it does work out, given the niche that was vacant and waiting at the time.

<< Also there was the fact that the Arabians &
Barbs weren't buckskin or dun, whereas large numbers in the herds were. >>

Buckskins and duns were present in the Tarpan population, and most European light horse breeds were a combination of Tarpan breeding and the Arab/Barb influence from the various Muslim invasions of Europe over the years.  So yes, there WERE buckskins and duns in the population of European horses that came over.  The Tarpan as its own original breed/subspecies is no longer with us, but its genes live on in hybrid crosses with Arab type horses....

I'm sure the squaws that had to walk and drag travois with dogs would have been REALLY happy if horses had been around prior to the early 1700's.  The horse made a major revolution to the Plains Indian lifestyle, and was one of the greatest "women's lib" factors in history!

Heidi