IberAm Horse

Dating to before Columbus, the horses of the Iberian Peninsula played many important rolls thru out history. Hannibal used them to cross the Alps – they were the “Atomic Bomb” of that era and who ever had them, possessed equine superiority.

The Iberian American horse – IberAms as they are called are one of many versions of the Iberian horse. Other well known Iberian related horses are the Andalusians, Lusitano, Lippizan, and Kladruber. Many breeds trace their bloodline origins to the horses of Iberia.

To describe the IberAm horse as “A new blossom on an old tree” is appropriate.

Iberian Federalist Flag

Many don’t realize that there were no horses of any kind in both North and South America before Columbus’s 2 nd voyage to the new world. It is true – Indians did not have horses until after Columbus.

Iberia today is Spain and Portugal. Iberian conquistadors brought their horses to the new world – which eventually became the foundation stock of the great wild horse herds.

There are two ways most animals are developed! One is to use the skills of man in selecting breeding stock to achieve desired results (purebreds for example). The other is nature’s way. “Survival of the fittest” and “form follows function” as it is with all creatures of the wild.

The IberAm horse is a combination of both ways – to use the best man has developed in the purebred Iberian horse world in combination with select Iberian type horses of natures wild horse herds.

Although the IberAms are recognized and can be registered in certain situations as half Andalusians, Lippizans, etc. – there is nothing half about an IberAm as they have a great preponderance of Iberian blood.

History states that during the times of the Moorish invasion of Europe – many bloodline combinations were experienced and much of that breeding history is cloudy and speculative. The breeding motive was always the same – to get a better horse. The results also produced a more diversified genetic pool.

When the genetic pool is locked in, good features and bad features become magnified at the same mathematical rates. It was not uncommon for purebred registries to introduce different bloodlines, often referred to as “refinement”. In actuality, – genetic diversity was added to the gene pool. Cross breeding essentially achieves the same.

The formula and direction for the IberAm is to retain the famed Iberian equine genetic values to the highest levels, using modern genetic knowledge and to have diversity and the capability to eliminate genetic disorders and disease.

The projected mission statement of the IberAm is “to join the leaders of the genetic studies in performing practical applications of advancement in genetic knowledge.”