History
of
 America's first horse 

Colonial Spanish Bloodlines, Native Stewardship, and the Living Legacy of the Choctaw and Cherokee Horse

The story of America’s first horse begins long before the American West and cowboy culture. It starts with Iberian horses brought to the New World by Spanish explorers in the late 1400s. As these horses moved north through early expeditions into what is now the southeastern United States, some escaped, some were traded, and many were taken in by Native American communities. Over time, they became part of everyday life.

In the Southeast, tribes such as the Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Creek developed a deep relationship with these horses. They weren’t bred for looks or status—they were bred for survival. Traits like endurance, intelligence, and calm temperament mattered most. Horses were treated as companions and family, not just livestock. Because of this, many of the original traits of those early Spanish horses were preserved, even as they adapted to the land.

Then came the Trail of Tears. As Native families were forced from their homelands, horses were part of that journey—carrying children, hauling what little people could take, and helping families survive. Many didn’t make it. Some were lost, some taken, others simply worn down by the distance and conditions. But not all of them disappeared. A small number survived, and those horses became the roots of the Choctaw and Cherokee bloodlines that still exist today.

By the early 1900s, those bloodlines were fading fast. Crossbreeding, modernization, and changing ways of life nearly erased them. That’s when people like Gilbert Jones stepped in. Jones wasn’t a scientist or a large-scale breeder—he was a horseman who understood what he was looking at. He spent years finding horses that still carried the look and feel of those older Spanish types—small, tough, sure-footed animals that could live off the land. He gathered them and turned them loose on Blackjack Mountain in Oklahoma, letting them live in a way that kept their natural instincts and strength intact. He wasn’t just collecting horses—he was saving a piece of history without trying to change it.

After Jones passed, that responsibility didn’t disappear. It was carried forward by Bryant and Darlene Rickman. They took on the work of maintaining those same bloodlines, especially the Blackjack Mountain Choctaw horses. They didn’t try to modernize them or turn them into something marketable. Instead, they focused on keeping them true—preserving their structure, their temperament, and their ability to survive the way they always had. Their horses even made their way into the film Hidalgo, giving people a glimpse—whether they realized it or not—of what these historic horses actually look like.

Today, these horses are still here, but just barely. Some bloodlines only number a few hundred animals. What makes them so important isn’t just their story—it’s what they still carry. Genetically, they are some of the closest living connections to the original horses brought to the Americas. They haven’t been heavily altered by modern breeding trends, which means they still hold traits that have been lost in many popular breeds.

They also helped shape the horses people recognize today. Breeds like the Quarter Horse, Appaloosa, Morgan, and Mustang all carry pieces of this history. But the original lines—the ones closest to where it all began—are the ones at risk of disappearing.

Keeping these horses alive isn’t just about preservation—it’s about respect. They represent survival, adaptation, and a partnership between people and animals that goes back centuries. Once they’re gone, that connection is gone with them.