Monarch’s Wind, a Barb stallion, sports his new fly mask while enjoying a treat. Valley News/Julie Reeder photo
Sandia Creek Ranch rescued seven Spanish Barb horses. Turns out, they may be pre-Spanish Barbs, called Berbers, that are considered critically endangered by the Equus Survival Trust.The horses native to Spain were often interbred, and the quest for a “pure Spanish horse” now centers on the highly bred horses the Spanish explorers took to the Western Hemisphere and the descendants of those Spanish horses who ended up in the wild. Seven of these critically endangered horses are now in De Luz.These horses were the foundation for many of the modern breeds.“We’re pulling DNA on them right now to make sure it’s exact,” Kiersti Wylie, who is the president of the Sandia Creek Ranch Auxiliary Foundation, said.[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="68972,68973,6896
