Preserving the Original Curly Breed Lines-
Native/Warrior ~ Native horses from the Sioux and Crow, now mixed with stock type Quarter Horses, coat gene KRT25.
Damele ~ Northern Nevada mustang (Colonial Spanish background) mixed with Arabian, Morgan, Saddlebred, Suffolk Draft and Appaloosa, coat gene KRT25 and possibly other unknown coat genes.
Damele COOK Line/Gene ~ Damele stallion Copper D bred to unknown Cook owned mares, carries an unknown coat gene.
Nevada Mustangs ~ Spanish Colonial mixed with other imported European lines. Carries KRT25 and other unknown coat genes.
Curly Jim ~ Unknown background of the founding sire Curly Jim who resembled a Missouri Foxtrotter and gaited. Has been bred to MFT's, Saddlebreds, some TWH. Coat gene SP6.
Salt Wells/Rock Springs, WY ~ Background breeds are ranch bred horses that became part of the BLM HMA. Foundation Curly sire was the unknown Laramie Stud and son Rocket. Curly gene KRT25.
Fredell ~ Unknown curly foundation horses in Colorado. Bred to Quarter Horses, they are a high percentage of Quarter Horse. Coat gene KRT25.
Canadian ~ a few Curly horses from Nevada and the Dakota's and possibly Curly Sioux or Nez Perce horses mixed with the Alberta Wildies. Also mixed with Quarter Horses. Coat gene KRT25.
Sulphur Curly Mustang Gene ~ Spanish Colonial horses from Sulphur HMA in Utah. Unknown coat gene.
Aishihik Mead ~ Joe Mead bred horses with Foundation Palouse Nez Perce Appaloosa. Coat gene KRT25.
Damele (Bancroft) Pony/Miniature line ~ Damele Twist line bred to Miniature horses. Coat gene KRT25.
Curly Jim Pony/and Miniature ~ Curly Jim line of ponies and miniatures, coat gene SP6.
Canadian (Bancroft) Pony and Miniature line ~ Canadian line bred to Miniature horses. Coat gene KRT25.
Each of the original Curly breed lines tested as it's own unique group of Curly horses. They have their own body type and unique backgrounds breeds and coat genes.
Please read the ICHO Preservation Article with Graphics:
| icho_curly_horse_preservation_article_w_graphics.pdf |
From the early years through to the present, Curly horse lines were often mixed and bred together because of a lack of Curly horses to breed to. Now most all of our Curly Horses are a blend of several Curly Breed lines. It is not uncommon to find several or all lines in one horse. With continued Curly Coat Gene typing and genetic research by Dr Mitch Wilkinson and Dr Gus Cothran, we have learned the original lines were not related, even though they may share the same Curly Coat Gene. So there is a need to preserve these early Breed lines of Curly and their unique ancestry while we can still find them and keep them as their own Curly Breed Line. History of the Original Curly Lines are included and breeding suggestions are included for keeping the lines as close to the original as possible. It is often better to breed a certain line to another foundation breed than to breed to an unrelated Curly of another line. Example- Native/Warrior bred to old style QH is preferred rather than breed to an unrelated Curly Jim horse or Damele horse. We didn't know early on that mixing Curly lines and breeding any Curly x any Curly was not a good idea genetically because these original Curly horses were unrelated and mixing coat genes can lead to balding horses. Mixed Curly line breeding does not create a bred line. We now know a single Curly line is closer to a breed line than a mixed blended line of unrelated Curly Horses. There are several Curly Lines and coat genes in critical condition of being lost forever. The Cook Coat Gene (One Mare known), The Sulphur Mustang Coat Gene (One Stallion), The Fredll Type is KRT25 but critical for staying true to it's original line (One Mare known). Native/Warrior line (KRT25) without mixing of other Curly lines is in critical condition. Without preservation these Curly Breed lines and/or coat genes will be lost. The most prominent Curly coat Gene is KRT25, SP6 is about 1/4 to 1/3 in number to the KRT25 coat genes totals. SP6 is low in number but not critical and needs to be preserved in it's original line without mixing with KRT25 line horses. It is important to consider the Breed Lines as unique genetically and include the Smooth Coats as well as Curly Coats in the Breed Lines. The objective is to keep the Curly line as unmixed with other lines as possible, yet there are ways to breed mixed of two lines back to full lineage status. This is especially helpful to endangered Curly lines.
Curly Breed Lines:
DAMELE sub types of Damele Line include COOK and DAMELE (Bancroft) Pony and Miniatures
Founding Sire COPPER D, any early Damele horses are just listed as Damele Horse or Damele Mare. Curly Coat Gene KRT25, unknown COOK gene and unknown Curly gene (a).
Founding Sire COPPER D, any early Damele horses are just listed as Damele Horse or Damele Mare. Curly Coat Gene KRT25, unknown COOK gene and unknown Curly gene (a).
| preserving_curly_horse_types-_damele.pdf |
| preserving_curly_horse_types-_cook.pdf |
| preserving_the_damele_pony_miniature_line.pdf |
NATIVE/ WARRIOR/ BERNDT/ ELI BAD WARRIOR/ NTS these horse go back Eli Bad Warrior family horses from the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. They were heavily bred to QH's by Ernie Hammrich and NTS. Curly Coat Gene KRT25
| preserving_curly_horse_types-_native_warrior.pdf |
WY SALT WELLS/ ROCK SPRINGS CURLY MUSTANGS go back to Laramie Stud and his son Rocket. Curly Coat Gene KRT25 this group is not related to other Curly horse lines.
| preserving_curly_horse_types-_salt_wells_rock_springs.pdf |
SULPHUR SPRINGS MUSTANGS Coat Gene Unknown
| preserving_curly_horse_types-_sulphur_springs_curly.pdf |
NEVADA CURLY MUSTANGS
| preserving_nevada_curly_mustangs.pdf |
FREDELL line go back to breeders in Boulder CO, these horse were heavily bred to QH's coat gene KRT25. Original Curlies of this line are of unknown origin.
| preserving_curly_horse_types-_fredell.pdf |
CANADIAN this line goes back to two unknown Curlies taken to Canada in the late 1880's and early 1900's. One horse was captured in SD, the other from NV. It is also thought some were wild horses in the Alberta, Cypress Hills area where Sitting Bull (Sioux) and White Bird (Nez Perce) camped in the 1880's. The original horses are unknown. Coat gene KRT25 There is a Canadian (Bancroft) Pony Miniature line that goes back to Roy Olepeter.
| preserving_curly_horse_types-_canadian.pdf |
| preserving_the_canadian_curly_pony.pdf |
CURLY JIM is the founding sire of this line and is the only line to carry Curly Coat Gene SP6. Curly Jim was an unknown horse with a Curly coat and was gaited. The preservation line of Curly Jim MFT are Curly Jim horses bred exclusively to Missouri Foxtrotters. The other Curly Jim Pony and Miniature line comes from the McKay pony and Brooks Circle B ponies bred to Curly Jim horses. These lines carry SP6.
| preserving_curly_horse_types-_curly_jim_mft.pdf |
| preserving_curly_jim_ponies_miniatures.pdf |
CURLY PONY with Curly Jim breeding and unknown Curly Coat Gene
| preserving_curly_horse_types-_pony_unknown_gene.pdf |
| breeding_to_full_preseravtion_line.pdf |
Click PLAY to see Preservation Curly Horses
If your horse is eligible for Preservation status in any of the listed types and already ICHO registered, apply by filling out this form. To check your horses pedigree use www.curlyhorses.info/default.asp
to check bloodlines. If your Curly or Smooth Coat qualifies you will receive a digital card you can print and put with your horses file showing Preservation status.
to check bloodlines. If your Curly or Smooth Coat qualifies you will receive a digital card you can print and put with your horses file showing Preservation status.