The North American Curly Horse Mystery

The North American Curly Horse
History and Mystery

History in North America:

The Curly Horse's real origin is a mystery; its history is largely undocumented; and many of its breed characteristics are still evolving. One of the earliest written records of this horse in North America is the 1801-2 winter count of the Sioux nation, depicting that year as when the Sioux stole Curly Horses from the Crow people. Later, in drawings by Red Horse, Curly Horses are pictured in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, being ridden by Sioux Warriors. Today, the Curly horses that descend from these Northern Plains Indian tribal grounds, are often referred to as Native American bloodlines. The largest breeder of these lines in recent years was the late Mr. Ernest Hammrich, of South Dakota.

painting by Red Horse, Curly Horse in Battle of Little Big Horn
drawing by Red Horse, Curly Horse in Battle of Little Big Horn

In the 1930's, further south along the Rocky Mountains, a Nevada rancher by the name of Damele, began noticing the favorable difference between Curly Horses out in the mustang bands, compared to his working ranch horses. The Curly Horses survived harsher weather. When he gathered some in and began using them, he discovered their temperament, toughness, and intelligence made them outstanding ranch horses. These Nevada Curly mustangs were the base stock used to develop what is often referred to now as the Damele bloodline. The largest breeder of this line in recent years, is Mr. Joe Mead, of North Dakota, who was a friend of the Damele family.

As you can see, the North American Curly Horse began predominantly with western bloodlines... As time went by, the versatility of the Curly Horse became more widely recognized, and although still rare, more bloodlines developed, and different types emerged or were discovered. Today we have North American Curly Horses that serve as ranch horses all the way to world class dressage horses, and everything in between. There are also Curlies that soft gait, and there are draft and pony types.

North American Curly Horses are

hypoallergenic: see more below...

North American Curly Horse Characteristics:

I believe that the 1st characteristic of the Curly Horse of today must be listed as: There are exceptions to almost every rule about the Curly Horse! That being said, the main traits of today's Curly Horses are - a durable, medium sized curly-haired horse, with tough bone, hard feet, high intelligence, and an amazingly calm temperament. North American Curly Horses are hypoallergenic, (see more at bottom of this page) meaning, they usually do not cause reactions (or severe reactions) to those who are normally allergic to horses. Many Curly Horses display primitive horse characteristics.
Beyond that, there are many physical variations within the 'breed' and between the bloodlines, such as size, color, body style & performance type. This wide variation in type exists due to the fact that Curly Horses have always been rare, both in the wild and in domestication, so there has been unavoidable crossbreeding.
Because of lack of genetic consistency and standardization, and because there is no evidence to suggest it ever was a breed, the North American Curly Horse is not considered a true breed of horse by today's scientific standards. But with planned breeding efforts, it could reach true breed status in a number of generations, using breeding practices that establish stable & predictable genetic type.
It appears that in most bloodlines, repeated Curly to Curly breedings may lead to increased shedding of hair in the mane and tail. If this is proven so, and if it is decided that should be avoided, the smooth coated (SC) Curly Horses may be used to develop breeding bloodlines in the future. This would lead to increased value of the Smooth Coated Curlies, that are of excellent type & carry on the other Curly Horse traits.

There are more questions than answers! More answers to these questions, may come in time, with continued research.

ICHO: the International Curly Horse Organization: This is the North American Curly Horse registry, that began in January 2000. The International Curly Horse Organization (ICHO) came into existence, when the ABCR closed its stud books. The ICHO will continue to preserve and protect, and register all North American Curly Horses. The ICHO has divisions in place for Curly Horses of all breed development levels, whether it be as pure as possible, or, a curly cross type in breed evolution.

ABCR: the American (Bashkir)* [see note below] Curly Horse Registry: The Curly Horse in North America has been officially recognized, registered and pedigrees recorded by the American Bashkir Curly Registry since its inception in 1971. In January of 2000 the ABCR closed its stud books, and no longer registers any Curly Horse that does not have 2 ABCR registered parents.

the Mystery of Origin:

*(Bashkir) *Please note: The first Curly Horse registry & some breeders continue to include the word Bashkir in its name, which began with a mistake made in the 1940's, that started with the inaccurate cartoon shown above. Referring to the North American Curly Horse as a Bashkir horse is a confusing misnomer to newcomers to the breed, and especially to new European Curly Horse owners. Horse people in Europe are more familiar with the closer Russian Bashkir, than they are with the relatively rare North American Curly Horse. And there is almost certainly no Bashkir blood in the North American Curly Horse. The Bashkir pony is a small cold blooded breed, that is not known to be curly coated, is quite allergenic, and reportedly has an unsatisfactory disposition. In Sweden, some of the first North American Curly Horse breeders imported Russian Bashkir horses for crossbreeding, thinking at that time, they were breeding the same horse, and therefore continued to propagate the misinformation. Not to mention adding undesirable genetics into the Curly Horse. Anyway, if the North American Curly Horses are related to, or originated from, any Asian breeds, it would more likely have been the Lokai or other Oriental (middle Asia) lineage breeds. (See Lokai, below)
There is little historical documentation from yesteryear, and even less scientific/genetic study today, that sheds light on where the Curly Horse did originate. There is little indication that the North American Curly Horse is the remnants of an ancient breed. A more reasonable theory is that Curly coated horses were spontaneous mutations, of Oriental & Barb type horses that developed along the Rocky Mountain range over the past several centuries in North America.
Although instances are rare, curly coated horses have also appeared in ancient times, worldwide, throughout history. Again, perhaps they were mutations of certain types of horses. They were depicted or described among horses of Oriental lineage, most notably the Barb strains & the spotted Lp gene carrying breeds of horses. [this is a personal observation of my own, and is not officially documented.]

The Lokai breed: According to Bonnie L. Hendricks, in her book entitled International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds, "Horses with curly coats are most often found among middle Asian breeds, especially in the Lokai."
The Lokai is a saddle breed of horse bred in the country of Tadzhikistan (formerly Soviet Union). They descend from Oriental lineage, primarily through strains of central Asian breeds, such as the Iomud, and to a lesser extent, the Akhal-Teke and Karabair. There was later some Arabian influence. (It is interesting to note that one of the Akhal-Teke's breed traits is that some have very sparse-haired manes and tails).
The Lokai as a breed is not uniform in type. The surface hairs of the Lokai, are characteristically curly. There is one strain of Lokai, that is fully curly coated, from ears to hooves, and is inherited from a dominant gene. There are over 100 of these dominant gene curly strain Lokai horses, which trace back to a stallion named Farfor, who was bred to produce this curly strain of Lokai from 1955 to 1970. Each year he produced 15 to 18 foals, the majority of which were curly. "His offspring were characterized by great endurance, resistance to disease, and good adaptation to range living in the mountains... Farfor was used for a long time in the Tadzik national game, buz-kasi... Farfor was heterozygote, and to strengthen the heredity of the curly coat inbreeding was used in certain generations. As a result of many years of careful selection, a group of curly horses was obtained. Horses of this strain are curly from ears to cannons, especially during the spring and summer periods."
To wonder if the North American Curly Horse may have originated from Lokai bred horses brought over years ago, would be plausible. However, the only time in history that horses were brought to North America from that region, recorded in history, was well after Curly Horses were first documented in North & South America. So the mystery remains, and the conjecture continues.

ICHO information on Curly Horses:

[about Curly Horses]

Curly Horses are Hypoallergenic

"Official" Research
on Hypoallergenic Horses

We submitted hair samples in a research project conducted at University of Aachen, Germany. This research study was to officially determine the differences between various horse breeds, in allergy tests, and to find out why Curly Horses are hypoallergenic. We had 15 horses in quarantine, and coordinated with another curly horse breeder in IN {Curly Horse Co} who also met the quarantine guidelines. The curly horses, & smooth coat curly horses, had to be kept at least 2 fences away from other horses for 30 days. Results were NOT published, as was promised, but the results were incontrovertible, as real-life experiences also attest.

yes, Curly Horses are Hypoallergenic

This page is dedicated to the phenomenon of the American Curly Horse being "hypoallergenic." The Curly Horse has not had much scientific study done on it, and much of what we know about this horse is from testimonials, and hands on experience. We do know for a fact, that many people who are normally allergic to horses, are rarely allergic, or have greatly reduced reaction to, most Curly Horses.

no, Curly Horses are not NONallergenic

However, hypoallergenic is not the same as non-allergenic, and we do not consider, nor claim, that North American Curly Horses are 100% non-allergenic in every case! For those who are quite allergic, they may find certain individual Curly Horses that won't work out for them. But fortunately, we think this is uncommon. We have not heard of anyone yet, who was not able to find a Curly Horse that they could be around.

Also, according to preliminary findings at the horse allergy study going on at the University at Aachen, they have found it extremely difficult to find anyone allergic to horses who is not also allergic to cats. This is noteworthy, since many allergy curly-hair sample-taking, "tests," or hands on experimenting, are done around farms and ranches where there are, not only other straight haired horses, but also cats. Since research on this topic is barely in progress, and field documentation is still spotty, we eagerly await more test results, and more data collection on this phenomenon.

what about recessive Curly Horses?

Another interesting side-note is: When we discuss the North American Curly Horse, we are discussing the dominant gene North American Curly Horse. These are the horses that can and will produce another curly horse, when bred to an outside type or breed of normal haired horse. But there is also another type of Curly Horse, that is apparently a product of a recessive gene for curliness. A Curly Horse is assumed recessive if both of its parents are normal haired, and are another breed of horse (such as an Arabian, a Missouri Foxtrotter, Percheron, Mustang, or Quarter Horse, etc.) According to reports, the recessive Curly Horse, is also usually hypoallergenic. More collection of data is needed to verify this.

what about smooth coated Curly Horses?

Yes, some Curly Horses are born NOT curly. In addition to them being an oxymoron, they are (yet another) Curly Horse mystery that we need LOTS more data on. Some North American Curly Horses, with generations of curlies in their pedigree, are still born straight haired, or what we refer to as, smooth coated. Is there any possibility that some of these straight haired Curly Horses - could also be hypoallergenic?? In a word, YES! I personally know of quiteafew SC Curly Horses, that I know first hand gave little/no reaction to people normally allergic to other horses. Some are SC's I have bred myself and sent hair samples out to allergic people. Some are breeders' horses that I know. I have also heard numerous second hand reports of the same findings, from other breeders. But, itappears thatmanySC curly horses are just as allergenic as any other breed of horse, too.

Many North American Curly Horse breeders, have come to believe that a smooth coated Curly Horse may have any number or combination of other typical Curly Horse traits, but not in a reliable predictable combination. The SC seems to be less consistent in typical North American Curly Horse traits, such as extra gentle temperament, and, being hypoallergenic... however, there certainly are SC Curly Horses that do exhibit most or all of the various North American Curly Horse traits except being curly haired, including sometimes, being hypoallergenic. We are very interested in continuing to gather & share this information about hypoallergenic SC Curly Horses.

We have Curly Horse hair samples we have taken, from a number of both curly Curlies, and straight Curlies, that we are happy to send to people who wish to test their allergic reaction. We can send you a sample in the mail if you would like. Email me with your request & mailing address.

CAUTION
A reliable allergy test is elusive, due to other factors often out of our control. These other factors can interfere with true results. For example, a sample can often have hay or pollen or manure dust in it, which many people are also allergic to. And, it is difficult to get a perfect sample of hair from a Curly Horse that has not been near any other straight haired horses. Or, a curly foal you might be interested in buying, may be with her mother, a straight haired mare... or, there may be a cat around the day I took the sample... (people allergic to horses are usually allergic to cats as well.) and, it is also possible that some Curly Horses may be more or less allergenic for some people than other Curly Horses. ... and the list goes on. In other words, the test may have to be repeated several times, and with several samples, and maybe with several horses, before you can begin to get a true feel for which horses you are indeed reacting to, and which you are not. If you try a test, and it doesn't work for you the first time, don't give up. Try several more tests before you reach any conclusions. For those who may be severely allergic, we remind you to exercise caution and common sense when conducting an allergy test with a Curly Horse hair sample, and we suggest you only do it under your physician's supervision.

Article
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 14:41:07 -0400
Subject: article: Horse allergy kills woman
Sender: Allergy Discussion Group <ALLERGY@LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU>
From: Kelly Farrell <Kelly@IBM.NET>

Horse allergy kills woman
Magda Kaminska suffered a fatal reaction to a horse. A Welsh primary school teacher on holiday in America has died after experiencing a rare allergic reaction to horses in a Wild West show.

Magda Kaminska died minutes after leaving a wagon train show in Jackson, Wyoming, on the fourth day of a two-week holiday. The 51-year-old's friend, Betty Prendergast, tried to resuscitate her, but she was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Miss Kaminska's brother Andrew said his sister, of Abertridwr, south Wales, had spent the day in a wagon which was pulled by horses. Mr Kaminski, from Caerphilly, south Wales, said: "She was fine until they were going back to the hotel. She was singing and laughing then suddenly out of the blue she said she couldn't breathe." She collapsed by the side of the road. They tried to resuscitate her, paramedics were on the scene straight away and she was in hospital within 15 minutes, but it was no good."

Shock
He said his sister, who taught at Cwmaber County Infants School for more than 20 years, had died after having an anaphylactic reaction to the horses at the event on Wednesday, August 11. "She has always been allergic to animals, but nothing like this before. It was a hell of a shock to find out how she had died," he said. "Magda was a marvellous, kind, helpful person. She was all ready to go back to school for the new term."
Disastrous effects
Allergy expert Professor John Brostoff told BBC Radio Wales that long exposure to horses could have a disastrous effect for someone who was allergic. "If you are behind a horse giving off a lot of horse allergen and you are breathing it directly into your lungs it can have a disastrous effect, and clearly it has." Miss Kaminska, who was single and lived with her mother Janina, was on her third trip to the US, a country which her brother said she had "loved." The family are waiting for her body to be flown back to Britain.

History in North America:	The Curly Horse's real origin is a mystery; its history is largely undocumented; and many of its breed characteristics are still evolving. One of the earliest written records of this horse in North America is the 1801-2 winter count of the Sioux nation, depicting that year as when the Sioux stole Curly Horses from the Crow people. Later, in drawings by Red Horse, Curly Horses are pictured in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, being ridden by Sioux Warriors. Today, the Curly horses that descend from these Northern Plains Indian tribal grounds, are often referred to as Native American bloodlines. The largest breeder of these lines in recent years was the late Mr. Ernest Hammrich, of South Dakota.
	drawing by Red Horse, Curly Horse in Battle of Little Big Horn
	In the 1930's, further south along the Rocky Mountains, a Nevada rancher by the name of Damele, began noticing the favorable difference between Curly Horses out in the mustang bands, compared to his working ranch horses. The Curly Horses survived harsher weather. When he gathered some in and began using them, he discovered their temperament, toughness, and intelligence made them outstanding ranch horses. These Nevada Curly mustangs were the base stock used to develop what is often referred to now as the Damele bloodline. The largest breeder of this line in recent years, is Mr. Joe Mead, of North Dakota, who was a friend of the Damele family. As you can see, the North American Curly Horse began predominantly with western bloodlines... As time went by, the versatility of the Curly Horse became more widely recognized, and although still rare, more bloodlines developed, and different types emerged or were discovered. Today we have North American Curly Horses that serve as ranch horses all the way to world class dressage horses, and everything in between. There are also Curlies that soft gait, and there are draft and pony types.