Our Programs

We preserve and promote the genetically unique, critically endangered Heritage Horse of Oklahoma. Many of these horses' ancestors carried Native American tribal members along the Trail of Tears from their original homelands to Indian Territory preserving the family bloodlines. DNA testing has confirmed historical accounts of these horses originally being obtained from Spanish explorers and carefully bred for their enduring characteristics of gentleness and gait by Native American Tribes  The Heritage Horses of Oklahoma are classified as Colonial Spanish Horses by the Livestock Conservancy and are sometimes  known locally as "Blackjack Mountain Horses".  Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw Ponies are included as well as other Tribal Horses. This breed immortalized the Pony Express and starred in the movie "Hidalgo".  They have saved many lives throughout history, and now it's our turn to save them. 

Friends of the Heritage Horse Foundation Herds,  dba: “The Spirit of Blackjack Mountain”

Mailing Address:  193670 North 4230  Rd, Antlers,  OK 74523-7360

1. Heritage Horses (per excerpt from Oklahoma RESOLUTION No. 34*) "originated from Spanish horses brought to the Americas with early settlers...  Thousands of these Spanish horses were relocated in the 19th century to Indian Territory when tribal peoples were removed from their ancestral homes and were carefully bred and maintained by families...  
2. Foundation Herds: refers to the original herds of these horses brought by Native American Tribes and early settlers in Indian Territory, later named "Oklahoma," from the Choctaw words "okla" (people) and "humma" (red)  referring to the original people's skin color.
3. Scope of organization: “This association is organized exclusively as described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code: “No part of the net earnings of a section 501(c)(3) organization may inure to the benefit of any private business or individual.”
   https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/exemption-requirements-section-501c3-organizationsCharitable 
4. Preservation:  ensure the longtime survival through a public charity foundation for sustainable habitat for permanent preservation of this specific breed of horse, designated as the "Heritage Horse of Oklahoma" per State Resolution 34.

Excerpt from:  1st Session of the 54th Legislature of the State of Oklahoma
By:  Ellis of the Senate and, McDaniel (Curtis) and Lockhart of the House
A Concurrent Resolution recognizing the Oklahoma Colonial Spanish horse as the Official Heritage Horse of Oklahoma;.
WHEREAS, the Oklahoma Colonial Spanish horse, which originated from Spanish horses brought to the Americas with early settlers, is unique in its genetics, history, geography and contributions to the people of Oklahoma; and
WHEREAS, the Oklahoma Colonial Spanish horse maintains 100 percent Spanish genetic markers and has been considered the purest free-roaming Colonial Spanish horse in the United States, and
WHEREAS, thousands of these Spanish horses were relocated in the 19th century to Indian Territory when tribal peoples were removed from their ancestral homes and were carefully bred and maintained by families who treasured them as cultural remnants and practical beasts of burden; and
WHEREAS, these horses hovered on the brink of extinction following the Civil War and again in the 1970s; however, a number of families closely guarded large herds, insuring their preservation and preventing crossbreeding; and
WHEREAS, due to the movement and demise of most of these families, numbers have dwindled, placing the horses on The Livestock Conservancy's Conservation Priority List for livestock breeds in danger of extinction; and
WHEREAS, according to the Southwest Spanish Mustang Association, which works closely with The Livestock Conservancy to ensure the purity and survival of the Oklahoma Colonial Spanish horse, 800 - 900 of these registered horses remain alive today; and
WHEREAS, with its rich heritage, resilience, and perseverance, the Oklahoma Colonial Spanish horse embodies the very spirit of Oklahoma and remains a living piece of state history..

Adopted  March 5, 2014

     Friends of the Heritage Horses, Public Charity, is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information entrusted to us on our website www.FriendsOfTheHeritageHorses.com.  By using this site, you consent to our privacy policy as outlined below:  

    When you visit our website, you may choose to provide us with personally identifiable information such as contact and/or financial information in the form of a donation or merchandise purchase.  If you provide us with a credit card or other payment information it will ONLY be used for processing that specific transaction and to further protect you, it will not be kept on file.    

    If you provide an email or other mailing address for processing your donation or to request information, it may be used to send you information and updates pertaining to your donation transaction, in addition to receiving occasional news, updates, or information regarding the horses that your donations support.  We customarily send one annual fundraising letter per year, but if at anytime you prefer we not contact you, please let us know and we will honor your wishes.  

    We do NOT sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information.  This includes your name, address, email address, phone number, or any financial or other information.  We use technical, physical, and administrative safeguards to secure your personal information against unauthorized access or loss. "Cookies" are small pieces of data stored by your web browser which allow our web servers to recognize computers accessing our website.  "Cookies" also allow you to move from page to page on our website by remembering the information.  

    Links to other websites that are not operated by us, have their own practices. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these sites.  Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about those other sites, or our own site that you wish to provide.  

Contact Us with Any Comments or Questions  

via email to:  FriendsOfTheHeritageHorse@gmail.com     

Or by mail to:  Friends of the Heritage Horses 193670 N. 4230 Rd, Antlers, OK 74523 United States (USA)  

Changes to our Privacy Policy will be posted on this page.  This policy was last updated on June 15, 2017