Where did Curly Horses originate?
There have been many theories on this, some believing that the “curly” part of the horse came from the Bashkir region of Russia, some feeling perhaps from the Lokai horses of Tajikistan. To this date nothing has been accurately proven. What is known is that the earliest documented Curlies in North America were with Native Americans in the Winter Count of 1801-2. At this time it was said that the Sioux had stolen Curly horses from the Crow. From then to now, several ranchers/breeders have been responsible for maintaining Curly Horse breeding. Some of the names you will hear are: Damele, Eli Bad Warrior, Berndt, Neidhard, Skjonsberg, and Fredell. There are also Missouri Foxtrotters who, for an unknown reason, carry a dominant Curly gene. The founding sire of that line is *Curly Jim. Additionally, some horses carry a recessive gene for curly coats, two of which are Missouri Foxtrotters and Percherons.
