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Breed/Discipline: Nokota Horse

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Nokota Horse

Nokota Horse Conservancy

Nokota®

Nokota Horse Conservancy® 

Nokota® horses have a proud history but their future is uncertain. 

Their ancestors ran wild in the Little Missouri badlands, in what eventually became known as Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The resilient horses thrived for generations eluding round-ups and surviving brutal winters. When the horses were captured and sold during the 1980s, horsemen brothers Leo and Frank Kuntz bought some of these colorful horses. They called the horses Nokotas® and found them to be distinctly different from other horse breeds with their confirmation, sensitivity, grit and intelligence. 

Research reveals their lineage traces back to pioneer ranch stock and the horse of the Lakota people who surrendered to the US army in 1881. Upon that surrender, the horses were confiscated and their heritage was lost.

The Nokota Horse Conservancy® was formed to ensure the survival of the historically significant and endangered Nokota® breed. Our mission is to continue the breeding program and registry to preserve and protect their genetics and to engage in educational outreach that advances an appreciation of the importance of the Nokota® horse and the need to sustain their existence for future generations. 

Nokota® horses are characterized by a square-set, angular frame, tapering musculature, V-shaped front end, angular shoulders with prominent withers, distinctly sloped croup, low tail set, strong bone, legs, and hooves. Blue roan coat color occurs with high frequency, as well as red and bay roan, overo, bay, grey and black. Their ears are often slightly hooked at the tips, and many have feathered fetlocks. Nokotas® tend to mature slowly, and some exhibit ambling gaits sometimes described as a shuffle. 

Recent genetic research at Cornell University has confirmed the rare Garrano and Criollo markers occur in high frequency in the full-foundation Nokota® horse as well as

Asian and Iberian markers, which makes them distinct from other bands of North American mustangs. Their unique genetic profile has solidified their status as a breed that number nearly 1000 horses.

Learn more about the Nokota horse at www.nokotahorse.org