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The Colonial Spanish Horse derives from old Iberian breeds, and horses of the Sulphur Springs herd are one of the types that retain many of the traits of the endangered Sorraia. Dominant colors include several shades of zebra (bay) dun, red (chestnut) dun and grullo (black dun; the word "grullo" is Spanish for "crane" and is used to describe a horse the color of a Blue Crane). The dun horses have dorsal stripes and many have bi-colored manes & tails, tiger striped legs, and occasional chest barring. Other colors found though out the region include bay, black, chestnut, and a few palominos and roans. Physical characteristics include hooked ears that curve inward at the tips, a sloping croup, low-set tail, deep body, narrow chest, flat or convex facial profile, and a broad forehead, but narrow face and muzzle from a frontal view. They range in size from 13 to 15 hands, and 750 to 950 lbs. although there are a few excellent specimens under or over this height and weight. Many Sulphur horses exhibit curly traits, and a few display a classic curly coat. The Sulphur horse was virtually unnoticed by conservationists until the early 1990's. In 1993, Dr. Phil Sponenberg was invited to evaluate several of the Sulphur Horses that had been recently captured and adopted to private individuals. He summarized his analysis as: "The Sulphur Herd Management area horses that are present as adopted horses in the Salt Lake City area appear to be of Spanish phenotype. The horses were reasonably uniform in phenotype, and most of the variation encountered could be explained by a Spanish origin of the population. That, coupled with the remoteness of the range and blood typing studies, suggests that these horses are indeed Spanish...This is one population that should be kept free of introductions from other herd management areas, as it is Spanish in type and therefore more unique than horses of most other BLM management areas." Genetic testing by Dr. Gus Cothran, formerly of the University of Kentucky, has revealed that, as Dr. Cothran stated: "They (the Sulphur horses) definitely have Spanish ancestry and possibly are primarily derived from Spanish Horses". Additional testing by Biopsytec Analytik has verified Drs. Sponenberg's and Cothran's evaluations.

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