The Longhorn and Corriente cattle can be traced back to the first cattle brought to the new world by the Spanish as early as 1493. These cattle were hardy breeds chosen especially to withstand the ocean crossing and adapt to their new land. They were brought to the West Indies and south Florida, as well as to Central and South America. Over the centuries the descendants of these cattle were bred for different purposes - milk, meat and draft animals. They also adapted through natural selection to the various regions in which they lived. Eventually their descendants spread across the southern U.S. and up the coast of California.

In the early 1800's, European and other breeds were introduced to the new world, and by the 1900's many ranchers in the Americas were upgrading their herds with modern beef cattle. Nearly pure descendants of the original Spanish cattle almost disappeared, but some managed to survive with little human care or intervention in remote areas of Central and South America, and in very limited numbers in some areas of the southern U.S.

Today there is evidence of a worldwide growing interest in preserving various strains of these hardy native and historic cattle.  In Central and South America, the various descendants of the early Spanish cattle are generally referred to as "Criollo." In parts of northern Mexico, as well as in the U.S, they are more often called "Corriente".

The Corriente and Longhorn cow has strong maternal instincts to ensure the survival of their young even in the harshest of conditions.  They have a natural resistance to parasites, diseases, and tolerate heat very well.  They are very gentle and intelligent, are easy to handle and nice to be around.  They reproduce into their twenties while requiring less feed and maintenance than other breeds.  They are hardy, thrifty, resourceful and through natural selection over many centuries, rather than by manipulation of the breed by human influence, they are extremely well suited to the arid lands of New Mexico.

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