 The Mustang is a feral (wild) horse, found in the western United States. The name Mustang comes from a Spanish word meaning 'wild'. Originally these were the descendants of Spanish horses, but over the years have become a mix of many breeds. As the West was being settled, the horses that came with the settlers occasionally escaped, or were freed during Indian raids. The Native Americans tamed many of these feral horses, and the trading of these horses between tribes distributed the Mustang bloodline across the continent. Meanwhile, herds of wild horses were forced west by civilization; the bloodline was strengthened continually by escaping horses of the many breeds that were in use at the time.
Eventually most of the land in the West was taken up by ranches, and grazing space was at a premium. For a while, it was common to allow the shooting of Mustangs. Their population at the beginning of the twentieth century was about two million ... by 1926 the population had been halved. The number of Mustangs has been as low as 30,000, but they are now protected by the 'Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act', and their numbers are increasing. Recently, the Act has been amended to allow for managing the size of the Mustang population when it gets too large, by killing some of them, and capturing and taming some. Because Mustangs have for several centuries not been bred by man, but have been the product of natural selection, these animals are usually fine riding animals and exceptional in endurance trials. Most Mustangs are of the light horse type. The colour is the full range of colors found in horses. Many of them still exhibit Spanish characteristics. |