The Mustang Horse: Wild and Free

One of the most famous and beloved breeds of horse is the Mustang. This breed of horse is a feral horse that roams free in the southwestern United States and other areas. This horse is a popular mascot and can be seen representing automobiles and sports teams. This is likely because this horse represents freedom, strength and independence. These horses are an embodiment of the spirit associated with early pioneers of the West. This breed descends from Spanish horses brought to the New World by the conquistadors. It can be traced to the oldest horse breed, the Iberian horse.

Although these horses are referred to as wild, the proper term is feral. This is because the horses brought to North America that now roam free originated from domesticated horses. The English word for this breed comes from a Spanish word that means stray, which certainly describes this type of horse. There is only one truly wild horse in the world. It is called Przewalski's Horse and is found in Mongolia.

In the early 1900s there were approximately two million feral horses in the United States. They were often captured and tamed for a variety of purposes. They were often sold, slaughtered to make pet food, or used as soldiers horses. Since then, there have been protection acts established to preserve and protect the best interests of this majestic equine. Today's remaining population of feral horses in the United States has dwindled down to 25,000 with the bulk of them in Nevada, Montana and Oregon. You can also find several hundred feral horses in areas of British Columbia. There are certain breeders around the country that are devoted to protecting and preserving this historic breed of horse.

The majority of Mustang horses are warm bloods and resemble Spanish horses. They have a variety of coat colors including black, bay, chestnut, palomino and roan. Many of these horses can be adopted from various organizations and agencies for a small fee. The sad thing is that captured Mustangs of a certain age are sometimes still slaughtered for pet food purposes, however many of these horses are adopted and kept as companions. You will find these horses are intelligent yet wild, a bit stubborn yet adaptable to life with humans and other animals.

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