By Marsha Klein


Any mustang horse information is part of the history of the Wild West that existed hundreds of years ago. Although not indigenous to North America, he symbolizes all that was noble and beautiful in those days.

It was the Spaniards who introduced the horse to North America. After that, they were captured and tamed by Native American tribes. They were used as pack animals and for riding. Although some consider them feral, they were all descendants of domestic animals, brought in by the Spanish settlers.

They are honored by the Congress of the United States as symbols of the days of the wild West. They represent the noble spirit of the pioneers. Currently, some herds are genetically linked to the Iberian horses. Others have interbred with horses that strayed from ranchers who owned them.

These magnificent animals are protected by the Bureau of Land Management. Ranchers are opposed to the horses rights to roam and graze on public lands. The ranchers want the land for use by their livestock. Many disagree with the concept of privately owned stock grazing free. The Mustang have been rounded up and removed to preserve the rights of ranchers.

A program offering them for adoption by private citizens is intended to deal with the overpopulation. In 1900 it was estimated that two million were roaming free in North America. Many were captured and trained for use, including military use. Their slaughter for pet food is a horror that has now been abolished.

In the past they were herded by men in planes over the hot plains. Some collapsed and died in the heat. Others were said to have been poisoned to reduce their numbers. Now the Mustangs that roam on public land are protected by federal law.

Some predators do facilitate natural population control of the herds. They are the mountain lion, the grizzly bear and the wolf. A mountain lion can chase down and kill a moose so the horse is at risk. The human type of predator is no longer allowed to hunt or poison them as they did in the past.

They are now being offered for adoption to qualified individuals. The person must be able to prove he can provide a good home and promises not to sell them for at least a year. By 2010, more than 225,000 had been adopted.

One senator proposed euthanasia as a way to decimate the population of wild Mustangs. He wanted to euthanize all those over the age of ten. One horse lover wanted to establish a sanctuary in Nevada for them. It is a wonderful idea. But, unfortunately, it would lead to continuing overpopulation.

A wild Mustang is a thing of beauty and represents the type of spirit and determination admired by any person with sensitivity. For those who want to consider adopting one there is mustang horse information available from the BLM and other sources. Euthanizing or harming these gorgeous animals is an unacceptable idea. There history makes them special and it would be unpatriotic to ignore that fact.




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