HORSE AND PONY BREEDS

11. MUSTANGS

Today mustangs live in feral herds in the United States. They are descended from Spanish horses brought to the country by European settlers in the 16th Century. Many of these early horses escaped from their owners, and others were stolen or traded in deals.

These free horses formed herds and gradually occupied space in the west of the USA. Over time the herds grew in size, but as the country was increasingly settled and ranchers sought out land for cattle, the increased population became a problem, and people started to hunt and poison the horses to get them off their land. In the early 1900s, there were as many as two million mustangs in the USA. Currently, it’s estimated that 50,000 mustangs are still in existence. Most are found on private land, sanctuaries and reservations.

There are now laws in place helping to protect mustangs, and adoption processes have been started to help find safe homes for these special horses.

About

Mustangs are smaller horses, typically standing between 14 and 15 hands high. They are a versatile breed with successful careers in pleasure riding, ranch work, dressage and more. They are known for being hardy and surefooted and are considered easy to keep.

A mustang that has just been adopted from the feral herds will be reactive and spooky to begin with, but given time these horses become calm and well-mannered. If lovingly and properly trained, these horses make amazing riding horses.

Mustangs come in a wide variety of coat colours. Many are bay and chestnut, but black, grey, pinto, roan and palomino coat colours also occur. They have thick, brush-like manes and forelocks, and their eyes are set further apart than in some other breeds, giving them a distinctive look when seen head-on.

Did you know?

Due to being descended from Spanish Barb Horses, a true Mustang should always have 17 ribs!