The Mustang, America's wild horse

 The Mustang is a wild horse living in the Great Plains of North America. The term Mustang comes from Spanish and means "stray animal". Indeed, they were reintroduced by the conquistadors in the sixteenth century during their conquest of the New World. Massacred during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, its population has drastically decreased but it is now part of the American heritage.

History and origins of the Mustang

The Mustang is originally a horse domesticated by the Spanish. The conquest of Spain by the Arabs in the eighth century allowed the arrival of bearded and Arab horses in Spain. The Spanish broom comes from the cross between the horses present in Andalusia and the horses of the Arabs, it is this horse that was taken a few centuries later to America by the conquistadors. We, therefore, find origins of the Mustang in bearded and Arabian horses.

As history says, the conquistadors explored North America during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, it was during this period that Spanish horses, the Spanish Broom, arrived on the American continent. Initially, these horses were already small, resistant, and dry. Natural selection has only accentuated these traits, such as its robustness.

Native American tribes have captured and developed their own race, we find here the Appaloosa or the Chickasaw pony. Many have returned to the wild. The fact that some lines were captured, selected, and then released into the wild explains the diversity of Mustang. The Mustang thrived until the mid-nineteenth century, reaching one to two million individuals.

However, in the following century, they were hunted down for eating their meat, which reduced their numbers to a few thousand. They were re-tamed on ranches and were trained to work on ranches.

From now on, American law protects the Mustang, allowing it to live freely on land that belongs to the American state (and not Canada).

Morphological characteristics of the Mustang

• Waist

The mustang is a small horse, its size varies between 1.42 m and 1.52 m. We can even accept smaller sizes.

• Weight

Depending on its size, its weight varies between 400 and 500 kg.

• Dress

Almost all dresses can be found in Mustangs, due to their great genetic diversity. We can find in particular the white, the alezan, the black, the bai, the Isabelle, the mouse, the gray, the aubère, the wolf, the roan, or the magpie. However, the most frequent dresses are the bai, the bai-brun, the alezan, and the Isabelle.

• Morphology

The morphology is very variable, it has no fixed type. However, some associations for the protection of the Mustang are trying to find an Iberian type.

Forehand:

Its head is small with a straight chamfer

Its neckline is small and hollow

Body:

Small and stocky

Withers is not very apparent

• Short back

Backhand:

Low and inclined croup

Plumb:

Black and strong hooves

Mustangs' feet are known to be resistant and not very sensitive to laminitis.

Physical description and peculiarities of the breed

The characteristic feature of the Mustang is its phenotypic diversity and lifestyle.

• Lifestyle:

Mustangs live in herds of about fifteen individuals. For each horde, there is a single dominant stallion ensuring its protection and a dominant mare (the oldest) deciding their movements. The stallions are excluded at 3 years of age from the hordes and live alone until recovering groups of females, after fighting against the dominant stallion.

The organization of these cohorts makes it possible to limit inbreeding through the presence of a single male.

• Marking:

Mustangs are most commonly marked with a symbol indicating the registration body, two digits indicating the date of birth, and the individual identification number on the left side of the neckline.

For those living in shrines, they are also marked on the left hip of the last four digits of the mark on the neckline.

Mustang Abilities

• Behavior / Character

The Mustang is independent, vigorous, and very vigilant. They are in the wild prey and are therefore able to prevent an attack from several hundred meters.

• Sports to which he is predisposed

The Mustang is a fast and enduring horse.

1. It has long been used for the rodeo in the "bronco riding" event which consists of staying 8 seconds on a wild horse.
2. Domesticated horses, they are often used as part of hiking or western riding.
3. On ranches, he adapted to working with livestock.
4. The Mustang has become a true symbol of Native Americans, the world of cowboys and westerns and finally the territories of the great American West.

Mustang's Health

• Life expectancy

Life expectancy is between 20 and 30 years and varies from one individual to another.

• Feeding

The Mustang is an illustration of the life of a horse in the wild. Its diet may consist only of grassland grass, provided that it is in sufficient quantity. Of course, it needs unlimited access to drinking water.

• General Health

The Mustang is a horse that by its natural selection has acquired remarkable robustness and resistance to diseases.

In addition, pathologies are difficult to observe in horses living in freedom.

However, their feet are known to be of excellent resistance and adorn themselves thanks to the distances traveled daily in the wild. This natural physical activity allows them to minimize locomotor, cardiorespiratory, and digestive problems...

"Close" breeds

The Mustang originates from the horses of the Spanish conquistadors from the Beard and the Arab. We find in the Mustang the great resistance and the format of the Beard as well as the endurance and lightness of the Arab.

The Abstang descends from a cross between the Mustang and the Arab. The Abstang is a light saddle horse, small in size (150cm average), and has all coat colors. He is thus enduring with very good aplomb.

Of Spanish origin, the mustang is now American.

During his conquest of the "New World" in 1493, Christopher Columbus reintroduced Mustang-bred horses to northern America, landing with a herd of Spanish horses.

In the seventeenth century, a colony practices extensive breeding, that is to say, the horses are released in winter so as not to have to feed them and let them reproduce, and caught up in winter. Unfortunately, this form of farming has serious consequences since it causes a large number of thefts and losses.

Subsequently, it is the Indians who will choose the Mustangs to accompany them in their quest for new lands. The Indians, who practice barter, will allow the race to spread throughout North America.

Wildlife

Mustangs are horses that live in herds of about 15 members. There is only one stallion for all mares. The latter also has a dominant role and must ensure the safety of his horde.

However, the oldest mare is the one in charge of the group's movements. Males over 3 years old are hunted, they have to live alone and fight against other stallions to recover their group of mares.

During their domestication by Native American tribes, some Mustangs were selected and thus formed the Appaloosa breed or the Cayuse pony.