Origin and characteristics of the mustang horse

The Mustang horse is one of the most untamed breeds that exist and one of the few that still live in the wild. Here you can get to know him a little better.

If there is a symbol of freedom on America's prairies, it is the Mustang horse. The few herds of equidae seen in the wild in the North American region belong precisely to this breed, considered one of the most beautiful in the world.

However, it should be noted that the horses that concern us here were reintroduced to the American continent through the Spanish conquest, because before that their relatives had become extinct. In fact, the word Mustang comes from the word "mustango", which is how wild horses are called in old Spanish. Here you can get to know this amazing animal better.

The mustang horse its origin

By the end of the Pleistocene, horses had already become extinct in North America. Anyway, when the Spanish conquistadors arrived with steeds to the territory, some of them escaped, managing to proliferate in the immense American plains. The absence of predators and the food available contributed to its rapid expansion from the sixteenth century.

The most recent DNA studies place the ancestors of the Mustang horse as close to the marsh horses, present in the natural environment of Doñana (Spain).

Subsequently, Native Americans captured many of the horses settled on these lands to use as transportation. The breeding they carried out, together with the growing wild populations, resulted in a huge number of them in the early twentieth century. It was then that the ranchers began to exterminate them with the excuse that they razed the pastures of their animals.

This massacre caused the race to be seriously endangered in the late sixties. Later, in the seventies, the United States government banned its hunting and declared it a "protected species", thus saving it from extinction. However, and as you will see later, the problem is still valid today, since the expansion of industrial livestock seriously affects its habitat.

Physical characteristics of the mustang horse

The Mustang horse presents a strong and compact complexion, with a height of between 135 and 155 centimeters in height to the withers. Thanks to the fact that its head and neck are proportional to its size, this horse is endowed with a great resistance that allows it to run long distances without getting too exhausted.

The color of its coat varies greatly from one specimen to another, but it is usually kept within the brown, black, white and bay.

It is a breed with good ability to adapt to adverse climates, since it has developed in large plains in which inclement weather always catches it outdoors. These horses do not need to drink as much water as other breeds and can feed on thick leaves and thorny bushes without much trouble.

Character and behavior of the mustang horse

The Mustang horse is known for its temperament and independence. They are not easy to tame horses, because their wild origin makes them not docile and are characterized by quite suspicious behaviors. On the other hand, they adapt perfectly to the impediments that they find in their day to day between them, humans are also very intelligent.

Like the rest of the breeds, it is a gregarious equine that usually lives in groups of 15-20 specimens. These groups follow a guide horse who is in charge of directing the group to the best places of pasture and away from dangers. In addition, On the other hand it should be noted that the Mustangs create strong bonds between individuals, especially between foals and mares.

Their communication, although not too intuitive in the human eye, is complex and efficient: you just have to see the perfect coordination between specimens when they run in a group. Through body positions, vocalizations and gestures, these equines are able to convey messages and moods without any problems.

Nutrition of the mustang horse

Horses feed exclusively on plant matter, that is, they are very strict herbivores. This breed, in addition to the different species of grass that it finds in its plains, is able to survive thanks to thorny thickets, woody plants and thick and hard leaves. As has been said in previous lines, it is a horse with a great capacity for survival in scarce and adverse climates.

Although it is also mentioned that it needs less water to survive than other horses, this is still a vital element for its feeding. Depending on the time of year, an adult and healthy specimen can consume between 20 and 60 liters of water per day.

Horses lose a lot of fluids through urine and sweat and need to stay hydrated to digest the large amount of fiber they take in the diet.

Mustang horse breed considerations

Today, the Mustang remains endangered. Despite being protected, populations continue to decline for the same reasons as during the last century: thousands of hectares are required for large livestock farms both to house the hundreds and thousands of animals and to feed them, displacing the few wild horses that remain. Far from thinking about giving them back the space they need, last year a plan was proposed to capture the few surviving specimens of the Mustang breed and sterilize them to control populations. American animal organizations point out that the problem is not that there are too many horses, but little space and environmental degradation, and they call for more ethical solutions.

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