Mustang Horse

Mustang Horse
Wonderful feral horses who incredibly hardy as well as being intelligent and surefooted.

Height
13 to 15 HH.

Colours
Bay, chestnut, grey, dun, skewbald, piebald, palomino, brown and black.

Conformation

The head is small and intelligent with an intelligent eye, alert ears and good size nostrils.
The neck is well proportioned with a gentle curve along the crest, which leads on to a well defined wither and good slope of shoulder.
These horses have a good depth of girth along with a short and strong back and well rounded hindquarters with the tail well set on.
The limbs are strong and straight with good sound hooves.

History
These beautiful horses were originally brought over by the Spanish Conquistadors and were descended from the Iberian horse. Over time as the settlers spread they took there horses with them and so began the spread of the Mustang horse. It was common practice to let the horses fend for themselves over the winter months and then to be recaptured in the spring. Herds of Mustangs that were left untouched started to develop which gradually over time became more and more wild becoming the feral horse we know today. The Mustang horse was originally used as a means of transportation and any horses that were captured by the native indians were also used for hunts and for transporting trade.

Mustangs Today
There are less than 25000 Mustangs running free in America today but not in as many numbers as there used to be, at one time there were estimated to be over than 2 million. The introduction of the Wild Free - Roaming and Burro Act of 1971 has greatly helped to preserve this beautiful horses way of life and the land they thrive on.

Uses

Ranch Work.
Barrel Racing.
Jumping.
Dressage.

Famous Fact
Mustangs are known for their great strength, speed and endurance qualities and it is for this reason that they are often used as Mascots.