Mustang
Horse History
Mustang
horses helped build and protect the North American continent.
They gave Native Americans tremendous power to run, fight,
send
messages,
hunt, and move villages quickly. Pioneers and Settlers
relied on the Horses to move themselves and supplies accross
the land. Cowboys and wranglers depended on the Mustang
to move and manage herds to help feed the growing America.
The modern
horse evolved over three million years ago and then disappeared
from this hemisphere 10,000 years ago. The horse returned
to North America when explorers Cortes and DeSoto came
mounted on magnificent Barbs from Morocco, Sorraia from
Portugal and Andalusians from Spain. The word "Mustang" comes
from the Spanish word, mesteno, meaning "stray or
ownerless" horse. This term aptly describes all wild
horses in the United States.
The Pueblo
Indians learned to ride and passed this skill on to other
Indians. In 1680, the Indians revolted against the Spanish
rule and the Spaniards left thousands of horses behind
in their hasty retreat. The Indians could have rounded
up these horses, but chose to let them run wild. It was
much easier to raid the Spanish settlements and steal horses.
In an effort to stop the Indian raids, the Spanish government
shipped a steady flow of mounts to the New World. It was
hoped that the Indians would catch the "wild" horses
and leave the Spaniards alone.
This
gain changed the life of Plain's Indians completely, transforming
them from plodding pedestrians into nomadic hunters and
warriors with cultures totally dependent upon horses. Their
portable shelters turned into large tipis. They began to
hunt only the best game, and they even developed the Horse
medicine cult. Of all the remnants the Spanish has left,
horses were the most worthy.
Tens
of thousands of the Spanish-bred horses were herded to
the Rio Grande and turned loose in a 200-year period. These
horses soon met up with draft horses and cowboy ponies
that escaped from the ranchers and farmers arriving from
the East.
Mustangs
were much better than cavalry horses. The United States
Army found that the only way to conquer Indians is to take
their horses away from them. Complete massacres of Indian
horse herds made it possible. The Mustang Horse contributed
to formation of many American breeds: the Morgan, Quarter
Horse, American Saddlebred, Tennessee Walker, Appaloosa,
Buckskin, and others. Mustangs remain now as they always
have been. Mustang Horses are among the very few that has
not lost its characteristics due to the whims of man.
Ranchers
took to killing these horses to protect the range-land
for their cattle. Fewer than 17,000 horses remained by
the year 1970. Stating that Mustangs were "living
symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West," Congress
passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act in 1971.
Today there are about 37,000 wild horses and burros roaming
on BLM-managed lands in 10 Western states.
The new
sale-authority law that went into effect in December
2004 directs the BLM to offer for sale “without limitation” those
wild horses and burros that are more than 10 years old
or have been unsuccessfully offered for adoption at least
three times. It is estimated this new law currently affects
about 8,400 horses.
Wild
horses and burros are currently being sold to groups and
individuals on a case-by-case basis at a negotiated price,
and are not being sent to public auction. Those interested
in purchasing wild horses and burros can call 800/710-7597,
or e-mail wildhorse@blm.gov. |
