No I'm not talking about the sports car. This mustang is the "wild" kind, that currently roams out in the western parts of the United States.
At the time, mustangs were extremely useful for the Native Americans that resided out west as well. Many mustangs were captured and "tamed" by the Native Americans and used for hunting and transportation. Many western ranchers also utilized mustangs as well. There was a huge increase in the mustang population ( about 2 million) around the 1900s due to a limitation of predators, food sources not being an issue, and an increase in escaped horses from ranchers and just in general not a huge demand for horses.
While I can't change what has happened in the past or the laws that are being pressed upon these creatures, I think the people can benefit from the mustangs that have been captured.
Rutgers University believes so too. Look for my next post to learn more about The Rutgers Young Horse Teaching and Research Program.
If you haven't figured it out already, I'm talking about the wild or "feral" horses that live and breed out west.
taken from abc.com
Mustang horses are often referred to as wild horses, but there has been arguments that since these horses have originated from previously domesticated horses that they are then considered feral horses, not wild.
The wild spirit known as the mustang originated sometime after the era when Columbus brought over domesticated horses to the "New World" from Spain. After the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, the wild horses spread across the Great Plains, according to mustangsforus.com. From there the mustang herds have spread and grown in population across the western parts of the US.
At the time, mustangs were extremely useful for the Native Americans that resided out west as well. Many mustangs were captured and "tamed" by the Native Americans and used for hunting and transportation. Many western ranchers also utilized mustangs as well. There was a huge increase in the mustang population ( about 2 million) around the 1900s due to a limitation of predators, food sources not being an issue, and an increase in escaped horses from ranchers and just in general not a huge demand for horses.
Today, the mustang population has decreased. This beautiful breed of animal is in danger of extinction for many reasons. Being captured and used for food in pet foods, lack of food for them in the wild due to climate change. These horses are also being pushed off of their own land due to development of the land for other reasons.
There are many organizations that are there to support and protect the mustangs despite the difficulties and backlash. The BLM ( Bureau of Land Management) has been working hard to keep the legend of the mustang safe and under control. "The BLM protects, manages and controls wild horses and burros under the authority of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 to ensure that healthy herds thrive on healthy rangelands" reports the BLM website. The BLM is threatened because while the horses are protected under this act, only a certain number of wild horses and burros are allowed to free roam in the western states. In accordance with this act, the BLM has set up a program in which you can adopt a wild horse or burro and give them a better life than what they have out in west.
There is a lot of controversy over the "mustang debate". Some people think that everyone should leave the horses along all together, others think that they don't belong there while others are still on the fence. Many people are quickly to judge and accuse the BLM of animal abuse because they use helicopters to help herd mustangs. What they don't realize is that these horses may be frightened of the heliocopters but they are not getting hurt, instead they are being helped in controlling their population and most important saving their life.
While I can't change what has happened in the past or the laws that are being pressed upon these creatures, I think the people can benefit from the mustangs that have been captured.
Rutgers University believes so too. Look for my next post to learn more about The Rutgers Young Horse Teaching and Research Program.
visit http://www.mustangs4us.com/mustang4.htm for more history of horses and mustangs
visit http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram.html for more on the Wild Horse and Burro Program
visit http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram.html for more on the Wild Horse and Burro Program
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