Wild Mustang Essay

Wild Mustangs: The Spirit of the West Known for their style and muscle, Ford Mustangs are symbols of the American spirit. But what prompted them to be viewed in such a way? The answer lies in the animal that bears the same name. The breed of horse known as the mustang has roamed the U.S. and Canada for centuries, hiding away in the Rockies. These feral horses have captured the hearts of Americans from all walks of life, praised for their perseverant survival and the incredible history of the nation they represent. The first contribution to the mustang was made by Spanish explorers. Inevitably, during their voyages in the New World, the conquistadors lost many of their mounts to Indians or simply the animals escaping (Bradford). As many horses of varying breeds began to mix, the new bloodlines soon expanded across the Western parts of the U.S. The horses soon gained their name, mustang, from the word mestano, meaning “untamed” or “stray animal.” The Native Americans became enamored with the animals and began instituting them in their everyday life, even breeding them to trade (FEI). As explorers arrived from the East, their horses also intermixed with the mustangs; the well-rounded genetics of these horses proved them to be excellent U.S. Army mounts (FEI). Starting in the mid-1800s, however, mustangs came to be thought of more as …show more content…
Their intellect and amazing survival instincts, however, kept them from being completely destroyed. By the start of the twentieth century, with the arrival of new technology, farmers released their plow horses and wagon/carriage horses, leading to a good portion of the mustang population having gained the conformation of the Draft. By then, the original Spanish blood had been greatly diluted. Though little trace of their founding roots is left, what eventually came from those hardy four-legged Spaniards is nothing short of the perfect