The Mustang Horse The Mustang horse is a free-roaming feral horse breed of the North American West. They are often referred to as wild horses, but the more correct term is feral horses. In 1971, the United States Congress recognized Mustangs as “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West”. Today, the Mustang population is managed and protected by the Bureau of Land Management. Controversy surrounds the sharing of land and resources by the free ranging Mustangs with the livestock of the ranching industry, and also with the methods with which the federal government manages the wild population numbers. However, other people remain vehemently opposed to their presence, arguing that the animals degrade range land and compete with livestock and wild species for forage. Every year, thousands of Mustangs are rounded up by the BLM and made available for adoption. However, there are more horses, than people to adopt them. The BLM has even considered killing them, in order to control population. Leave Mustang Horses: Return to Horse Breeds |
There is a constant debate on the presence of the Mustang herds. Supporters argue that they are part of the natural heritage of the America West, whose history predates modern land use practices, and thus the animals have an inherent right to inhabit the land.