Spanish horses, the ancestors of the Mustang, thrived in the arid environment of the American West since it so clearly represented that of Spain and North Africa. The Spanish horses which escaped from captivity multiplied rapidly. The number of escaped horses was quite large. As early as 1596, for instance, the Spanish Governor of Santa Fe reported 300 horses and mules, one-fifth of the stock, had strayed while grazing. A century later, in 1690, General Alonzo De Leon lost 126 horses in East Texas. In 1691, a Spanish expedition lost another 135 horses. By the 1800s, one observer reported seeing 20,000 Mustangs grazing in the San Joaquin Valley of California.

sPECS

• COLOR

  The coat color is the full range of colors found in horses.
• SIZE

  The average size of this American breed is between 13.2 – 15 hh
• WEIGHT

  The weight of a mustang horse varies greatly, due to exact species, habitat and life style, however, the weight is normally in the order of 700 to 800 lb (320 – 365 kg).
• LIFE EXPECTANCY

  Wild mustangs can live anywhere from 15 to 20 years of age. If domesticated their life span can be very similar to other, domestic horses (around 25 – 30 years).
• ORIGIN

  The Mustang is a descendent of Spanish horses brought to the Americas first by the Spanish in the early 1500s. As such, their ancestry traces back to Barb and Arabian horses brought to Spain by the Moors. The Mustang is found throughout the Western United States. The term “Mustang” is derived from the Spanish word mestena which means horses of uncertain ownership.
• USES

  Besides running wild, these horses can be adopted out to the public and make excellent trail horses. They are also sometimes used as rodeo and gaming horses.
• INFLUENCE

  Andalusian, Arabian, Barb, Turk
• TEMPRERAMENT

  Mustangs that have been removed from the wild require experienced handlers, but a gentled Mustang can make a willing partner and a great family horse.