What is a Mustang and where do they come from?
The American Mustang is more accurately termed the “feral horse”. Feral horses (commonly known as Mustangs) are those horses whose ancestors were domestic horses that were freed or escaped from early explorers, native tribes, ranches, cavalry, etc. to become free-roaming herds all across the United States. The first domestic horses in America arrived with Columbus on his second voyage in 1493. During the early Spanish exploration years, horses came over with each voyage. The Spanish explorers were supplied these horses by breeding farms in the West Indies. It is not well documented on how or when the first horses were either stolen or escaped from the Spaniards, but it is estimated that by the 1800’s there were 2 to 5 million head of feral horses, mostly in the Southwest.
