Mustang horse: the history of appearance and how the breed differs, can it be tamed

It is difficult to meet a person who would not admire wild horses, mustangs delight in appearance and temperament. The history of these proud animals hides a lot of interesting things, which for many years occupied a vast territory and became the hallmark of America. Once people learned how to tame mustangs, but only a few succeeded.

The history of the breed

The birthplace of this breed is South and North America. Here, huge herds of proud animals rushed along the vast pampas. Scientists have found that the history of these horses plunges into antiquity, but, for unknown reasons, the breed died out about several millennia ago.

After the development of the continent, they started talking about animals again. Conflicts and skirmishes caused the appearance of wild horses on the prairies - frightened horses ran away, preferring to stay away from humans. The fugitives gathered in herds, actively multiplied, which led to an increase in the population.

Over time, wild horses have become a valuable object of hunting, the number of horses began to rapidly decrease. Statistics say that about 30 thousand mustangs live in the vastness of America, hunting for which is strictly prohibited and punishable by law.

Mustangs in culture

In the culture of the people inhabiting the American continents, mustangs left a bright mark. Horses symbolized a free spirit and an incredible thirst for freedom. There are many legends that tell that proud animals would rather throw themselves off cliffs to certain death than fall into the hands of a man.

Proud horses are often found in paintings and photos. Everywhere mustangs are depicted in a free gallop, with a developing mane, with a unique posture. This is yet another evidence of how these horses are perceived as rebellious, proud and freedom-loving handsome men.

Exterior

Adult horses are not large. The height at the withers rarely exceeds one and a half meters. Average weight - 350-380 kg. Thanks to their lightweight physique, the horses are able to develop incredible speed and overcome 50 km in an hour.

The peculiarity of the breed is an incredibly strong skeleton. Mustang bones are often compared to granite.

Varieties and suits

Due to the mixing of blood, mustangs come in different colors. There are black, bay, piebald, savras horses. The most valuable are snow-white horses, which are extremely rare to see.

White Mustangs

They call white horses plain ghosts, they are so elusive and invulnerable. In legends, snow-white horses are endowed with incredible abilities and even an almost human mind. White horses were held in high esteem by the Comanche Indians, due to their incredible color they were considered worthy of great leaders.

Spanish Mustangs

Before the discovery of America by Columbus, this population was not numerous - up to 1 thousand heads. Today, Spanish horses are a great rarity, they are almost gone. Breed Feature:

• straight head;
• short back;
• height - up to 1.2 m;
• proportional forms;
• small ears;
• strong legs.

Horses are distinguished by increased endurance and are capable of covering more than 200 km in one transition.

Russian

They live in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation. There are several versions of the history of the appearance of mustangs on the island of a s alt lake located in the Rostovsky nature reserve. One of the versions is that the animals originated from a breed of horses popular with the Don Cossacks. The herd is not numerous - only 140-160 heads.

How are mustangs different from domestic horses?

The difference between wild horses and domestic horses is increased endurance. Wayward character is another distinguishing feature of proud handsome men. They also note increased immunity (animals are able to survive in difficult conditions and adapt to harsh climates) and unpretentiousness.

Lifestyle and intraspecific relationships

The lifestyle of mustangs is quite interesting - the proud "savages" are distinguished by their incredible temperament, complex character and outstanding physical data. Horses have been carefully studied over the years, but even now new facts are being discovered.

Temperament and disposition

The temperament of wild horses was formed in difficult conditions. Due to this, the horses are distinguished by increased energy and some aggressiveness. Not all experienced riders are able to curb handsome men - mustangs rarely recognize leadership of a person.

Often, horses openly show hostility towards humans. The owner is chosen independently, once and for all. Having submitted, the horse turns into a true friend. In addition to the owner, the animal will not let even a familiar person near him.

Diet

Wild horses are undemanding to food. Mustangs feed on leaves of trees and shrubs, grass, thin tree branches. Tamed horses are transferred to a special diet - a mixture of grass, hay, grain. The animal eats up to 3 kg of feed per day. Mustang's favorite treat is crunchy carrots and sugar. Horses also enjoy eating a slice of bread or an apple.

Reproduction

The mating season for wild horses begins at the end of spring and continues until the beginning of summer. The male wins the female in a tough duel. The winner mates with the desired beauty, and after 11 months a foal appears. Double offspring in mustangs is extremely rare. For about six months, the baby feeds on mother's milk, then switches to pasture.

Natural enemies of the animal

In the wild, the population has many enemies. Dangerous for horses living in natural conditions, cougars, which are not much inferior to mustangs in speed. Wolves and coyotes also often try to turn horses into prey, but sick horses or young animals are often taken by predators.

Is it possible to tame a mustang?

Tame a wild horse is extremely difficult. Due to the proud disposition, complex temperament, it will take a lot of effort to turn the horse into a friend.It has been noted that animals raised in captivity can be easily tamed, but even in this case there is no guarantee that a proud handsome man will submit to a man.

Win the trust of a wild adult horse, as practice shows, only a few succeed. If it is relatively easy to lasso a savage and deliver it to the stables in a special transport, then one has to face incredible difficulties. A horse accustomed to freedom does not recognize a saddle, the process of taming will take a lot of strength and require an incredible amount of patience.

Even if you manage to ride a mustang, as a result you will be able to get a mongrel horse with modest characteristics. For the sake of justice, it is worth noting that the horse has high speed, endurance and unpretentious care. The disadvantages of a tamed horse are a nasty temperament that rarely changes and average athletic performance.

Interesting facts about wild horses

There are many facts about these animals. The study of legends, myths and fairy tales, confirmed by the research of scientists, will bring many pleasant minutes. Few animals compare to the mustang in terms of lifestyle and will to freedom.

Most interesting facts:

1. The mustang's terrible enemy is man. Animals were rounded up for decades, horses were chased by all means of transport, including helicopters. Hundreds of horses were destroyed - the skin, which has increased strength, and a large amount of meat made wild handsome men a valuable object of hunting. The mass destruction of mustangs has stopped after the adoption of the ban and the introduction of criminal liability.
2. Mustangs gather in large herds, in which there is always a leader and the main female. The duty of the male is to guard the herd and protect against enemies. The female is the main "deputy" who has to take sick animals, young animals and other mares away from the battle.
3. In case of increased danger, the herd creates a "circle of death". Foals, sick and old horses stand in the center, adult horses turn their croup to the enemy in order to use a terrible deadly weapon - their hind hooves.
4. Young horses live with a herd until the age of three. After reaching "adulthood", the foal is expelled so that it can be nailed to a smaller family. Usually a herd of mustangs consists of 15-25 heads.
5. Survival in natural conditions for mustangs is extremely difficult - in areas where wild horses live, it is not easy to find food. In search of food and water, horses travel considerable distances, often having to win “bread” places in tough battles with other herds.
6. To grow a mustang in captivity, you will need a huge area - at least two hectares of pasture per horse. If the plot is smaller, the land will quickly be depleted, the greenery will completely disappear.
7. In the wild, mustangs have learned to go into energy-saving mode, which often happens in winter.There is less food, horses have to get roots and fallen leaves, bushes under the snow, to avoid losing weight is obtained only by reducing the waste of energy and the ability to accumulate nutrients.

Another interesting fact - after reaching the age of three, not all stallions leave the herd. Bold and strong horses grapple with the leader. If they managed to win, they take his place and become the new leader.

Mustangs are the most beautiful animals that delight with their character, appearance, posture. These rebellious handsome men can be safely called the standard of nobility and grace, a symbol of freedom. As practice shows, a horse can also become a best friend, although not every rider has enough patience and strength to achieve respect and recognition of a wild horse.

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