Population Management in Mustang Herds

Population Management in Mustang Herds

By Diane Ward

An estimated two to five million mustangs spanned the states up to the 1900’s. However their population declined drastically as domestic livestock competed with them for resources. The public and government viewed the mustangs as excess to be slaughtered, and captured for military and personal use. The abuse included hunting from airplanes and poisoning. The mustangs were too large to occupy the continually shrinking land and in response in 1934 to 1963, the Grazing Service paid private contractors to kill the herds and allowed carcasses to be used for pet food. Ranchers were often permitted to round up any horses they wanted, and the Forest Service shot any remaining animals.

            It was not till the first federal wild free-roaming horse protection law in 1959, or Public Law 86-234, that it was prohibited to use motor vehicles for hunting wild horses. This became known as the Wild Horse Annie act after Velma Bronn Johnston who campaigned against the cruel treatment of the mustangs. Humane treatment and protection of the mustangs was increased further by the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.

            Mustangs are now recognized by the United States Congress as “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West, which continue to contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people.” However overpopulation and herd management is a continuing concern. Currently the Bureau of Land Management is in charge of monitoring and controlling the mustang herds. It was stated in the Salazar Wild Horse Initiative that the BLM “seeks nothing less than ensuring healthy herds of wild horses and burros thriving on healthy public rangelands, both now and for generations to come.”

            More than 38,000 wild horses and burros were estimated in 201 by the BLM to be roaming on BLM-managed rangelands in up to10 Western states. Most mustang herds have no natural predators to keep their numbers regulated which can allow herd sizes to double about every four years.  Because of this the BLM must remove thousands of animals each year to control population. The guidelines and techniques used to round up mustangs are strict and humane. For instance one method uses a “Judas horse” which is a trained horse which has been trained to lead wild horses into pen to be easily removed. Then the mustangs are given homes through adoption and are still protected under the act until the first year of ownership.

            Since 2010 nearly 225,000 Mustangs have been adopted. Several programs that support mustangs have missions to further mustang adoptions, including the Extreme Mustang Makeover which is considered “Ultimate 90-Day Wild Mustang Training Competition,” and provides hundreds of trained mustangs to the public every year. The Mustang Heritage Foundation is a “public, charitable, nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating successful adoptions for America’s excess mustangs and burros.” Since 2007, the Mustang Heritage Foundation has placed more than 2,000 Mustangs in adoptive homes.

Bibliography:

Mustang Heritage Foundation: http://www.mustangheritagefoundation.org/

Extreme Mustang Makeover: http://extrememustangmakeover.com/

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management: 

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram.html

Billings Gazette:    http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_aaad6ae6-98e2-11de-9717-001cc4c002e0.html

Mestengo: The origins of the American Mustang

Mestengo: The origins of the American Mustang

By Diane Ward

            The name Mustang comes from the Mexican Spanish word mestengo which is derived from the Spanish word mesteño meaning stray or ownerless horse. Mesteño more accurately describes the American Mustang because they are arguably not a wild breed, instead mustangs are legally considered feral, because they are not  indigenous to the land. The original mustangs were the descendants of domestic Spanish horses brought over by European explorers in the late 15th and 16th century, however their roots can be traced back to the 8th century.

            In the 8th century, the Moors invaded Spain bringing with them desert horses known as the Barbs or Berbers which were a cross between the Andalusian and Jennet. By 1492 the Moors had taken the country and started exploration to the New World.  The king of Spain ordered in 1492 that all ships sailing under the Spanish flag carry horses and because of this horses sailed with Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic). In 1519, Cortez brought 16 horses to the America’s mainland during his march to Mexico City. Two decades later De Soto started his Exploration from Florida to Mississippi with over 200 horses. Cornado brought over 500 horses in 1540 when he began exploring Mexico and the southwest United States. 
            By 1640 Native Americans were acquiring horses and by the 1700’s nearly every Native American tribe owned horses. Some of the most notable tribes for horsemanship were the Comanche, the Shoshoni, and the Nez Perce. While the Comanche became the leaders of the Plain Indians Horse Culture, the Nez Perce became master horse breeders, and bred the Appaloosa, one of the first distinctly American breeds.  

            In February 28, 2010, the Bureau of Land Management estimates that approximately, 33,700 horses and burros are roaming on BLM-managed land in 10 western states. Because wild horses have virtually no natural predators and their herd sizes can double about every four years, the BLM must regulate herd size. If the herd size was not regulated, the herds would consume the natural resources and eventually cause a “crash” in herd numbers. The ecosystems of public rangelands are not able to withstand the impacts from overpopulated herds, which include soil erosion, sedimentation of streams, and damage to wildlife habitat. Much of this is due to the fact that the mustangs are not a native specious, and do not self regulate to the land, making the BLM’s management necessary.
            Today some herds still retain a heavy influence of the original Spanish stock, but there is myriad diversity throughout herds and locations. Signs of Thoroughbred bloodlines or other light racehorse-types in the mustang herds were a part of a process that led in part to the creation of the American Quarter Horse. Other herds show signs of the intermixing of heavy draft horse breeds turned loose in an attempt to create work horses and more isolated herds. Because the mustang herds have been added to both deliberately and accidently by western explorers and various other parties up to the mid-century, there is a great variety of colors, and builds between herds. The modern mustang has several different breeding populations which are genetically isolated from one another, giving them distinct traits traceable to particular herds. These herds vary in the degree to which they can be traced to original Spanish stock with many having a makeup of more recent breed releases, however there are still some herds that are relatively unchanged from the original Spanish stock.

Bibliography:

 The Mustang Heritage Foundation.

 http://www.mustangheritagefoundation.org/

National Wild Horse Adoption Day

http://www.nationalwildhorseadoptionday.org/

Buru of Land Management

http://www.blm.gov/

The Spanish Barb Breeders Association

http://www.spanishbarb.com/SBHA_Breed_History.html

More on Mustang Magic!

Here's a video of some of the highlights from the Mustang magic! I'll have the full video of their routines posted later!

Some pictures of Rachel:

She's standing on the horse here.

The competitors

‎2011 Mustang Magic results:

1) Teryn Muench & Macerick; 2) Miranda Holaday-Lyon & Tensil's Last Nic; 3) Jerry Jones & Short Stack; 4) Bill Lopez & RDH Cowboy's Dream; 5) Logan Leach & Eastwood; 6) J-Dub Weisiger & Funky Gold Medina; 7) Chase Dodd & Peyton Manning; 8) Joe Misner & Latigo; 9) Marc Chancy & Flirty; 10) Ma...rk Lyon and Pepto's Night Out. Congratulations to all of the Mustang Magic trainers!

Rachel and Marc Chancy

Mustang adoption!

At the end of each Extreme Mustang makeover the horses in the competition are normally auctioned off making on of the main goals of this event to raise awareness for mustang adoption. Naturally I adopted the horse I competed with and I can vouch first hand for their sheer awesomeness of the breed. I look forward to seeing what everyone drew this year and the adoptions that take place! Here is some information on adopting:

October 22-24: Extreme Mustang Makeover, Murfreesboro, TN The second annual Extreme Mustang Makeover returns to Murfreesboro, TN. Over 100 gentled mustangs available for adoption. 100 trainers (18 and over) and 25 youth trainers (8-18). $25,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded.
Tennessee Miller Coliseum: 304 West Thompson Lane, Murfreesboro, TN (615) 494-8961.

For more information: http://www.extrememustangmakeover.com/emmtennessee.php




Upcoming In-Person Adoptions:


Lorton, VA: Oct 22-23
Murfreesboro, TN: Oct 22-24
Archdale, NC: Nov 12-13
Oneonta, AL: Nov 19-20
Martin, TN: Dec 3-4
Lake Charles, LA: Dec 10-11




Here are some examples of mustangs up for adoption and their information:

Sex: Gelding Age: 1 Years Height (in hands): 14.1

Necktag #: 9560 Date Captured: 11/22/09
Color: Palomino Captured: South Steens (OR)
Notes:

#9560 - 1 yr old palomino gelding, captured Nov 2009 in the South Steens Herd, OR.
This horse is currently located at the Corral Facility in Hines, Oregon. For more information, contact Patti Wilson at 541/573-4424 or email Patti_Wilson@blm.gov.
Pick up options (by appt): Burns, OR; Elm Creek, NE; Pauls Valley, OK; Piney Woods, MS.
Other pick up options: Martin, TN (12/3); Lake Charles, LA (12/10).

Bidding has not yet begun.

Sex: Gelding Age: 1 Years Height (in hands): 14.0

Necktag #: 9493 Date Captured: 11/18/09
Color: Pinto Captured: South Steens (OR)


Notes:

#9493 - 1 yr old pinto gelding, captured Nov 2009 in the South Steens Herd, OR.
Calm personality.
This horse is currently located at the Corral Facility in Hines, Oregon. For more information, contact Patti Wilson at 541/573-4424 or email Patti_Wilson@blm.gov.
Pick up options (by appt): Burns, OR; Elm Creek, NE; Pauls Valley, OK; Piney Woods, MS.
Other pick up options: Martin, TN (12/3); Lake Charles, LA (12/10).


Bidding has not yet begun.



 

Sex: Gelding Age: 1 Years Height (in hands): 14.1

Necktag #: 0010 Date Captured: 07/13/10
Color: Bay Captured: Cold Springs (OR)
Notes:

#0010 - 1 yr old bay gelding, captured July 2010 in the Cold Springs Herd, OR.
This horse is currently located at the Corral Facility in Hines, Oregon. For more information, contact Patti Wilson at 541/573-4424 or email Patti_Wilson@blm.gov.
Pick up options (by appt): Burns, OR; Elm Creek, NE; Pauls Valley, OK; Piney Woods, MS.
Other pick up options: Martin, TN (12/3); Lake Charles, LA (12/10).
Bidding has not yet begun.
 

Sex: Mare Age: 4 Years Height (in hands): 14.3

Necktag #: 9614 Date Captured: 12/15/09
Color: Pinto Captured: Paisley Desert (OR)
Notes:

#9614 - 4 yr old pinto mare, captured Dec 2009 in the Paisley Desert Herd, OR.
This horse is currently located at the Corral Facility in Hines, Oregon. For more information, contact Patti Wilson at 541/573-4424 or email Patti_Wilson@blm.gov.
Pick up options (by appt): Burns, OR; Elm Creek, NE; Pauls Valley, OK; Piney Woods, MS.
Other pick up options: Martin, TN (12/3); Lake Charles, LA (12/10).
Bidding has not yet begun.

The real Wild Horses I

I think I've made it fairly clear that American Mustangs aren’t actually wild horses and are actually feral horses descended from domesticated animals that escaped and adapted to life in the wild. There is a few known surviving wild hoses species today one of which is Przewalski's Horse. Unlike the American Mustangs, Przewalski's Horse has never been successfully domesticated and remains a truly wild animal to this day. Other wild equines, include three species of zebra and various subspecies of the African wild ass, onager and kiang.

Przewalski's Horse occupied the eastern Eurasian steppes, perhaps from the Urals to Mongolia, although the ancient border between Tarpan and Przewalski distributions has not been clearly defined. Przewalski's Horse was limited to Dzungaria and western Mongolia in the same period, became extinct in the wild during the 1960s, but was re-introduced in the late 1980s to two preserves in Mongolia. Although researchers such as Marija Gimbutas theorized that the horses of the Chalcolithic period were Przewalski's, more recent genetic studies indicate that Przewalski's Horse is not an ancestor to modern domesticated horses.Przewalski's Horse is still found today, though it is an endangered species and for a time was considered extinct in the wild. Roughly 1500 Przewalski's Horses are protected in zoos around the world.

A small breeding population has been reintroduced in Mongolia.As of 2005, a cooperative venture between the Zoological Society of London and Mongolian Scientists has resulted in a free-ranging population of 248 animals in the wild.Przewalski's Horse has some biological differences from the domestic horse; unlike domesticated horses and the Tarpan, which both have 64 chromosomes, Przewalski's Horse has 66 chromosomes due to a Robertsonian translocation. However, the offspring of Przewalski and domestic horses are fertile, possessing 65 chromosomes.

Conservation Staus:

Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)

Przewalski's Horse is stockily built in comparison to domesticated horses, with shorter legs. Typical height is about 13 hands (52 inches, 132 cm), length is about 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in). They weigh around 300 kilograms (660 lb). The coat is generally dun in color with pangare features, varying from dark brown around the mane (which stands erect) to pale brown on the flanks and yellowish-white on the belly and around the muzzle. The legs of Przewalski's Horse are often faintly striped, also typical of primitive markings. The tail is about 90 cm (35.43 in) long, with a longer dock and shorter hair than seen in domesticated horses.

Where are they? The world population of these horses are all descended from 9 of the 31 horses in captivity in 1945.These nine horses were mostly descended from approximately 15 captured around 1900. A cooperative venture between the Zoological Society of London and Mongolian scientists has resulted in successful reintroduction of these horses from zoos into their natural habitat in Mongolia; and as of 2005 there is a free-ranging population of 248 animals in the wild. The total number of these horses according to a 2005 census was about 1,500.

Other names for Przewalski's Horse:

Equus ferus przewalskii

Mongolian: Тахь

Takhi

simplified Chinese: 野马

traditional Chinese: 野馬

 Yěmǎ

Dzungarian Horse