“A rose by any other name is still a rose.” … Shakespeare
Can the same be said about the Mustang? Apparently not.
I recently read an interesting article about “feral horses,” and how they are not Mustangs, and since I am always eager to learn all about horses, I was intrigued. Also because I happen to own an unusual type of Mustang, named Bella, who came from an old herd in the wild, but whose heritage people always question because she does not fit the Mustang image as they think of it. This image is identified by the American Heritage Dictionary as:
“A small, hardy wild horse of the North American plains, descended from Arabian horses brought to America by Spanish explorers.”
That definition used to work—and the horse it refers to is now commonly referred to as a “Spanish Mustang.” But today, probably 95% of the wild horses in America are only partially related to their Spanish Mustang ancestors, and some not at all. Certainly not these new, small herds of “feral horses” the article I read spoke about.
So who deserves the revered title of “American Mustang?” Is my Bella a Mustang or not? And if not, just what IS she?
Technically, if you’re talking about a wild horse, then you’re talking about a Mustang, because the word “mustang” is derived from the Spanish term “mesteno” and simply means an animal that is wild, untamed, stray, or feral. It does not refer to a breed of horse.
So, going by this definition, any equine running wild is a Mustang, whether from a genetically pure Spanish Mustang herd or a “feral horse.”
But, of course, it’s not that simple.
In my ongoing pursuit to learn all about horses, especially Mustangs, I have now ascertained that there are three major groups of wild horses:
- 1) the original Spanish Mustangs, which are few and far between and can only be identified through DNA blood tests (and thank goodness there are groups preserving these bloodlines);
- 2) their offspring: the majority of wild horses today—Spanish Mustangs mixed with all types of domesticated horses through the last 400 years;
- 3) “feral horses”: domesticated horses who have gotten loose or been let go to form bands in the last 10-20 years or so.
Many would say only members of the first group deserve to be called “Mustangs.” But if you look at the BLM Mustang adoption sites, you will see that those horses today come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and they are all called Mustangs. Some are small, some are large, and they may resemble Arabs, Quarter Horses, or any number of other breeds.
Which brings me full circle to Bella’s heritage and breeding. Bella falls into that second category identified above.
She is from an old, indigenous herd of Mustangs in Salt Flats, Wyoming, a herd which now bears the genes of not only Spanish Mustangs, but also of Percherons, a European draft horse which settlers released in the 1800’s, probably to strengthen the local wild-horse bands. So the herds in that area tend to be very large and, even though they have been wild for centuries, their members do not physically match the American Heritage description of a Mustang.
So is Bella a Mustang or not? Does it really matter? Of course not, as far as I’m concerned. But is she, as a wild horse, different from a domesticated horse? Yes, I think so. No one has done studies on this, or at least not that I am aware of, but from my own observations and those of a few trusted equine veterinarians as well as other owners of Mustangs, a horse from a true “wild horse” background—whether a genetic mix of breeds or not—is often different from domesticated breeds: in attitude, behaviors, and even, theoretically at this point but sometimes unfortunately, the immune system. I have written more about those differences in another blog post HERE, but these horses are distinct enough that any of us who have horses from the wild whose genetics go way back will recognize them.
I feel Bella has earned her title of “Mustang.” She is not the offspring of a wild stallion and a domesticated mare, or vice versa. She came from decades and generations of horses who lived in the wild, who still carry the Spanish Mustang genes, and she was captured as a wild horse. So when people ask me, “What kind of a horse is THAT?” I will continue to say, simply, “She’s a Mustang.”
But now I’m worried about those “feral horses” that have been identified, and where they fit in. They are certainly “mestenos,” but are they Mustangs or not? And do we really care or love them any less? I mean, no matter what they look like or what their background, some day, due to breeding with native herds, their offspring too will carry the genes of their ancient ancestors—those original Arabians brought over by the Spaniards. A noble heritage indeed!
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If you like to read about Mustangs, check out this post about one very different type of Mustang and then just go to the “Mustang” category in the menu and read about lots more.
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