Adopting a Wild Mustang-The Pros & Cons

When the Spanish explorers of centuries past first came to the western half of the Americas in search of gold and other valuables, they brought horses with them in order to make their journeys easier. As time went on some of the horses escaped and created a new class of horse known as the wild mustang.

Over time other Spanish horses as well as horses from cattle ranchers and farmers would get loose and would end up breeding with the mustangs and creating herds of these animals. In the 1800's there were over 2 million wild mustangs thriving on wilderness land throughout the west, but unfortunately they were hunted for military use, pet food, and to keep them from eating food the ranchers wanted for their own horses and livestock. They were hunted to the point of near extinction and today fewer than 25,000 wild mustangs are still in the wild.

Because of this, in 1971, the United States government passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act in an effort to protect this dying breed of horse. They later amended this act to allow for the roundup of the mustangs and to allow people to adopt a wild mustang as a pet. If you are interested in adopting a wild mustang, you need to take a few things into consideration before you decide a wild mustang is the right pet for you. Below are a few of the pros and cons of adopting and caring for a wild mustang. You are going to notice there are more and larger cons to adapting this animal than there are with many others.

What is your patience level? In order to properly care for a wild mustang you will need to realize that up until now it was really wild. Because of this, it won't be as easy to break as a domesticated horse born in captivity. You will need to learn or already possess the skills necessary to convince the wild mustang that you aren't going to hurt it and that you have its best interests in mind. If you have less of a tolerance threshold you may want to adopt a younger wild mustang as they will be easier to train than an adult.

If you don't already have a horse or at least have some horse knowledge you will need to think long and hard about adopting a mustang. Many people think they are helping when they adopt one without knowing a lot about horses. Below you will find out about the requirements to adopt a mustang. It would actually be a disservice to the mustang if it gets an owner who doesn't know what they are getting into.

Do you have the time to train the wild mustang? You must realize that there is a very slim chance that you will be able to ride the mustang within the first year of adoption. You will need to put a lot of work into properly breaking the horse and getting it acclimated to human interaction. Because of this, it will take a lot of time to get the horse "rider ready". So if you are looking at adopting a horse you can ride tomorrow-wild mustangs aren't a good choice for you.

Are you prepared for the surprise of a new foal? There is a chance that a wild mustang who is adopted less than 11 months after being captured is pregnant so you will need to be prepared for this surprise as well as be prepared for the attitude that will accompany the pregnant mare.

Do you have the proper knowledge and facilities to take care of an injured or sick wild mustang? These horses will be recently captured and thus a lot more susceptible to illness or prior injuries than horses born in captivity. Therefore it is imperative that you either have medical knowledge in caring for horses or have the ability to hire someone who does, in order to facilitate any unforeseen illness or injuries that might present themselves.

These are just a few of the cons that accompany adopting a wild mustang. Some of the pros to adopting are that wild mustangs are a testament to the beauty of nature and undoubtedly these horses with proper training can exceed the expectations of even captivity bred horses. They are naturally strong, intelligent and rambunctious and should be admired for their benefits as well as their imperfections. Not only will you gain a friend when you adopt a wild mustang but you will be helping to preserve a part of the Old West.