Caring for & Feeding Your New Pet Wild Mustang

If you happen to have a love for horses and are aware of the dilemmas of the modern day wild mustang, then you might want to help the Bureau of Land Management. You can do this by adopting a wild mustang which eases their burden and you'll rescue a symbol of the Old West. Have you already taken the steps to decide if you do indeed fit the requirements for adopting a wild mustang? Are you now attempting to discover how caring for and feeding a wild mustang differentiates from a traditional captivity bred horse? If you answered yes to these questions, then here are some tips and tricks that will help you successfully raise a wild mustang pet in captivity.

Before you decide to adopt a wild mustang you need to go to the website for the Bureau of Land Management, where you can learn the requirements for adoption. The wild mustangs themselves are the property of the United States government until the adoption papers are signed. There is a $125 fee associated with the adoption of a wild mustang that essentially takes care of the transportation and medical costs of the horse up until adoption. In order to adopt a wild mustang (you can adopt up to 4 per year) you need to be at least 18 years of age and have no prior record of animal abuse. You must also be able to show proof of financial ability to provide for the wild mustang once adopted. These are some of the better known requirements but there are other lesser ones you need to know about.

After you pass the requirements to adopt your wild mustang you will need to know the rules on housing it. Recently adopted wild mustangs are required to be kept in enclosed corrals that have at least a 20'x 20' area for each wild mustang you adopt. The fences of these corrals must be at least 6 feet high for non-gentled wild mustangs or 5 feet for foals under the age of 18 months. The fence CANNOT contain any barbed wire. You are required to exercise your pet mustang daily and make sure they have a box stall that is at least 12' x 12' if not larger.

When it comes to feeding your recently adopted pet mustang you must realize that they were indeed wild and thus are only accustomed to eating native grasses. In fact, there is a great chance that they won't even consider grain as a food source until taught to do so. When you first bring your pet home, you should feed them a hay diet consistent with their weight. Roughly three percent of the wild mustang's weight is a sufficient daily allotment of hay. The best variety of hay is that of alfalfa as it has high protein content.

Make sure the hay you feed the mustang is consistently nutritious and green throughout the bale. Also notice any moldy or damp smells as eating hay with too much moisture content or mold can cause health issues. Once your pet has become accustomed to eating hay, begin sprinkling small amounts of grain into their food so that over time the horse will get used to eating grain. Also take into consideration the fact that wild horses are used to eating frequent but small meals so you should feed your newly adopted mustang three small meals a day.

By paying strict attention to the care and feeding of your new pet mustang you will eventually have a loving animal for many years. A wild mustang will be a special pet as you will be reminded that you were their savior every time you look at them. In time they will come to regard you as their family and treat you accordingly. This is a true win-win situation for both parties.Don Levy "Caring for & Feeding Your New Pet Wild Mustang" Associated Content