Where did wild mustangs come from?

Wild mustangs descended from the Spanish horses brought to Mexico by the early Spanish explorers.

A mustang is a small, hardy wild horse that once roamed the American southwest in large herds.  It got its name from the Spanish word “mestenos,” meaning “ownerless horses.”

Many people think that there were wild horses in America when Columbus fist landed.  They are wrong.  The Indians had never seen horses until the early Spanish explorers brought them to Mexico.  Some escaped and ran wild.

They lived in large herds – usually several dozen mares with their young colts.  The herd was headed by an old station, or male mustang.  The young male mustangs were driven out by the old stallion.  But sometimes one came back after he had grown up, defeated the old stallion and took the leader’s place.

The Indians were the first to capture and tame the wild mustangs.  The swift mustangs also made excellent saddle horses for cowboys, cavalrymen and pony express riders.  Cowboys often called mustangs “broncos,” which is another Spanish word, meaning “wild.”-Dick Rogers