MUSTANG:
A NATIVE, WILD HORSE WHO FREELY ROAMS THE AMERICAN WEST
The True Definition of a Mustang Lies In Their Character;
In Their Essence.
THE MUSTANG AS AN ICON
To us, the mustang is a spiritual animal whose power goes way beyond their obvious physical strength and beauty.
It lies in their mystical nature, derived from millennia of resilience, intelligence, and ancestral wisdom.
We see within them a part of ourselves that is not easily named–a connection to the divinity that unites us all.
They are a mirror to our national ideals:
Freedom that resists fences, loyalty to the herd, endurance through scarcity, and a will that answers only to the open land. They represent independence, resilience, courage, adaptability, community, defiance, and hope—the foundations our country was built upon.
We live vicariously through them in art and film, and if we are ever lucky enough to witness them galloping across the open range, it stirs something deep within us—our own wish to be wild, free and untamed.
Horses evolved in North America for 55 million years. They sadly disappeared about 10,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene when there was a mass extinction event on the continent. Due to the Bering Land Bridge, they had migrated to Eurasia prior to the Ice Age, where they continued to evolve and became a global presence. Horses were then returned to the Americas in the 1500s by the Spanish.
In short, horses originated here and vanished here, but thankfully their descendents lived on and they eventually returned to their homeland. This has been a hotly debated topic for decades, but as recently as 2021, modern genetic testing continues to prove what paleontologists have said since the 1870s: the horse is native to North America.
NATIVE ANCESTRY
This scientific legitimacy is critical in the fight for the preservation of our wild horses today, as being justly recognized as ‘native’ would grant them superior guardianship than they currently have via the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
Native status could restore their rightful place in the ecosystem–
they would no longer be labeled as invasive, nor be considered a nuisance to livestock interests. They would qualify for stricter legal protections, and would gain the habitat consideration afforded to other native wildlife. Essentially, they would be protected with the dignity and care they deserve and drastically change the way they are currently managed.
INNATE WISDOM AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE:
The Mustang is a sentient being with high intelligence and millennia worth of ancestral wisdom.
They are prey animals who maintain their safety through a combination of quick speed and clever herd dynamics. Within each larger herd are family bands. Each band prospers due to a hierarchy of roles and fascinating behaviors that not only contribute to each member's survival, but provide trust, comfort, and love within the herd.
Wild horses consistently demonstrate high emotional intelligence through friendships, bonded pairs, raising their young, caring for the sick and mourning their dead. They are deeply affectionate and gentle souls who prioritize community as it is critical to their ability to thrive and endure in the wild.
But the most magical part of the mustang is their awe-inspiring secret.
They are deeply intuitive, perceptive and spiritual—so much so that they feel downright supernatural. It’s as if their souls carry a wisdom older than our own. They are pure, benevolent and transcendent.
When they feel safe and respected, they let down their guard and show their true selves. Which, in some otherworldly way, ends up being a mirror to our own souls. They offer insight, reflection and profound teachings. They are healers; practically magicians.
This is why we believe humans should be learning from mustangs, rather than dominating them.
