Sunday, May 19, 2013

MUSTANGS — Horses of the Old West



By Laurie Kingery

Hello again, readers of the Christian Fiction Historical Society blog! I have a book out this month, HILL COUNTRY CATTLEMAN, published by Love Inspired Historicals. Horses figured prominently in its plot, since my hero, Raleigh Masterson, is a cowboy who rode a blue roan stallion, and its heroine, Violet Brookfield, and English aristocrat, foxhunted (or "rode to hounds) back in England and was loaned a pinto mare by the hero to ride while she visited in Texas.
                                                                         

So horses of the Old West seemed like a good topic to explore for this month's blog. Of course, there isn't room to cover all the horses that appeared in the "Old West," but the two most frequent types that would be encountered were the mustang.
Horses were unknown in the Americas until the coming of the Spanish explorers such as Cortez. Inevitably, some of the horses got loose and began to gather in herds and to breed in the wild, and became known as mestengos, derived from the Spanish word mesteño, meaning "stray livestock animal." 
                                                                   

--By Lynne Gerard (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons--
The Plains Indians that we think of as such great horsemen were afoot until they saw how the Spanish put them to many uses, and they lost no time in stealing them from the Spanish or capturing many of those who ran loose. They first used them to replace dogs as pullers of travois, a platform or net supported by trailing poles, which could transport their belongings as well as children and the elderly. It wasn't long before they learned to ride horses into battle and in buffalo hunts, and became the feared warriors that we remember today. 
                                                         


Mustangs are usually compact, strong boned and hardy, which made them valuable to westerners in need of horses. Herds were often captured and those fit for riding were "broken" to saddle—often by riding them until they'd gotten the bucking out of their systems, even if it meant repeatedly re-mounting horses that had just thrown their riders. The wise horseman, of course, gentled a horse gradually and kindly, but many of the cowboys' horses were only "green-broke" at best and had to buck a little before they settled down to the job at hand—cutting cattle, driving cattle to market, chasing down strays, and so forth. 
                                                              

The modern mustang no longer has the genetic makeup of the Iberian horse. Other breeds have intermingled with it, either by getting loose or by deliberate attempts by ranchers to refine the feral horse. The American Mustang Association (AMA) was formed in 1962 in San Diego, California to preserve & document the pedigrees of American Mustang horses. Horses are registered to meet certain standards & measurements in the hopes of preserving the characteristics of the original Spanish bloodlines. The breed standard states that the horse can be any color although more traditional Spanish horse coloring is valued including roan, dun and buckskin. It is a wild animal, tending to be stubborn, high-spirited, and full of vigor.
                                                                    

 --By Mcgregorranch at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons--

In modern times, mustangs were used as a resource by the military or captured for use as food, especially dog food, or poisoned and shot from helicopters, because some ranchers felt their free-roaming ways damaged crops or decreased grazing available to domestic animals. "Mustanging" was graphically shown in the John Huston movie, "The Misfits," starring the late Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe.
Fortunately, the mustang is too much of a symbol of freedom and an icon of the Old West to continue unprotected forever. The mustang population had been greatly reduced by the time the first federal wild free-roaming horse protection law was enacted in 1959, the "Wild Horse Annie Act", which prohibited the use of motor vehicles for hunting wild horses and burros. Protection was increased further by the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which provided for protection of certain previously established herds of horses and burros. Today, the Bureau of Land Management is the authority that oversees the protection of mustangs on public lands, with the Forest Service assisting on additional wild horse and burro territories.
The protection of the mustang by law remains a sore point with some ranchers. In order to prevent overpopulation, some mustangs are periodically captured, sometimes by use of a "Judas horse" who leads bands of mustangs into a pen and is then released.  Most horses that are captured are offered for adoption to individuals or groups willing and able to provide humane, long-term care after payment of an adoption fee of at least $125. As of 2010, nearly 225,000 Mustangs have been adopted.
I might never have had the opportunity to see real mustangs up close, but my stepdaughter and her family live about halfway up on a mountain near Cold Creek, Nevada, about an hour north of Las Vegas. Here, on the edge of public land, Here mustangs live unmolested, often grazing on the lawns of the delighted inhabitants, who provide hay in the winter so that the mustangs will not grow hungry.                                         

        
                                                             
I hope you've enjoyed this overview of the American mustang of the Old West. Because this is the publication month for my book, HILL COUNTRY CATTLEMAN, there will be a drawing and one lucky commenter will win a copy!
                      Best of luck and blessings,
                                   Laurie Kingery

37 comments:

  1. Loved your post Laurie. My uncle who passed last year use to go out with others every couple of years to catch the wild Mustangs. I believe he adopted a couple over the years. They are beautiful animals.

    I would love to be entered to win a copy of your book. Thank you for the chance.

    Smiles & Blessings,
    Cindy W.

    countrybear52 AT yahoo DOT com

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    1. Cindy, thanks for commenting! How did your uncle and his friends catch the mustangs? Were most of them trained to be saddle horses? Good luck winning the book.
      Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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    3. Hi Laurie, I'm not sure how they caught them but yes, the ones he kept were trained to be saddle horses. But I don't believe he was the one who trained them. He use to go up into the Dakotas and Wyoming and bring them down. He lived in Las Vegas, NV

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  2. Interesting post - thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

    bonnieroof60@yahoo.com

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    1. Thanks, Bonnie! Good luck in the giveaway!
      Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  3. I lived in Wyoming for 10 years and often heard about the wild mustangs, but never had the privilege of seeing one. I did not know about the origin of the mustangs - very interesting! Thanks!

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    1. Bethany, thanks! I wish I had a better picture of the mustang's around my stepdaughter's property. They're pretty tame, and will let people get quite close, though not exactly close enough to pet them usually. My stepdaughter and her family used to feed them from their balcony before they fenced their back yard so they could keep their flowers and vegetables, but it's not unusual for them to find mustangs or even elk lounging on their front lawn.
      Blessings, Laurie

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    2. That's amazing! I bet they have some fabulous pictures!

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  4. I love this topic, Laurie. I've always had an interest in horses, and wild mustangs are fascinating.

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    1. Vickie, thanks! And thanks again for your help with the "technical difficulties" I had with Blogger this month. ;)
      Blessings, Laurie

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  5. I enjoy reading about the wild horses, my daughter has been a horse fan since she was very little. Thank you for the chance to win

    griperang at embarqmail dot com

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    1. Hi Angela,
      I was a horse-crazy girl too. I finally got to have a couple for awhile a few years ago--Quarter horses, a yellow dun and a red dun, both geldings. They were sweet boys!
      Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  6. Wow, this is my kind of book, western and cowboys..lots of interesting facts. I thank you for the chance to win!!! jelliott53(At) Hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Jojo, thanks, glad you enjoyed the topic. Good luck.
      Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  7. Loved your comments about horses today, they are so pretty but little scary up close to me...I have not been around them much but like reading stories with them in them. In Savannah I have seen the big Clysdale ones now that is a massive horse, really pretty to see in the parades...Some of the amish stories tell of special breed horses that have more stamina and good for working the fields. thanks for sharing today.
    Paula O(kyflo130@yahoo.com)

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    1. Hi Paula,
      Yes, horses can be scary--we had some "moments" with our geldings a couple of times when they spooked at things. I'm glad you enjoyed the topic. Thanks!
      Blessings, Laurie

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  8. I don't know much about horses, but I do know about cattle. Grew up on a farm. My 6 yr. old niece, who lives in Tulsa, OK, takes riding lessons. Everyone says she is a natural! Would enjoy having your book very much.

    josieringer(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Martha, thanks for commenting! What kind of cattle did your family raise? As for your niece, it's good to start young. I took a lot of riding lessons, growing up, but I can't say I was ever a "great" horsewoman. But I enjoyed them! I hope you enjoy the book.
      Blessings, Laurie

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  9. Wild horses are just beautiful! I have always loved the movie "Man from Snowy River" because of all the horses. :)
    Thanks for a cool post!
    Susan P
    farmygirl at hotmail dot com

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    1. Susan P, thanks for commenting. Yes, "The Man from Snowy River" is a great movie for horselovers.
      Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  10. Interesting post. Thanks for sharing. God bless.

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    1. Thanks, ChaplainDebbie, and bless you right back!
      Laurie Kingery

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  11. Enjoyed your post, Laurie!! The book sounds wonderful and would love to win it!! Our family had horses when I was a child and I learned to ride. I loved it. I've never seen mustangs. I've just read about them, but in my mind I believe they are beautiful. Would love to see them. Thank you for entering me in your contest!!
    Barbara Thompson
    barbmaci61(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Hi Barbara,
      You were very fortunate to grow up with horses. I took lessons, and my cousins in Texas had them. One time their stubborn Shetland pony took me for a swim in the "tank" (manmade pond) on their ranch in an effort to dislodge me from his back...:) Thanks for commenting.
      Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  12. I love how they are using mustangs to help rehabilitate inmates. They teach them horse whispering to gentle the feral animals and it also nurtures trust within the convict. Its been a very successful program.

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    1. Hi Kathleen,
      I think that's a really good program for inmates. As the saying goes, "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man." Ditto the programs in which inmates train dogs.

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    2. Sorry, Blogger wouldn't let me finish, Kathleen. I was going to add, Thanks for commenting.
      Blessings, Laurie

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  13. I've never owned a horse. I've only ridden a horse a couple of times. But I'm fascinated by them. I love pictures of horses, books about horses, and movies about horses. I enjoyed reading this post.

    harnessrose(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Rose, thanks for commenting. I've always been interested by horses myself, obviously!
      Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  14. Thanks for the interesting post...I didn't realize that at all.. looks like a wonderful book! Thanks for the chance to win! truckredford(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Hi Eliza, glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting!
      Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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  15. Thanks for a little history of the mustang. They are incredible animals! WOuld love to read the book.
    Betti
    bettimace(at)gmail(dot)com

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  16. Hi Betz, thanks for commenting. Mustangs are certainly survivors, aided by those who love animals who don't want to see this icon of the Old West disappear. I hope you enjoy the book!
    Blessings, Laurie

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  17. Hi Laurie. This article was very interesting. i had heard that this was when Indians got horses. Would have made life much easier for some. You were fortunate to actually watch some at your daughters. That would be fun. Coming in the yard tho, might be a little dangerous if kids got in the yard. Thanks for telling us about the Mustangs. MAXIE mac262(at)me(dot)com

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  18. Hi Maudemaxine,
    Don't worry, the grandkids only play in the fenced back yard. :) BTW, I sent you your copy of the book which you won on the P & P blog. Did you receive it? Thanks for commenting!
    Blessings, Laurie

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  19. ELIZA ELLIOTT, you are my winner! Please contact me at Lauriem440@aol.com with your snail mail address and I will send you the book!
    Blessings, Laurie Kingery

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