MUSTANG FACTS
What You Should Know

The Wild Horses of North America

Wild horses, or so-called mustangs, are not a single breed. Simply put, they are resilient wild horses found across North America. Roughly 5,000 of them live in the rugged terrains of British Columbia and Alberta. Unlike many wild horses in the United States, which lack major natural predators, Canadian herds live in harsh environments alongside active predator populations. Because of this natural balance, they generally do not require the same level of intensive government regulation.

Canada manages its wild horse populations through three main methods. First, the government conducts helicopter surveys to ensure herds do not outgrow their local ecosystems and available food supplies. Second, excess horses are safely captured and offered for adoption or public auction, where stallions are gelded to prevent future breeding. Finally, local volunteer groups use specialized dart guns to administer temporary birth-control vaccines to wild mares, helping to naturally manage herd growth.

The Overpopulation Crisis in the United States

In contrast, the United States faces a major challenge with wild horse overpopulation. More than 85,000 wild horses and burros currently live on public lands across the country. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service oversee 179 Herd Management Areas (HMAs) across several western states. However, the available public land provides sufficient food and water for only about 27,000 animals—the official “Appropriate Management Level” (AML) established by the BLM.

Because the actual population greatly exceeds this limit, thousands of wild horses and burros are gathered each year and placed in designated holding facilities. Through these gathers, the BLM works to prevent severe overpopulation, which would otherwise lead to catastrophic food shortages, environmental degradation, and increased mortality within the herds.

A Legacy of Survival and Heritage

“Once, it was their blood that carried the ships of explorers across the ocean. Garranos, Sorraias, Lusitanos - Iberian horses whose bloodlines merged with others in the New World and became what we now call Mustangs, or the Wild Horses of Canada. Strong. Alert. Free.”

The wild horses of Canada stand as proud symbols of the country's frontier and mountain heritage, while American Mustangs remain deeply intertwined with cowboy culture and the mythology of the American West. 

Yet, both descend from the exact same domestic horses brought to North America centuries ago, rooted heavily in Spanish bloodlines.

What makes these wild horses so special? Quite simply: natural selection.

Shaped by the Wilderness

In the wild, the pairing of horses is not determined by human studbooks, but by competing stallions fighting for their bands. Harsh living conditions ruthlessly eliminate weakness. Only the strongest individuals - those with sound legs, extreme endurance, and robust health - survive to pass on their genetics.

Wild horses may appear plain at first glance, but in reality, they are among the finest horses in the world. The wilderness gave them no alternative. What emerged from this unforgiving environment are horses possessing remarkable intelligence, endurance, resilience, and instinct.

Wild horses are uniquely shaped through intact herd structures and highly functional social hierarchies. Their extraordinary intelligence develops because their senses are challenged from the very first day of life - they must constantly make critical decisions to survive. Their physical endurance is built through continuous daily movement and foraging, often across many miles of difficult, unforgiving terrain. The moment a horse is bred and raised in human captivity, this brutal yet brilliant process of natural selection is interrupted.

Horses that successfully reach their third year of life in the wild are not merely resilient - they are true survivors. When you bring home a wild horse from North America that has spent several years living free, you can be absolutely certain you are receiving an exceptionally healthy, sure-footed, and socially intelligent partner. However, that does not mean they are automatically prepared for a life with humans.