FAQs

What are Mustangs?

Mustangs are the descendants of horses that were brought to North America by the Spanish from 1493 into the 1600s. Those that escaped formed free-ranging herds that persist to this day. Over the centuries, horses that got away from or were abandoned by early (and not so early) settlers joined the wild herds, adding different genetic influences. Some were purposely released by locals to improve the quality of the herds. They would then gather the foals to use as riding and work horses. This practice became illegal with the passing of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act in 1971. The WFRHBA placed Mustangs under federal protection and made it illegal to harass, capture or kill free-roaming horses on federal lands.

Are Mustangs really wild horses?

Yes and no. Technically, they are best thought of as feral horses, since they are still fully domesticated, which is why it is possible to re-socialize them to humans.

Can’t Mustangs just stay in the wild?

Some can. Because they are not native to the lands they roam on and therefore don’t have natural predators, herd sizes increase exponentially without proper management. Many herds live on poor quality rangeland that cannot adequately support that many Mustangs, and they may be in competition with wildlife and livestock for limited grass and water.

What is gentling?

Gentling is the process of socializing a Mustang to humans and human activities. A gentled horse can be approached, it can be touched, it can be haltered and led, it can have its feet handled, and it can be safely loaded and unloaded from a trailer.

What is TIP training?

TIP (Trainer Incentive Program) is a program created by the Mustang Heritage Foundation in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management to gentle mustangs collected by the BLM off of federal lands. Qualified TIP trainers receive Mustangs from the BLM, gentle them, and find appropriate homes for them.