Horse · United States
American Mustang
also: Mustang / Wild Horse / BLM Mustang
Equiteca Editorial · Reviewed 2026-08-30 · 3 sources
The American Mustang is the free-roaming horse of the western United States, descended from horses brought by Spanish colonists and later ranch and cavalry stock. It is not a closed studbook breed but a type shaped by survival, so build and color vary widely from Spanish-influenced saddle horses to heavier draft-crossed lines. The Bureau of Land Management manages roughly 73,000 wild horses and burros on public rangelands and has placed nearly 290,000 into private hands since the program began in 1971. Most stand between 13.2 and 15 hands and weigh 320 to 450 kg, hardened by generations of life on sparse range. Adopters take on an untrained animal for at least a year before receiving title.
At a glance
Highly variable by herd; many stand 14 to 15 hands, with pony-sized and larger draft-influenced individuals in some management areas.
Temperament
Suited to
On price
The BLM adoption fee starts at 25 USD, and the Adoption Incentive Program pays 1,000 USD toward gentling an untrained animal; gentled and started Mustangs from trainers commonly resell for 1,500 to 5,000 USD or more.
Care needs
Mustangs are famously hardy and thrive on forage with minimal grain, a legacy of surviving on open range, so many become easy keepers prone to weight gain in domestic paddocks. Feet grow tough on rocky ground but still need regular trimming every 6 to 8 weeks once the horse is off the range and moving less. The bigger task is time and patience: a newly adopted Mustang is unhandled, so slow, consistent gentling and a standard vaccination, deworming, and dental schedule form the core of early care.
Common health issues
Generally hardy
Natural selection on the range produced a sound, disease-resistant horse with strong feet and few of the inherited disorders that track through closed breeds. Most health issues come from management rather than genetics.
Hoof and body adjustment from the wild
A horse gathered off the range shifts from constant movement on hard ground to confinement and richer feed. Feet, muscling, and weight all need managed adjustment, and overfeeding a range-adapted horse can trigger obesity and laminitis.
Gentling and handling stress
An untamed Mustang has never been touched, haltered, or had its feet handled. Rushed handling causes injury and lasting fear, so early veterinary and farrier work often needs to wait until basic trust and restraint are established.
Colors
bay, chestnut, black, dun, buckskin, grulla, roan, palomino, pinto, gray
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to adopt a Mustang?
The BLM adoption fee starts at 25 USD for an untrained wild horse. The Adoption Incentive Program also pays 1,000 USD toward the cost of gentling and caring for the animal, split between adoption and the issuing of title one year later.
Is a Mustang a good horse for a beginner?
An untrained Mustang is not a beginner project. It arrives unhandled and needs experienced, patient gentling. A Mustang already gentled and started by a skilled trainer, however, can make a sound, sensible, and hardy riding horse.
Do you actually own an adopted Mustang?
Not right away. The BLM keeps title for at least a year, and you must provide humane care and get a qualified person, such as a veterinarian or extension agent, to verify it. Once the signed letter is returned, the BLM issues a Certificate of Title transferring ownership to you.
How big do Mustangs get?
Most stand between 13.2 and 15 hands, smaller than many riding breeds. Size varies a lot by herd and by the ranch or draft horses that mixed into a given management area over the decades.
Keep reading
Sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these. We cite registries, associations, government and veterinary bodies, and published cost surveys - not other blogs.
- [1]Wild Horse and Burro: Adoptions and Sales: Adoption Program- US Bureau of Land Management2024govAdoption process, the one-year care period before title, and that the BLM has placed nearly 290,000 wild horses and burros into private care since 1971.
- [2]Wild Horse and Burro: Adoptions and Sales: Adoption Incentive Program- US Bureau of Land ManagementgovThe 25 USD starting adoption fee and the 1,000 USD Adoption Incentive Program payment toward gentling and caring for an untrained animal.
- [3]Wild Horse and Burro Program- US Bureau of Land ManagementgovFederal management of free-roaming wild horses and burros on western public rangelands under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.