Mustang

The Mustang is a free-roaming horse of the American West, descended from Spanish horses that escaped or were traded from the 1500s, with later additions from ranch and cavalry stock.

That mixed ancestry means Mustang is a population rather than a breed with a standard, and animals vary widely. Some herds, such as the Kiger and the Pryor Mountain horses, retain strong Spanish type and are managed for it.

They are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and most that enter private hands do so through its adoption programme. Generations of natural selection have produced hard feet, easy keeping and real soundness.

The trade is the starting point. An adopted Mustang is typically unhandled and adult, which is a different proposition from a started horse, and it takes an experienced person and time. Adoption also carries title and care requirements you should read before bidding.