Mustangs are descendants of Spanish, or Iberian, horses that were brought to the Americas by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. The name was derived from the Spanish word mustengo, which means “ownerless beast”. Once escaped, these horses evolved without the influence of man and through survival of the fittest, evolved into the incredibly durable and tough breed we know today. The word Mustang or Wild Horse is used interchangeably. The Sand Wash Basin covers 250 square miles in northwest Colorado. The area is home to approx. 750 wild horses. Some argue this number exceeds the the number that the land can adequately sustain while history and nature have proven otherwise. Nonetheless the BLM and advocate groups work together to maintain and reduce the overall numbers in effective and human methods.
