Save the American Wild Mustangs
ENG 122-005
1 Nov. 2011
Save the American Wild Mustangs
Before there were skyscrapers, before there were convenience stores, and before there were neighborhood developments, our plains and mountains were home to the American Wild Mustang. These magnificent animals are our past, our present, and with proper handling our future. It is imperative that we protect the American Wild Mustang to ensure that many generations to come can appreciate them as we do today. By supporting the gathering, training, auctions, and domestication that the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management conducts we can preserve this heritage. In doing so, we are securing the future of these horses and the happiness that they bring to many people across America.
These magnificent animals are so closely related to what the West was built upon. They have such powerful strides, beautiful grace, reflexes as quick as light, keen sight and hearing, and survival skills a hundred times more successful than many animals in the wild. Mustangs’ growth patterns are different from domesticated horses. On average the typical mustang does not grow as tall as other horses; hence, the environment they are born into does not yield as much food to them. Instead, they are more compact and possess stronger legs, stronger hoofs, and higher bone density, allowing for them to withstand the rigors of running wild. Mustangs’ also have incredible eyesight and hearing. The lead stallion of the herd will lag behind and alert the others of any kind of predator that may be nearby. Such predators could be mountain lions, bears, and sometimes humans. (Lamb and Johnson). Some people and organizations may say that with such attributes they should be left in the wild. Agreement is logical with such beliefs, as some of the mustangs should remain in the wild; in doing so they can continue to breed. However, leaving the mustang herds completely alone is considered by many to be animal
1 Nov. 2011
Save the American Wild Mustangs
Before there were skyscrapers, before there were convenience stores, and before there were neighborhood developments, our plains and mountains were home to the American Wild Mustang. These magnificent animals are our past, our present, and with proper handling our future. It is imperative that we protect the American Wild Mustang to ensure that many generations to come can appreciate them as we do today. By supporting the gathering, training, auctions, and domestication that the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management conducts we can preserve this heritage. In doing so, we are securing the future of these horses and the happiness that they bring to many people across America.
These magnificent animals are so closely related to what the West was built upon. They have such powerful strides, beautiful grace, reflexes as quick as light, keen sight and hearing, and survival skills a hundred times more successful than many animals in the wild. Mustangs’ growth patterns are different from domesticated horses. On average the typical mustang does not grow as tall as other horses; hence, the environment they are born into does not yield as much food to them. Instead, they are more compact and possess stronger legs, stronger hoofs, and higher bone density, allowing for them to withstand the rigors of running wild. Mustangs’ also have incredible eyesight and hearing. The lead stallion of the herd will lag behind and alert the others of any kind of predator that may be nearby. Such predators could be mountain lions, bears, and sometimes humans. (Lamb and Johnson). Some people and organizations may say that with such attributes they should be left in the wild. Agreement is logical with such beliefs, as some of the mustangs should remain in the wild; in doing so they can continue to breed. However, leaving the mustang herds completely alone is considered by many to be animal
Cited: Behar, Michael. "the mustang redemption." Mother Jones 35.1 (2010): 50-58. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. Lamb, Annette and Larry Johnson. “Mustang.” Eduscapes, Apr. 2002. Web. 28 Sep. 2011. Lewis, James M. "House bill would ban euthanization of wild horses." DVM: The Newsmagazine of Veterinary Medicine 40.4 (2009): 1E EBSCO. Web. 6 Oct. 2011. Turner, Alex. Personal interview. 26 Sep. 2011.