Though the BLM oversees mustangs and burros in 10 Western states, there are other wild horses and ponies in America. Some are overseen by the Park Service, while in Maryland there are wild ponies on Assateague Island. They are managed much like the BLM manages wild horses, but they are not adopted out. A birth control method is used on them to prevent overpopulation. Wild ponies on the Virginia side of Assateague are managed by the Chincoteague Island Fire Department, which rounds them up each summer and auctions off most of the foals. There are also wild horses in the Carolina Outer Banks. Even Canada has a few wild horses left.

2. Who was the only member of the cavalry to survive Custer's Last Stand?

Comanche was thought to be part mustang and part Morgan. He was severely wounded in the battle, and barely able to stand. The soldiers who found him were so touched that they helped carry him on a horse-drawn litter to safety, and he was nursed back to health. He lived out his years performing only ceremonial duties, never being ridden again. He was said to be fond of treats, and got a little overweight eventually.

3. From what foreign country did the first mustangs come?

The Spanish conquorers in Florida and on the West Coast and coming up through Mexico all brought with them several types of horses, including the Barb and the Spanish Jennet. The Jennet was a small, gaited horse, valued because of its smooth way of going.

4. What color horse has a stripe down its back and stripes on its legs?

A dun can be of several base colors, including red, yellow and a very pale almost light gray. They are often called buckskin by mistake; a buckskin does not have a dorsal stripe. The grulla and grullo (one is the female, the other the male) also has a dorsal stripe and often leg barring, but they are a specific shade of steel gray with no white hairs in the base coat, and have dark heads.

5. About how many mares are in a wild stallion's band?

A mature stallion generally has two to six mares in his band. He probably would have trouble keeping more than that. An older stallion who can no longer fight off the younger stallions may have one loyal mare that stays with him for life, but no more than that. Of course, each band will also have each mare's foal and probably her yearling from last year as well.

6. Where do most wild burros live?

The majority of wild burros left in the United States live in the Mojave Desert. Burros are a desert animal by nature, and used to living in marginal areas where the food and water is scarce. This is why they do not live in bands as wild horses do, but generally live a solitary life. Too many burros together would run out of food quickly. They are scattered over a wide area, which is why their voices are so loud and their ears so large! They communicate by sound, since they are so far apart they often cannot see each other.

7. What size area does the BLM require a newly adopted mustang to be kept in?

400 square feet is a good size for an untamed mustang. It allows the adopter to work with the animal without having to chase around a lot. The fencing must be 6 feet tall to keep the mustang from jumping out. If it were kept in a larger area, it might be able to run fast and long enough to work up the momentum to jump even a 6 foot fence. Horses younger than 18 months may be kept behind a 5 foot tall fence, and burros only need a 4 1/2 foot tall fence.

8. What is one of the things gentled and trained mustangs are really good at?

Actually, mustangs have succeeded in lots of areas such as reining, cutting, endurance, pleasure classes and more. The smaller ones can make very good childrens' hunters. But they are most often used as pleasure and trail horses, as their common sense and surefootedness are real benefits.

9. What kind of breeds contributed to the modern mustang?

The original mustang was purely a Spanish breed, a mixture of the Jennet and the Barb. However, as ranchers' horses escaped and even were turned loose when the tractor began to be used, and the cavalry turned out their horses, many other breeds have contributed their genes. Some of those breeds are the Thoroughbred, the Morgan, the Arabian, the Quarter Horse, the Standardbred, and various breeds of draft horse.

10. Why did the mustang cross the road?

Well, we had to have one give-away question! Who knows why a mustang crosses a road? One hopes because the rider on his back asked him to!