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The English word mustang comes from the Mexican Spanish word mestengo, itself derived from the Spanish mesteño, meaning cattle raised under the extensive system of the Mesta and strayed.

The earliest mustangs descended from Spanish horses brought to Mexico in the 1500s. Some of these horses escaped or were captured by Native Americans, and they quickly spread throughout western North America. Starting in the mid 1800s horses belonging to white settlers that escaped or were purposefully released added to the gene pool. Many ranchers would release their horses to forage for themselves in the winter and then recapture them or other mustangs when they were needed again in the spring. Some ranchers improved the local herds by shooting the dominant stallions and replacing them with imported stock. These improvements were especially useful in arid areas where the herds would become isolated and inbred during periods of drought.

By 1900 there were an estimated one million feral mustangs in North America. Mustangs were a resource in that they could be captured and used or sold (especially for military use) or slaughtered for food, especially pet food in later years. They are also viewed as a nuisance in that they compete with livestockSheep are commonly bred as livestock. Livestock refers to domesticated animals, that may be kept or raised in pens, houses, pastures, or on farms as part of an agricultural or farming operation, whether for commerce or private use. In many countries the l for forage. Since 1900 the mustang population has been reduced drastically. Today, estimates of the feral mustang population range from 40,000 to 100,000, with about half of them in NevadaNevada is a state located in the western United States. The population, as of 2000, is 1,998,257. Nevada is the fastest growing state in the country. Between 2000 and 2003, Nevada's population increased 12. 2%, while the USA's population increased 3.. A few hundred feral mustangs survive in AlbertaAlberta is one of Canada's provinces. Its capital is the city of Edmonton. Other cities and towns include Banff, Calgary, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. See also: List of communities in Alberta. As of 2004, the population of the province was 3,183 and British ColumbiaBritish Columbia or simply B. French: la Colombie-Britannique is the westernmost of Canada's provinces. It was the sixth province to join the confederation of Canada (in 1871). As of 2004, the population was 4,168,123 British Columbians . Geography Its ca.

Today, mustangs are protected on public land in the United StatesThe United States of America also referred to as the United States U. America ¹ or the States is a federal republic in central North America, stretching from the Atlantic in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. It shares land borders with Canada in. Shooting or poisoning them is illegal, and the penalties for doing so are severe. However, it is assumed by many that ranchers persist in these activities in the more remote areas. The Bureau of Land Management controls the mustang population through an adoption program.