Mustang Horse Facts for Kids

A Picture of a Mustang Horse
  • Name: Mustang
  • Scientific Name: Equus ferus caballus
  • Colors: All coat colors
  • Height: Between 52 and 64 inches
  • Weight: Between 700 and 800 pounds
  • Lifespan: Between 15 and 20 years

13 Mustang Horse Facts for Kids

  1. Mustangs are feral horses (free-roaming) found in the Western United States of America.
  2. Mustangs are feral horses that have never been domesticated but descended from domesticated horses.
  3. Mustangs come in a wide variety of coat colors and can have virtually every coat color combination.
  4. In 2017, it was estimated there are over 72,000 mustangs living in North America.
  5. The largest population of mustangs is in the state of Nevada, more than half of all free-roaming mustangs are in Nevada.
  6. Around a century ago it’s estimated there were over one million mustangs in the United States.
  7. The average height of a mustang wild horse is between 52 and 64 inches.
  8. The average weight of a mustang wild horse is between 700 and 800 pounds.
  9. The average lifespan of a mustang wild horse is between 15 and 20 years.
  10. A mustang can survive on as little as one to two pounds of food a day in the wild.
  11. The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act passed in 1971 made it illegal to capture or kill mustangs.
  12. The mustang population in the United States is managed and protected by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
  13. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) captures and trains mustangs to be adopted by qualified people.

Additional Resources on Mustang Horses

  • Mustangs – Nat Geo – Find more awesome facts about mustangs on the National Geographic website.
  • The Mustang Horse – Learn about the mustang horses on the Oklahoma State University website.
  • Mustang – Wikipedia – Discover more information and facts about mustangs on the Wikipedia website.

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