Are mustangs good horses?
I have always loved the look of mustangs and a mustang is my dream horse. But most of them are wild and it's rare to find one that is already trained. Are they stereotyped as "wild and horrible" horses? And if not are they even good for first time horse people?
Thank you for all the answers in advanced!
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Dec.24.2009
Mustangs like any other horse need lots of work a nd attention. i know a few people that have mustangs and they are great horses. if you rescue one they will be very afraid of you and you will need to build a lot of trust. i would not recomend a mustang for a first time horse buyer unless you know what you are doing. if any horse gets into the wrong hands it turns bad. its hard to train a horse. But if you wanted to buy a mustang that someone already owned and trained i think that woudl be really cool but i would watch someone ride it first and try it out. For a fist time buyer i would get a horse that is not green. Dont get me wrong i LOVEEE mustangs but with any breed of horse i would just be careful!
Dec.24.2009
A wild mustang probably shouldn’t be your first horse. But they are highly Intelligent horses. They don’t have alot of the health problems that domesticated horses have. And they have great feet. Once you develop a bond with your mustang it will be stronger than any other. And they can go all day. You would have to find an experienced mustang trainer. It might take a little longer and cost a little more than an average horse, But I think they would be worth it. They are extremely hardy. Nature weeds out the weak lines. Leaving the strong and smart!
Dec.24.2009
Haha a mustang was the reason my back met a barbed wire fence!
But I was 10 at the time. . .
Wonderful western pleasure horses.
Buy it YOUNG!!!! Its easier to train a green horse than it is to train a green horse that isn’t used to people. Babies get used to people easy. Adults don’t.
Dec.24.2009
Jayden, Any breed is as good as the other. Some horses are hot and some are bombproof. If you take your time and look for a safe, bombproof mustang, you will succeed. And especially in this economy can you find a good deal.
Here is an example of a horse I would recommend:
http://www. equine. com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-729543. html
Here is an example of a horse I would NOT recommend:
http://www. equine. com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-841007. html?sr=1
Dec.24.2009
My first horse relationship was with a Mustang. My stepmother was told if you can train you can have her. . . She is now 19 years old and the best horse you could ever wish for!
As others have stated, a green Mustang is probably not a good choice for a first horse, but there are exceptions to every rule. Check out http://www. blm. gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro. html for a full list of adoptions stops. They have many Mustangs that have already been broken out and just waiting for a good home.
Good luck on finding your “Dream Horse”
Dec.24.2009
IF you can find a trained it would be great! I know somebody who trained her own mustang and she doesnt even have to pay for its hooves to get trimmed!
Dec.24.2009
Do not buy a BLM mustang. There is no way this will end up well for either of you.
It happens all of the time. . . someone who’s never owned a horse before buys a feral mustang straight from the BLM. Then they realize that they can’t even brush the horse, much less come within 10 feet of it. Not knowing how to train the horse, the owner just lets it sit in the pasture, sometimes giving it basic medical care but more often not. Then the halter starts digging into the horse’s face and its feet start to need a trim. Next thing you know, the owner has decided they don’t want to feed a horse they can’t even touch. The horse winds up at an auction, sold to the highest bigger, who sends the horse to auction 90% of the time.
Hypothetically, if you could find a mustang who was already 100% trained, it could be a great horse for you. They are healthy and hardy.
They don’t make good show horses. They are built for survival, not show ability!
They tend to do much better at western, so if you want to jump this is not the breed for you.
EDIT– Meagan, the two you posted aren’t particularly spectacular jumpers. The first one’s knees are very loose and the second doesn’t have a brand, meaning he’s not a BLM mustang. . . perhaps he’s mixed with something or he was bred in captivity.
Dec.25.2009
mustangs need lots of work especially the wild ones trust me i have a wild mustang he is great but takes patience, time, and love=]=]
but it is a 50/50 chance some are trainable and some you just can’t break them no matter what you do i got a lucky one i took that risk and ended up with great one i think for your first horse ever maybe not you won’t have the experience
good luck though =]=]
Dec.25.2009
It really depends on what you want to do.
If you want to do dressage, jumping, etc, probably not. They might be good at barrel racing or roping, though, and they’d be awesome at trail riding.
Yes, they’re stereotyped as wild, but not necessarily.
However, if you’re a first-time or beginner rider. . . bad idea. Really, really bad idea, especially if they haven’t been trained into the ground.
I’d recommend a Quarter Horse. They’re sane, smart, dependable, and awesome for beginners. Not my personal favorite, but lots of people love them and they are great horses.
Dec.25.2009
oh, i absolutely love my mustang mare!
the best tip i can give you is to get one that has already been trained by a good trainer. they do exist lol.
be wary of older ones without a lot of background info unless youre up to the challenge though.
if you get one that has been trained properly and not mistreated, theyre about the same as any other horse can be in temperament. however, my mare(she was my first horse, though id been riding and around horses my whole life) was 11 when i got her, and all we could find out about her was that she was captured in mexico by being run through a wire fence as about a 4 or 5 year old(she still has extensive scars), and that she was sold to outfitters in the mountains who overworked her, used improper tack and shoes(marks from that too), and left her tied for long periods of time. by the time she came to me, her eyes were entirely dead, and she was lacking any spirit unless she got mad.
it took me about 3. 5 years to retrain her and get her to fully trust me, and now shes the best horse ive ever met. i wouldnt trade her for any other horse.
shes handy, the smartest horse ive ever known, has never been lame, never had colic, has the hardest hooves the farrier has seen, can climb mountains with ease, is an incredibly easy keeper, and protects me from anything she sees as a threat.
http://www. flickr. com/photos/38822183@N02/3644386739/
she happens to be gorgeous too ^
basically, mustangs can be incredible, but you really need to know what youre doing or youll have a mess on your hands.
Dec.25.2009
the mustang you are thinking about is not the mustang you will get if you buy one. It is against the law to trap any mustang in the US now, so all the wild mustangs are imported from mexico. These horses can be broke and be very rideable, but you will not be pleased with it after you ride more. The mustangs are very short like 15 hands and the average horse is around 17 hands. There feet are really hard to put shoes on because they are usually older by the time there shoed so there feet are deformed.
Dec.25.2009
I really don’t think you are ready for one, especially because your main argument is that you “love the looks of a mustang”.
Even a trained one might not be okay for a first time horse owner. There is always that chance of the horses “wild” mindset coming back. That mindset is dangerous. An unhandled mustang will not hesitate to kill you. If he finds you threatening, and he cannot escape, he will attack without a second thought. That is their survival method in the wild.
I have a mustang, and he is a really sweet boy, but let me tell you he is not easy to train! We are surviving and progressing, but he so far has been by far the hardest horse I have trained. He learns dangerously quick, which can be a good thing, but if there are loop holes in my training he will find it faster than I will!
So it is hard to try to win with him, he could easily learn a bad habit. I guarantee that he will be a good trail horse one day though. He is basically a genius, but what do you expect when the breeder is mother nature?
If I would you I would wait until I had more experience to get a mustang. For now get a nice trail mount, and work your way up until you can handle a mustang.
Edit—-
Julie, mustangs arent necessarily bad jumpers, but I do agree they often dont have the ability to “go far” but would make a fine lower level jump prospect.
http://www. blm. gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ca/images/nb09/383. Par. 61713. Image. 640. 478. 1. gif
http://www. equinenow. com/horse-ad-181888
Just pointing that out.
Dec.25.2009
They are GREAT horses if you buy one from good trainer that specializes in Mustangs. Then they are one of the best breeds to own. I have owned about 10 of them. They give you their heart when trained correctly. They are very hardy & easy keepers. Please do not get one from the BLM to train yourself. It is not like training a domesticated horse. Buy one trained.
Dec.25.2009
Actually it isn’t hard to find one that is already trained. Their owners just usually don’t sell them.
There are ranches that breed domesticated mustangs but you should by a baby while it is young,only if you have the know how to break it in.
They are like dogs almost,they get VERY attached,which is why it wouldn’t be right to take one after it has been with its mother for a bit too long.
I wouldn’t say they are good for a first time though. They are a “one person” type of horse, and can have trust issues so you would have to have time to spend with the horse.
Dec.25.2009
If you can find a nice trained one they would be fine for a first time horse person. They can make great horses. But I would leave the straight-off-the-range ones for trainers.
Dec.25.2009
A mustang is a wild animal, born and raised in the wild, you can never trust them. They have been broke to ride and even successfully shown, but they are still wild animals and they do not make good horses for a novice owner, or for most owners. Megan there is no such thing as a bomb proof mustang, mustangs are wild animals, like wild cats are and are never to be trusted. there is no such thing in reality as a one person horse, only in the movies.
Dec.25.2009
mustangs make great horses they r sound and dont get injured easy they love to learn and please ppl ive trained mustangs for years ( not wild mustangs of course now a days they r breed in captivity and worked with just like other breeds) i would definitely recommend a young spanish mustang for a beginner horse at least green broke so they can learn from u and u from them. o and mustangs range from all sizes