The Mustang Horse
The mustang horse is a well-known horse which is held by many people as a symbolic representation of the historic and cowboy spirit of the Old wild west.
Although Mustangs are often called 'wild' horses, the more accurate expression is 'feral' horses as most so-called 'wild' horses established in Mexico and the u.s. are bred from horses that were originally domestic horses brought to Mexico and the u.s. by the conquistadors.
Most of these imported horses were of European or Arabian breeding stock, but also had amongst them all conceivable colours and many americans types and breeds.
Many of these great horses escaped captivity or were acquired by indigenous peoples, and rapidly spread all through the whole of america.
The Appaloosa horse
Appaloosas ordinarily show a mottled skin, colorless sclera (the part of the eye next to the cornea) and vertically striped hooves.
The story of this attractive horse is not completely understood. There is plenty of proof that mottled horses were being bred in many countries in Asia and europe, and archeologists have found cave drawings dating back to 18000BC showing spotted horses that may be forefathers of the modern appaloosa. It is very likely that the spotted skin was originally a type of camouflage, much as the zebra's stripes.
The contemporary Appaloosa is descended from horses brought to Mexico and the u.s. by spanish conquistadors. These were passed to the Nez perce tribe, who skillfully turned them into the terrific horses that we so admire nowadays.
The appaloosa was initially called the "Palouse horse", but bit by bit its name was changed into the modern adaptation, "Appaloosa".
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