feral animals
February 4, 2011 (Friday)
The winter storm is upon us. I have nothing to add to what you are seeing and reading about it today. So I’m writing about something else. Horses.
Say the word, “Mustang,” and what comes to your mind? If you are like me, an automobile from the sixties instantly appears before your eyes. Look up “Mustang” on the internet, and your search will bring all sorts of articles about automobiles. If you keep looking, however, you will finally get to materials that have to do with the real meaning of “Mustang,” a feral horse. Mustangs live in herds in sparsely populated areas.
I recently saw again the movie, “Hidalgo,” which is about a Pinto Pony, which also happened to be a Mustang. The whole movie was about Hidalgo and his human brother, an old-time cowboy. If you have not seen it, I commend the movie to you. I think most people enjoy it when they see it.
Although the herds “run wild,” they are all managed. Thousands are captured and put up for adoption. How do you go about capturing a Mustang? Many times this is accomplished through a “Judas horse.” A Judas horse receives special training that allows it to lead a herd of mustangs into a pen. This is accomplished in two stages. The first stage is to lead the herd into a large area not far from the pen. Then, when the time is right, the Judas horse leads the herd into the pen itself. Doesn’t seem fair, does it?
The Mustangs are protected by federal law, and their future is assured. I’ve never seen them, but just knowing they are out there somewhere is somehow encouraging.