How do mustangs survive?

Answer 1

Like all wild horses they live in groups called herds. Because they are prey animals (opposite of predator) multiple sets of eyes and ears are much better than just one set. They roam over several states in the western US grazing on the native grasses. The BLM (Bureu of Land Management) rounds up the mustangs every year for the Adopt A Mustang program. Sinse larger preditor populations have declined or been eliminated entirely the wild mustangs have almost no natural enemies. Unchecked, the herd populations have exploded. So for a lot of wild mustangs they may end up being domestic horses.

Answer 2

Truthfully, the American Mustang has very few natural predators. There isn't much to stop them from surviving in the wild except maybe the elements and human interference. Technically, they are an invasive species as they are not native to the Americas. The current Mustang isn't even related to the horses brought over by the Spaniards as wild Mustang populations have been culled many times over the years. There were even times when complete eradication was attempted.

However, to the point, Mustangs naturally have thicker hooves than many other breeds of horses. This has to do with the terrain they live on. It only takes a few generations of horses living on rocky ground to result in thicker than average hoof growth. They also have a thicker and hardier structure than many other breeds. What they lack in speed and agility they make up for in ruggedness and endurance. Their bone density is also very high, making them less prone to injury.