National Internet Adoption and Shipping Network 

People can view mustangs that they are interested in. All adoption paperwork may be handled through the email, fax, mail, or phone. Once approved, the adopter can use a credit card over the phone or mail a check/money order for the adoption fee, which is the base adoption fee of $125. Hopefully, it will include more horses and more shipping destination areas.

Adopters are offered FREE shipping of these horses to one of 4 BLM facilities: PVC in Nevada, Elm Creek in Nebraska, Paul’s Valley In Oklahoma and Ewing in Illinois.

The long term goal is to provide good homes for as many horses as possible while reducing the costs of holding so many horses in government holding facilities.

The Pryor Mountains were named after Sergeant Nathaniel Pryor of the Lewis and Clark Expedition which traversed the nearby Yellowstone River Valley in 1806. The Pryor mountain range is actually an extension of the Bighorn Mountains but is separated from the Bighorns by the Bighorn Canyon. The Pryor Mountain mustangs range on high terrain between Wyoming and Montana, about 60 miles south of billings.  These horses are the descendents of horses first brought to the America’s in the early 1500’s by the Conquistadors and are a genetically unique population. Blood typing by the Genetics Department of the University of Kentucky has indicated that these horses are closely related to the old type European Spanish horse. They can be found along a major Crow and Shoshone migration route, and probably have an origin in tribal horses.

Most of these horses have Spanish conformation. Unusual coloring may correspond to their Spanish lineage, such as dun, grulla, blue roan, the rare sabino, and minimally expressed calico paints. Primitive markings such as a dorsal stripe down their back, wither stripes, and zebra stripes on their legs indicate these unusual features are considered typical of Spanish characteristics.

The Pryor Mountain mustangs are an important resource for Spanish Horse conservation in North America. The Pryor Mountain mustangs are fortunate in inhabiting the first wild horse refuge that is specifically set up to conserve mustangs. That they are Spanish is an added bonus, and private individuals are now becoming interested in conserving this type. The BLM has also recently been acknowledging the uniqueness of this herd and is working to preserve the Spanish type on this range. This herd is one of the most accessible feral horse herds, and seeing these horses in their home environment is well worth the trip to this range.

Sheldon Herd

The only Wildlife Refuge that manages herds of wild horses. Sheldon is not associated with the BLM. Sheldon’s mustangs and burros are NOT protected federally, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife has limited resources to manage the herd. The herds are diverse and just as colorful as their history. You can find a foal that will grow to 16 hands when mature or a 14 hand pinto. These are the descendants of faithful mounts that carried our U.S. Cavalry soldiers safely to battle.

Gila Herd

It wasn’t until 1915 a man named Ike Hocker moved to Gila Bend from Texas. Hocker became the most famous mustanger in the area. He gathered wild horses on his motorcycle and often took his son, Sam, with him. Although Sam was a baby, when the horses neared the trap, Ike left his son with his bottle under a tree until he returned. Ike Hocker was responsible for removing nearly all the wild horses from Gila Bend through Ajo and Yuma.

Just from 1933 until 1936, he gathered more than 4000 head of wild horses. These horses were shipped to the French Foreign Legion, to Fort Riley in Kansas and a good majority to California for dog food. He also provided 350 wild horses for Rudolf Valentino’s movie, The Shiek, filmed in Yuma. Ike Hocker’s last gather was in 1936. There were a bunch of horses that hid in the salt cedar according to Sam Hocker on the north side of the Gila River. The salt cedar, an imported plant, was grown along the Gila River to protect its banks. It was this Salt Cedar that gave cover and protection to the remaining wild horses. Salt Cedar can grow from 9-12 feet in one season. It ranges from 5 to 20 feet. Although most wild horses were water trapped by the senior Hocker, these particular animals had water along the river.

The cedar was so thick that no man or motorcycle could easily take on the agility of these mustangs. Soon, shooting the animals would be the only way to remove them from their safe habitat and that continued right up through 1997 until the BLM stepped in.

After capture of the Gila horses, genetic blood testing of the horses was carried out by Dr. Gus Cothran, a leading geneticist from the University of Kentucky. Dr. Cothran has shown a relationship between the Gila horses and the Cerbat wild horse herd located more than 200 miles flies, from Gila Bend. The Cerbat herd is an isolated herd located in the Cerbat Mountains outside of Kingman, Arizona and is home to less than 75 wild horses. Historical documentation and genetic testing show the Cerbat horses to be descendents of the Spanish horses.

Historically, one can make the assumption that these horses remained pure through the early 1900’s. Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses were being introduced onto ranches in Gila Bend during this time. Most ranchers were careful not to let their “breed” stock run with the wild horses as they believed them to be “inferior” animals.

Gila horses are the descendants of the true Spanish mustang which dominated the Southwest until the turn of the 20th century when other types of horses were introduced into the Spanish wild herds throughout our country.

The Gila horses look very similar to each other and are mainly duns. There are several grullo horses, two roan duns and one black stallion. All the horses have primitive markings that consist of zebra stripes and webbing noted on their legs. They have a rather thick dorsal stripe down their backs with some as wide as three inches. Many of them have dark faces and their ears are outlined with a black stripe. They have dark shading over their withers.

These horses are 14 hands high and weigh approximately 800 to 850 pounds. Their eyes are set high and wide apart. Their head appears somewhat long with a slight convex profile. Their ears point to each other and their withers are well defined. Their chest is narrow and their legs are straight. Their croup is sloping and their tails are set perfectly, not too low or too high. They have very small chestnuts. Their manes and tails are not long and are soft and somewhat thick.

Descendant from the Sorraia Horse of Portugal, the Sorraia was used by the Pony Express, Vaqueros of Texas and on the Cattle Trails of the Old West. The characteristic of these Spanish Mustangs are readily apparent and shared with other horses of Iberian blood and descent. They are a smooth muscled horse with a low tail set, well developed wither, a deep heart girth and neck. The ears are at least medium and well formed. The eyes are large and well set.

The Sorraia Mustang is a slim, leggy horse with a long elegant head, expressive seep set eyes that do not have the bulge of pony eyes. The profile is convex at best and straight at the minimum. Dished faces will be faulted heavily. They have medium to long ears, excellent bone, feet and gaits. Most striking are their primitive markings. They are dun or grulla, with no red dun, accepted. They carry any number of primitive markings. A dorsal stripe is always present. They may have shoulder crosses, leg barring or stripes, facial cob webbing, chest or rib hair stripes. Highly prized is the bi-colored mane which looks as if the mane and tail has been frosted with a lighter color. These horses keep their feet up under the, at all times and are always alert to what is around them. The Sorraia Mustangs are Spanish Mustangs that are even more rare and contain a very special genetic history. They are the proven genetic descendant of the endangered Sorraia Horse of Portugal. This very special horse gained it's fame as the unwanted horse of Columbus and Cortez and gained it's fame as the hardy eminently suitable horse of the new world.

The Conquistadors brought many types of Iberian blood stock with them to the New World. Conquer, convert and expand is the nature of any empire or kingdom. It was soon found that the Sorraia Horse was able to suffer any number or extreme climate changes and survive. From the deserts and mountains of Peru to the North American High deserts and prairies. The Sorraia Horse and then the Sorraia Mustang survived to populate only the most remote areas of North America. It is this fact that has kept them characteristically like their Portuguese ancestor.

They were the horses of the pony express, the vaqueros of Mexico and the Native Americans. Brace, loyal and fierce. They are a superbly loyal, family horse that will go the distance with the partner of choice. They are highly bondable, willing, and intelligent. They like to learn and like having a job. They are a tough, hardy horse and are able to excel athletically in any discipline. Efforts are underway to establish a non-profit foundation to locate, preserve, and protect the few remaining Sorraia Mustangs in the World today. There are less than 200 surviving Sorraia horses in the world today. Their are only about that many living, documented Sorraia Mustangs. The Sorraia Mustang is a genetic safeguard for the Sorraia Horse if and when it's population decreases due to either lack of genetic viability or disease. That is why it is so important to preserve the Sorraia Mustang which has had generations of separation from their native southern Portugal.