The American Mustang has a magical and mythical appeal. Retracing horse origins would be similar to retracing the discovery of America, and there is little doubt that the Mustang has come a long way in a short amount of time.

Horses lived in North America in prehistoric times, vanishing along with most other mammels at the end of the last ice age about 12,000 years ago. In an uncanny twist of fate, the early Mustangs, were returned to North America by the Spanish Conquistadors. Many Native American myths and stories about the arrival of the Mustangs, claimed that 'The grass remembered them' from prehistoric times. Highly prized by the Native Americans the Mustangs would go on to become a symbol of trust, endurance and family for generations and some say certain Native Americans modeled their lives after the Mustangs. They quickly adopted the Mustang as a primary means of transportation, improved success in battles, trade, and hunts.

By 1900 North America had an estimated 2 million free roaming American Mustangs. However, since then, the Mustang population has been drastically reduced. This was partly due to the number of issues that continue to plague the fate of the Mustang horse. Growing awareness to their decline led to the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 with the recognition of the Mustangs as 'living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the American West which continue to enrich the lives of the American people.'

Did you know that American Mustangs have even been in the Olympics? An American Mustang named 'Don' was ridden by Major Henry Allen at the 1920 Olympics and placed 6th in Jumping! The free-roaming American Mustang horses have disappeared from 6 states and according to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the remaining population is fewer than 30,000 with more than half of them in Nevada and the remaining populations in Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon.

Owning a Mustang is truly a part of American History. They are a living Legend. Take the first step in owning your part of this American Heritage and consider adopting an American Mustang today. For more information about adopting one of these magnificent creatures, visit http://meetingamericasmustangs.com/adopt.

It started as a passion and love of horses and has become a quest to make a difference. My love of horses has always been there, but once we saw and learned about the American Mustang the quest became even stronger and we realized the need to make a difference and help preserve the heritage of the American Mustang.

Today's American Mustangs have been here since the early 16th century and now are in serious danger of becoming extinct. As Americans we can't let this happen. So, America's quest is to honor these beautiful creatures and to help educate all Americans on what American Mustangs are and what they stand for; 'To have America fall in love with the Mustang.' Yes, a love affair with one of God's most beautiful creatures. As the weekly series of 'Meeting America's Mustangs' unfolds, you will see what great and loyal companions the Mustangs are. Watch, as through training and learning to trust people, the Mustangs become an important part of our families.

In the series, you will see Jesse, the 8 yr old American Mustang that carries a family's most valued possession, their children. Jesse, patiently and trustingly carries children around and teaches them to overcome their fears and disabilities. Because Mustangs are very quick learners and very smart, Jesse was able to be trained in a little over 6 months to be a therapeutic riding horse. Each week you will learn something new about the American Mustang, you will see amazing stories of courage and faith.

You will meet one of the most amazing photographers, Mark Terrell, through his beautiful pictures of America's Mustangs. His pictures show the American Mustangs in their natural environment, where they roam free, their beauty will astound you. You can also experience life in the wild for the American Mustangs on one of Mark's Mustang Tours. You will leave with a greater understanding of what it means to be free and what a valuable part of the American Heritage they are.

You will also learn where and how to adopt one of America's Mustangs to help keep the heritage alive. Hopefully you will enjoy and look forward to each episode of 'Meeting America's Mustangs.' So stay tuned and join us on the journey of a lifetime and you too can help make a difference.