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THE AMAZING WORLD OF MUSTANGS
ESSAY DONE BY AUDREY S. FELDMAN
I believe that we should protect mustangs and keep them wild because they represent the values that make America great such as hard work, team effort, and individual responsibility.
All horses evolved in what is now North America. Then suddenly they disappeared mysteriously. Thousands of years later, Columbus came and brought over Spanish and European horses on his expedition. Some of his horses ran off or escaped and then they bred together. This was the foundation of the mustangs.
Mustangs may be small, but they are sturdy, tough, and fearless. These features are the effect of hard work. Domestic horses wait for things to come to them instead of going forward to get what they want. But, mustangs on the other hand, rummage and trudge through treacherous mountains and canyons, only to find a limited amount of their necessities. If a mustang wants or needs something, they will work hard for it, until they get it. Mustangs never ever give up.
Now that we know that mustangs are some hard working creatures, we can talk about team effort. A mustang’s so called “team” is their herd. Each herd has a pecking order. Each resembles a “country”. The “president” is the lead, dominant stallion who watches over and protects the herd. The “secretary” is an elderly mare who knows where all the grass patches and water holes are. She leads the herd to these places. She also helps keep everything in order. And last, but definitely not least, we have the “citizens”. These are the mares and foals in the herd. They help by being there and giving advice. As you can see, everyone has a job to do. There is no such thing as being bored. Mustangs always have something to do to survive. They use hard work to complete these tasks. Even from a foal, they are always learning new techniques to survive. Mustangs are always working together.
Even though mustangs help each other in a herd, they can’t just rely on each other. For example, the young stallions in the bachelor bands don’t rely on the other stallions for their needs. Nobody gives mustangs what they want, or even what they need. They work for what they want. And they earn it. They are responsible for everything that they do. For example, if a mustang goes near a cougar, they will get the consequences for doing that. They also have the responsibility of making their own choices. So if they decided to travel alone in winter, they will get the consequences of not having the protection of the herd, having a hard time finding food and water, and losing the warmth of the herd because they were the ones that chose to do that.
I hope that I have made my point that mustangs are great examples of hard work, team effort, and individual responsibility, which are the values that make America great. I believe we should protect mustangs and keep them roaming free because they remind us of what is truly important. They inspire us.
I have always loved horses. Even when I was little, my mom exposed me to horses. (Real or not) When I heard of this competition, I was very excited to start. I have always admired wild horses. And besides horses, I enjoy writing and drawing. With all these things combined all in one, I was looking forward to entering.
Why do I admire wild horses? The three main reasons they interest me are hard work, team effort, and individual responsibility. But, their ruggedness, persistence, courageousness, and freedom also fascinate me. Whenever I play horses, for a long time now, my first choice for the horse I would have would always be a wild mustang. They have always amazed me.
Audrey Feldman ~ Age 10
Berlin, Connecticut, U.S.A.
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| Audrey at "Land Of Little Horses" |
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| Audrey's Herd Of Horses |
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