Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands. -- THE WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS ACT OF 1971 (PUBLIC LAW 92-195)
Technically, a mustang (from the Mexican Spanish mestengo that is from the Spanish mesteno referring to a stray livestock animal) is feral not wild because its ancestry includes domesticated horses but there is no question that it is free-roaming and therefore reflective of the core spirit of America, freedom.
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