Mustangs Run Free
Compare the lives of wild and tame horses.
Horses were brought to North American hundreds of years ago. While most horses remained on ranches and farms, some ran away, were left behind, or became lost. These horses became the wild mustangs that roam the open lands of the west today.
At a distance, the wild horses look like the tame ones you might ride on a horseback trail. However their lives are much different.
Some people say that there are too many wild horses and they should be eliminated. Others think that all animals should be wild and keeping horses fenced in is cruel.
What do you think?
Learn about wild horses. Write about the life of a horse. Use this project to help people understand the world of the horse.
Find a reading buddy. Talk about what you already know about the mustang. Then, read about them. Create a diagram on paper or Kidspiration showing all the characteristics about the mustang and its habitat.
Choose an option that fits your information need:
Create a Venn diagram comparing wild horses with tame horses that might live on a farm or ranch. How are their lives alike and different?
Compare the lives of wild and tame horses. Which life would you prefer? Why? Write about your life as a horse. Include information about the life cycle, food, habitat, and friends and enemies of the wild horse or tame horse.
Wow! Horses led interesting lives. How is the life of your horse like and unlike your own life? Compare your horse with others. Share your ideas in your journal.
All photographs taken with a digital camera in Arizona and Utah.