Poster 24

What is a wild horse or mustang? Or, more importantly, what do we imagine it to be? When recounting the history of the wild horse or mustang, it is apparent that its status continues to waiver between a pest to be eradicated and a cultural symbol worthy of protection. How can one animal evoke such passionate and oppositional responses? This study explores how different social constructions influence the management of mustangs at the local, state and national level. At each cultural level, political, economic, and environmental issues converge encouraging the emphasis of some cultural images over others. These images directly impact how the wild horse is managed and ultimately if it will survive.