The Wild Mustang

Did you know?

It takes a lot of hands to measure a horse. That's because a horse's height is measured in hands, and each hand is considered to be four inches high. A horse is measured from the ground to its withers, which is the highest part of the horse's back. A horse is not measured to the top of its head, like people are, because it's really hard to keep a horse's head still!

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Jefferson is the newest member of the herd at the Danada Equestrian Center in Wheaton. He is a three-year-old bay-colored horse, which means that he has a brown body with a black mane and tail. Jefferson is a mustang, or a wild horse, adopted from the plains of Nevada. The word mustang comes from the Spanish word "mesteno," for stray or wild. Mustangs spend most of their day grazing, or eating grass. Now Jefferson spends his time with the staff and volunteers at Danada who are working to gentle him and to teach him to trust people. Jefferson is getting used to new things like the saddle and a bit, which is a piece of metal that goes in his mouth to tell him which way to move. Jefferson is also getting used to new foods like oats and carrots. One day he will be used in horsemanship classes to teach new riders all about horses and their needs.

Street Address: 3 S 580 Naperville Road, Wheaton, IL 60187-8761
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5000, Wheaton, IL 60189-5000
email: forest@dupageforest.com (630) 933-7200 Fax: (630) 933-7204 TTY: (800) 526-0857