Trail Break: Meet the Mustang HMAs
I’m building a state-by-state series of wild horse and burro guides, and this wild horse logic puzzle is a fun little Trail Break along the way. Four adopters, four mustangs, four different HMAs—see if you can match each horse to its home on the range, then explore the real-life HMA guides linked below.. As those guides come online, I’ll be linking them together so you can follow the herds from one corner of the West to another.
This Trail Break is designed to be a little mental campfire on a busy day—a way to sit down with a cup of something warm and let your brain wander the West for a few minutes. You can solve it on your own, race a barn buddy to the answer, or print a copy for kids who are just starting to learn where wild horses still live. If you’re a teacher or youth leader, feel free to tuck it into a lesson about maps, habitats, or public lands and let the mustangs help your students travel a few quiet miles in their imagination.
Today’s Trail Break puzzle is a little nod to our project. Four adopters, four mustangs, four different HMAs. Use the clues below to figure out which person brought home which horse, from which herd, and what color they are. Then, if you’d like to learn more about real-world HMAs, you’ll find links to the growing guide series below the puzzle.
For a wider look at how these herds fit into the bigger picture, you can explore the Bureau of Land Management’s overview of wild horse and burro Herd Management Areas across the West.
Story
Four adopters—Alex, Bailey, Casey, and Drew—each adopted a different mustang from a different wild herd management area (HMA). No two mustangs share the same name, HMA, or coat color.
- Mustangs: Arrow, Brimstone, Cricket, Dusty
- HMAs: Devil’s Garden, McGavin Peak, Sand Wash Basin, Onaqui Mountain
- Coat colors: Black, Bay, Dun, Roan
Using the clues below, figure out which person adopted which mustang, from which HMA, and what color that mustang is.
Clues
- The dun mustang came from Sand Wash Basin.
- Bailey adopted Brimstone.
- Brimstone is the black mustang.
- Casey chose the roan mustang from McGavin Peak.
- Alex did not adopt Brimstone or Cricket.
- Dusty came from the Utah herd at Onaqui Mountain.
- Alex adopted the mustang from Sand Wash Basin.
Use the grids below to mark X for “no” and ✓ for “yes” as you solve the puzzle. (See bottom of page for solution.)
|
Arrow |
Cricket |
Brimstone |
Dusty | |
|
Alex | ||||
|
Bailey | ||||
|
Casey | ||||
|
Drew |
|
Devil’s Garden |
McGavin Peak |
Sand Wash B. |
Onaqui | |
|
Alex | ||||
|
Bailey | ||||
|
Casey | ||||
|
Drew |
|
Black |
Bay |
Dun |
Roan | |
|
Alex | ||||
|
Bailey | ||||
|
Casey | ||||
|
Drew |
If you enjoyed this wild horse logic puzzle, keep an eye on the Trail Break series—I’ll be adding more mustang-themed brain teasers as new HMA guides go live.
Explore the Wild Horse & Burro Guide Series
These guides are coming online one by one. If a title doesn’t have a link yet, it just means I’m still writing it—check back soon. I’ll keep the list updated as new states go live.
- Start here: Wild Horse HMA Guides (how to use these):
- Oregon’s Wild Horses: Where to See Them and How to Watch Respectfully
- California — Devil’s Garden, McGavin Peak & places you can actually ride
- Wyoming — Red Desert, Adobe Town & Great Divide
- Colorado — Sand Wash Basin & Piceance Basin
- Utah — Wild Horse & Burro Guide
- Montana — Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range & More
- Idaho — Challis & More
- Nevada — Pine Nut & more
- Arizona & New Mexico — Heber, Salt River & borderlands
- Special: Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Special: Assateague Island (Maryland/Virginia)
Click here to reveal the solution
Spoiler alert – scroll only if you’re ready for the answer!
- Alex adopted Arrow, from Sand Wash Basin, color Dun.
- Bailey adopted Brimstone, from Devil’s Garden, color Black.
- Casey adopted Cricket, from McGavin Peak, color Roan.
- Drew adopted Dusty, from Onaqui Mountain, color Bay.
Trail Breaks list
Last checked: November 30, 2025.
