Mesta: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Mesta is also another name for the Egyptian god Imset.

The Mesta was a powerful association of sheep holders in the medieval Kingdom of Castile.

The sheep were transhumant, migrating from the pastures of Extremadura and Andalusia to Castile and back according to the season.

The exportation of merino wool enriched the Mesta members (nobility and church orders who had acquired ranches during the process of Reconquista.

The kings of Castile conceded lots of privileges to the Mesta. Even today, sheepherds may be transported by rail, but the cañadas (traditional rights of ways for sheep) are legally protected "forever" from occupation and barring. Some Madrid streets are still part of the cañada system, and there are groups that organize sheep transportation across the modern city as a reminder of old farming.

The word mustang comes from mesteño ("a Mesta beast").