1 8 0 ▁head ▁of ▁cattle ; ▁▁ 1 3 7 , 9 6 9 ▁sheep ; ▁▁ 1 4 , 5 2 2 ▁horses ; ▁▁ 1 , 5 7 5 ▁m ules ▁or ▁bur ros ; ▁▁ 1 , 7 1 1 ▁go ats ; ▁and ▁▁ 1 , 1 6 4 ▁sw ine . ▁ ▁All ▁these ▁gra zing ▁animals ▁were ▁originally ▁brought ▁up ▁from ▁Mexico . ▁A ▁great ▁many ▁Indians ▁were ▁required ▁to ▁guard ▁the ▁her ds ▁and ▁f lock s ▁on ▁the ▁mission ▁ran ches , ▁which ▁created ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁"... a ▁class ▁of ▁hors emen ▁scarcely ▁sur pass ed ▁anywhere ." ▁These ▁animals ▁multip lied ▁beyond ▁the ▁sett ler ' s ▁expect ations , ▁often ▁over running ▁past ures ▁and ▁extending ▁well - be yond ▁the ▁domains ▁of ▁the ▁miss ions . ▁The ▁giant ▁her ds ▁of ▁horses ▁and ▁c ows ▁took ▁well ▁to ▁the ▁climate ▁and ▁the ▁extensive ▁past ures ▁of ▁the ▁Coast al ▁California ▁region , ▁but ▁at ▁a ▁heavy ▁price ▁for ▁the ▁California ▁Native ▁American ▁people . ▁The ▁un control led ▁spread ▁of ▁these ▁new ▁her ds , ▁and ▁associated ▁invas ive ▁ex otic ▁plant ▁species , ▁quickly ▁exha usted ▁the ▁native ▁plants ▁in ▁the ▁grass lands , ▁and ▁the ▁chap ar ral ▁and ▁wood lands ▁that ▁the ▁Indians ▁dep ended ▁on ▁for ▁their ▁seed , ▁fol i age , ▁and ▁bul b ▁har v ests . ▁The ▁gra zing - over gra zing ▁problems ▁were ▁also ▁recognized ▁by ▁the ▁Sp ani ards