Wild Horses

The American Mustang (Equus ferus caballus) is a descendant of escaped, stolen, or released Spanish horses first brought to the Americas by Columbus. The word Mustang comes from the Spanish-Mexican word mestengo or “strayed livestock animal”. Native Americans, notably the Nez Perce, Shoshone, and Comanche, took readily to horses and used them primarily for transportation. As wild horse numbers diminished drastically during the 1900s, Congress passed the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971, protecting the established herds of the American west.

 
Although an introduced species, horses existed in the Americas until about 10,000-12,000 years ago until they died off either due to the changing climate or hunting by the newly arriving humans. Regardless of their origins, they are now an icon of the American west, loved and revered by people worldwide as a symbol of what is wild and free. Congress found and declared that, “wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene.” The Wild Horse Act is designed to “to insure the preservation and protection of the few remaining wild free-roaming horses and burros in order to enhance and enrich the dreams and enjoyment of future generations of Americans.”
 

BLM has been charged with managing wild horse herds and have dealt with “excess” horses through a capture program. BLM also manages ranching on public lands, giving permits to ranchers for grazing. Because ranchers have found our public lands to be good grazing for their cattle, wild horses may lose the fight for resources as wild horses are replaced by cattle. If the mustang is to remain an icon of the American west, running wild and free, they urgently need our protection in the form of habitat conservation.  

Photo:  Wild horses running free in Wyoming.  Photo by Jonathan Ratner, WWP, Wyoming.