As more and more wild horses are removed from public lands, it is very important that these horses find suitable homes and are preserved and protected. Although there are adoption programs for wild horses, there are no safeguards that insure that people who adopt wild horses will take care of them properly. In fact, some
Wild horses that live on public lands must share the resources of grazing lands and water with farmers’ livestock, including cattle and sheep, as well as other wild animals. As increasing numbers of animals compete for the limited resources of America’ public lands, there are few people to speak up for the wild horses to
There are. In 1971, Congress passed the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act. This law was the first of its kind to protect wild horses and burros. The law stated that “wild horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West,” and that they “enrich the lives of
Velma Johnston, better known as Wild Horse Annie, with the help of children all across the country was instrumental in establishing the first laws to protect wild horses in America. We invite you to read more.
Nobody really knows for sure. This is because horses are not counted in all the areas where they roam.
But, the BLM does publish estimates of the number of wild horses and burros that roam on public lands that it manages. As of February of 2007, the BLM estimated that there were 28,500 wild horses and
Wild horses in North America live on islands off the Atlantic coast as well as in some U.S. states. Small populations of horses live on Sable Island (off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada), Assateague Island (off the coast of Maryland and Virginia), Shakleford Island (off the coast of North Carolina) and Cumberland Islands (off
Yes! The picture of horses running free across open lands is one of our country’s most romantic images. And wild horses still roam in America today.
Horses are able to live in the wild because that is how nature intended them to live. Many people think that horses were bred in captivity, much like dogs and
Horses are herd animals. That means that they live as a group, helping one another survive the elements and threats that they encounter.
Here at Return to Freedom, we allow wild horses to live as they would if they were running free. Through the years, we have watched our horses carefully and offer insights into how
The word mustang comes from the Spanish word, mustengo, which means, “ownerless beast.” The American mustangs originally came from the Spanish stock of horses that were brought to the Americas beginning in the 16th Century. Over time, other kinds of horses banded with wild Spanish horses, including quarter horses, draught horses and others.
Today, when most
As the horse evolved, it first appeared on the grass lands of the North American continent. But for reasons that scientists still don’t understand, horses began wandering off North America about 10 million years ago. They began their journey across the Bering Straits (west of Alaska) into Asia, and continued across the Iranian Plateau of