/tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/6c/64/6c646d26-6133-4518-bea3-871437b89db1/42-58489052.jpg "The Best Places to See Wild Horses in North America (1)")
The wild mustang, free from the constraints of a saddle and spurs, roaming the great expanse with a wind-swept mane, has long beena powerful symbolof the American West, particularlyin film and literature. Protected by Congress since the mid-20th century (western ranchers,claiminghorsestook valuable grazing resources away from cattle, began killing offthe herds), wild horses of all breeds have a majestic beauty to them that makes them an attraction for animal and nature lovers.
While native horses once lived in North America (theydied out over 10,000 years ago), the horses seen today are descendants of the domesticated beasts reintroduced to the continent bySpanish explorers in the 16th and 17th centuries. During the hundreds of years ofbreeding, trading and warringthat followed, many domesticated horses were lost, abandonedor let loose, going on to form wild herds throughout the land, most notably out West.Without any natural predators, the herds swelled in size. Before Congress got involved, passing legislation in 1959 an 1971, the horses were subject to unregulated hunting and even poisoning of their water holes.
Although management efforts havenot been without controversy, today,there are approximately 60,000 free-roaminghorsesin the United StatesandCanada combined. While the Bureau of Land Managementconsiders the horses to be wild, they more accurately fit thedefinitionof feral, which means they are free-roaming descendantsof domesticated horses. Regardless of the label, there is no denying the majestic nature of these beautiful creatures. Preservation societies and government agencies alike encourage the public to visit and view North America’s wild horses, provided it's done from a respectful distance.
Here are some of the best places to see wild horses in North America:
The Virginia Range, Nevada
Nevada is home to nearly half of the nation'sfree-roaming horse population. Many of those horses are part of the Virginia Range herd, which occupies a region in the western part of the state.
The herd is often referred to as “Annie’s Horses” because ofthe decades-long crusade of “Wild Horse Annie” (born Velma Johnston)to protect these and other free-roaming horses across the nation. Johnston originallyhailedfrom Nevada, andthese were the horses that inspired hercampaign. The 1959“Wild Horse Annie Act” (P.L. 86-234)wasnamed after her.
Today, the best way to see these horses isto hike the trails east of Reno and find a nearby watering hole.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
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The mustangis often usedas a living and breathing symbol of the American West.That symbolism is on full display at the70,467-acre Theodore Roosevelt National Park,home to 100-200free-roaming horses, whichcan be seen grazing and galloping across the Dakota badlands.
The best time to see the horses isduring the summer, when the young are still part of their familialherds. The park reccomends finding a high point, such asPainted Canyon Overlook or Buck Hill, to better observe the horses. The park also says to look for "stud piles"—fresh manure thatstallions use to mark their territory.
In recent years, disagreement has arisen over thebest way to protect these horses and the lands where they graze.Whilethe culling of feral horseswas once a common practiceto keep numbers to manageable levels,contraceptive programs are now being studied and researchedas a more humane way of limiting the wild horse population at the park.
The Pryor Mountains, Montana & Wyoming
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The Pryor Mountains are home to about 160 free-roaminghorses, whom*ostly live in the northeast region of the mountain regionnear Bighorn Canyon. Many of the horsesdisplay distinctive markings—a long dorsal stripe along the back and "zebra-like"colorationontheirlegs—and aresmaller than the average wild horse.
The Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Centerbelieves that the animals are descendents ofcolonial Spanish horses brought to the area by Native American tribesinthe 17th and 18th centuries. Over the years, genetic studies have been done on the horses, and results have shown consistency with Spanish genetic traits.
The 38,000 acres on which the horses roam are a combination of Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service lands. In 1968, after public pressure, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall set aside 31,000 acres as protected public range for the horses. Several years later, additional acreage was given under “The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.” Today, the horses can beseengrazing along Highway 37, but it's worthpaying a visit to thePryor Mountain Wild Mustang Centerbefore venturing out. There,the center promises toprovide updated information about the exact location of herds.
Outer Banks, North Carolina
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There was a time when the wildhorses ofNorth Carolina'sOuter Banks numbered in the thousands, but therecent increase in popularity of this beach resort region has made a dramatic impact.Today, some fear that these horses (especiallythe Corolla herd, which hasonly 60 animals left) may not be around much longer.
The horses are believedto be descendants of those that accompanied Spanish explorers in the 16thand 17thcenturies.Unable or unwilling to bring the horses back with them to Spain, the explorers left them behind on the beaches of North Carolina. The horsepopulation initially exploded, but in the late 20thcenturynumbers dwindled afterroads and vacation rentals were built in earnest. Human intervention, destruction of habitat and car traffic all contribution to the declining populations.
Some of the herds lackgenetic diversity due to high levels of inbreeding, which imperils their surivival.Whilethe horses of Shackleford Banksin the southern region of the Outer Bankshave ample genetic diversity, the same can’t be said of the Corolla herd in the north. According to Executive Directorof theCorolla Wild Horse FundKaren McCalpin,isolation has caused the Corolla herd to lack geneticdiversity,and inbreeding has eroded their numbers. Survival is not guaranteed. “We are in the process of trying to introduce horses from the Shackleford Banks herd to hopefully increase the genetic diversity,” says McCalpin.
The horses can be seen most safely (for both human and horse) atwildlife sanctuaries, but they are occasionallyspottedin areas with higher human traffic as well. They are often seennear saltwater cordgrass and digging for fresh water. Visitors areasked to stay at least fifty feet away from the horses and to always give themthe right of way.
Assateague Island, Virginia & Maryland
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The horses of Assateague first received worldwide attention thanks toMarguerite Henry’s 1947 Newbery Medal-winning bookMisty of Chincoteague.Beautiful andtough, these horses have since become immensely popular and a huge tourist draw for the surrounding areas.
While over 300 ponies wander the island in total, they are actually divided up into two different herds.TheMaryland horses, which roamtheAssateague Island National Seashore, arelooked after by the National Park Service. TheVirginia horses, which graze at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge,are cared for by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. TheChincoteague National Wildlife Refugerestricts the herd to 150 adult animals in order to protect the local ecosystem. This restriction has led to theannual late July tradition of the Chincoteague Pony Swim, when the herd is rounded up to swim from Assateague to nearby Chincoteague Island. The next day, young foals are auctioned off to ensure the number stays at 150, with the proceeds donated to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. 2015 markedthe 90thanniversary of this tradition.
Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada
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About100 miles off the Nova Scotia coastlies theremoteSable Island. The island issometimes calledthe “Graveyard of the Atlantic”due to the number of shipwrecks that have occurred along its notoriously dangerous shores. It is also famous for the several hundredhorses that roam the expansive sandy landscape.
While the exact origin of the horses is still a mystery,scientists theorizethat theyare descendents of ones seized by the British when they expelledthe Acadiansin the mid-18thcentury. Due toharsh conditions, manyof the other animals died out. But the horses survived, roaming free along the sand dunes of Sable Island. Today, there is some controversy around whetherthe horses should be allowed to stay there. While they are not native, thereare arguments that both the ecosystem and horses have adapted to one another.
In 2013, Sable Island officially became a Canadian National Park,althoughthe area isn’tparticularlyaccessible—it can onlybe reached by plane or ship. Recently,tour companies have started taking visitors there, and while trips are expensive, visitors will be rewarded by views of unique plant and bird life, pristine beaches,breeding gray seals and the one of the most remote wild horse coloniesin North America.
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