Wild Horses

Someone once told me that I should set my horses free, that keeping them captive is cruel, and by that I was adding to animal cruelty.

I thought about what this person said and had I responded, my words might have sounded something like this...

The greatest danger to any livestock where I live, are packs of coyotes, mountain lions, an occasional bear, and even wolves that wander down from the Ozark Highlands down to the plateaus.

Depending on the predator, they will attack cattle, domestic dogs, horses and children.

I lost one of my awesome dogs to a pack of coyotes last year, as I most often allow them to run free, bringing them inside during cold spells, heat waves or in stormy weather.

Horses are feral by nature and to set them free into the wild, would result only in them finding their way back.

Horses are survivors, and if by chance they failed in finding their way back, when left in the wild would only see to their demise; if not by starvation, then most certainly in the clasp of a natural predator.

The further out you get, one such animal would be the mountain lion, and we've experienced our fair share of surprise encounters. Make no mistake horses by nature can hold their own as they posses a prowess, and when necessary will defend themselves quite well. Horses use their hind legs, to lift their front half, and by use of a natural torque generated by their hips, core and by the power they exert from their hind legs and thighs; in a forward and downward strike, they can deliver devastating blow to any attacker.

If these horses were taken in the middle of nowhere and left, they'd have nowhere safe to run and without the benefit of knowing the lay of the land, they'd eventually get out-clevered, and fall to prey.

The truth of the matter remains; horses that are deemed or considered to be wild, by the definition of the term "wild" , are not!

Just as "wild pigs" are the product of a domesticated species, that farmers once set free, creating a disastrous outcome as pigs cause much damage to the crops belonging to the very farmers who let them go in the first place.

These horses and all the others that we assume were once wild, history tells us otherwise. It is a known fact that it was the Spanish who brought with them domesticated horses during their exploration of the Americas, and without consideration, let them lose upon their departure.

Many migrated and thrived in the southern plains while some headed towards the Rockies and other mountainous regions. Some wandered further north into the Dakotas, or westward to what is now Arizona, New Mexico, and northwest towards Oregon.

Although they thrived initially, they also over-populated, thus over grazing in one proximity or another, and destroying the once rich soil in the plains, and altering the grasslands into dry wastelands, in-turn creating dust-bowls.

Left in non fertile lands, many succumbed to painful starvation and disease. In-turn the overgrazing of many areas in various regions, greatly affected the Native Americans who relied on the Buffalo, as they naturally migrated through established routes essential to their survival, only to find dry wastelands.

The tribes captured some of the horses and used them for transportation,while still many were hunted and destroyed.

With the westward expansion, and settlement of territories, came the cattle rancher, and a greater need for horses. Still in order to preserve the green grasses for cattle grazing, many horses were killed at the hands of the settlers as well.

Later as the demand for beef from the more established northern states rose and without the benefit of a railway system to move beef from parts of Texas to Kansas, cattle trails had to be routed, and more horses were needed to move the herds.

Soon the Chisholm and Shawnee trails, were stampeded by cattle drivers moving some 2000-3000 head of cattle at once, some drives lasting two months or more.

Horses became even more valuable as horse ranchers entered the scene, capturing and selling them to cattle ranchers at a premium.

As ranching became even more prevalent, so did the lives and value of horses.

"A little tale about our Horses"

Our horses have over 200 acres to roam if they desired, and are stabled and protected from the elements. They are taken out each morning to do their morning run, and fed the best oats while left to graze fertile lands throughout the day.

Although they have many acres to run, they generally keep to within a four to six acre perimeter. They graze among the cattle and when in numbers, serve as a deterrent to coyotes and other predators. At the end of each day, just before sunset they gather around the stables waiting for us to take them in.

They are extremely smart and can sense danger and even weather systems moving in. They tend to lookout for one another, and have established escape routes that gets them inside the stables.

When loved, horses love back, and they'll beg to be ridden; giving one the cold shoulder when they're not.

They are brushed every week, shoed when needed and given great care.

These horses are considered part of what makes up our family, and they are fully aware of this, so to turn them loose somewhere would be to literally throw them to the wolves.

The images you see in this story are of horses which belong to me. The pictures were taken at various times, on various occasions, unless noted otherwise, captured by me..