The Difference Between Wild and Feral Horses

When we think of the old west, we imagine cowboys riding fast mustangs through the chaparral as tumbleweeds roll across the trail ahead of them and craggy-faced miners panning for gold with their trusty donkey by their side. With this image in mind, we might wonder what happened to all of those horses and donkeys once the old west faded away and the cowboys and miners vanished into the 20th century. Well, a lot of those horses and donkeys were released and joined up with the existing 'wild' horses that roamed the plains and desert southwest sine the Spanish Conquistadors brought them over.

But, unlike truly 'wild' horses, these are really feral, which means they were once domesticated. For all intents and purposes, however, they are wild. There are several western states that have wild horses within their boundaries, including Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Oregon and California. California leads the states in adopting out both feral burros and horses. As with most large animals living in the wilderness, horses and burros have to be managed so they won't overpopulate and starve in harsh conditions. There are several organizations and agencies that handle the care and maintenance of the wild horses and burros. The main agency is the federal Bureau of Land Management. There is also the state department of wildlife and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, not to mention local private groups.

Whenever the populations become too big, the herds are rounded up and placed in a containment area where they are examined, vaccinated and tamed. Once they are cleared for adoption, the public is able to pay a small fee and adopt one of these magnificent animals. There are the usual requirements; an adopter must be over 18, have adequate transportation and facilities and pay an adoption fee. After that, the 'wild' horse is theirs.

There were indeed true wild horses in the United States many thousands of years ago, but they are believed to have died off prior to the Spanish arrival in Mexico. The Spanish brought their horses and as some escaped, were released or stolen, the feral populations began. The Native Americans caught and tamed these horses, breeding them for their own use. As the old west thrived, the wild horse populations did, too. Then, when towns modernized and the automobile took the place of horses, the need for horses disappeared.

To keep the wild populations under control, the agencies try to come up with other ways to reduce the horses, such as capturing and sterilizing them. Whether or not this strategy is ever successful will depend on research and funding. In the mean time, anyone desiring a horse should consider adopting a wild horse.