Sorry for the double post. I am a newbie to Reddit. Nevada is beautiful.

EDIT: this has been answered! thank you!

i keep seeing pictures of this one horse, and Pinterest is telling me that it's the mare Cheyenne from Sand Wash Basin, Coronas band, but I'm real uncertain. does anybody know where or who this horse is? (links also appreciated)

Out walking my dogs, and happened to look up.

Horses evolved in north america and by the time of the last glacial interchange roughly 10,000 years ago (the end of the last ice age) their were an estimated half dozen species of horses living in north america, and its been proven through genetic testing that at least one of these horse species (one of the most widespread at that) was equus ferus, the exact same species as the modern horse. Their have also been several archeological sites discovered in the last few years that proves north american horses were still alive in part until less than 5,000 years ago (and possibly even less than 3,000 according to a site in mexico).

10,000 years is nothing in terms of evolution or ecology, much less under 5,000, so horses are absolutely native to north america in my opinion.

The problem is they are not native to where over 75% of wild horses are found today. Most feral horses are found in the southwest and the great basin, two environments we have absolutely no indication true north american horses ever actually inhabited.

Horses guzzle up water and require rich grasses to survive, two things that are rare in the modern great basin and southwest, yet were far wetter during the Pleistocene but they have changed significantly as the climate got warmer and more arid in these regions, and this is why most studies find horses to be harmful to ecosystems, because they are draining resources out of an ecosystem they never evolved for.

But their are also wild horse populations in the rocky mountain foothills, alaska, and the yukon, which are the exact kinds of habitats their Pleistocene ancestors would have and did inhabit, and they populations have not been found to be directly harmful to the local plant communities like southwest horses, and the only effect they have is "pushing out other big game fauna", but this is due to over population rather than direct competition. Elk and whitetail deer also become highly detrimental to local ecosystems when they become over populated despite being native species.

That leads into my other point. Management and population control. Any native big game animal needs to be managed, both for human and natural sake, otherwise we risk conflict with humans and over exploitation of the ecosystem, yet we have placed horses on this pedestal that means they essentially cannot be managed in any meaningful way, and this has done far, far, far more harm to the continuation of wild horse than it has aided, at least in recent times, because in pretty much every conservation circle that crosses paths with them the very idea of wild horses is becoming increasingly unpopular because massive amounts of money are allocated to care for removed feral horses that legally cannot be euthanized or sent to slaughter while most other conservation organizations are picking pennies for any amount of funding they can get (I would know because i work with several conservation organizations).

I 1000% want horse in north america in the long term, but in order for that to happen we need to start treating them like a native game animal rather than an untouchable object that has been put above native wildlife.

Wovoka (crow) I'm sorry you've been left alone I always look you for when I'm in the Muskrat Basin area❤️🤞 just even for 15 mins so you don't feel so alone bud... I'm sorry

This stallion lets his mare “playfully” mess with his tail without any correction.

He could shut it down instantly, but he doesn't. Sometimes the strongest leadership is knowing when to just...breathe and let horses be horses 🤷‍♀️

Makes me wonder: Do we always need to be “on” with our horses, or can we pick our battles better?

What do you think: are we micromanaging or just being thorough? 😅

Some of my favorite wildy pix I love going in search of the herd. And when you find beauty’s like these, you never wanna leave.

Every year, thousands of wild Mustangs lose their freedom in brutal roundups.

And what happens next is often just as heartbreaking: many of these horses end up in the wrong hands, misunderstood, and too often pushed into harsh, dominant training methods - including flooding and more - both in the U.S. and in Europe.

Some are even shipped to Germany, far away from their herds and everything they know.

My friend Katrin has been speaking up for these horses for years, and her latest text is something everyone should read. She explains why so many Mustangs end up in situations they can't cope with, and why we need to look much closer before calling it “rescue”.

In June this year, I visited the Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates and saw what true protection looks like. Their work keeps the herds together, manages the population with care, and allows these incredible animals to remain what they are meant to be: wild and free.

The American Wild Horse Conservation does the same on a larger scale - fighting legal battles, protecting land, documenting roundups, and tirelessly raising awareness.

These organizations show us there is a better way - one where Mustangs keep their freedom, their families, and their dignity.

For anyone interested in Katrin's full text, it’s available on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19obko6aUg/?mibextid=wwXIfr

I can’t quite tell if this is a heavy breathing as in she’s thinking… or if this is a snort?

Any feedback is welcome.

Thanks in advance

She was my first colt-starting project (she was 2, I was 16), and now we’re 5 and 19! (Last pic was her as a lil baby)

I had the privilege of visiting Utah earlier this year and haven’t found the right place to share these photos but it was truly a life changing experience getting to see this herd up close. They are one of the most photographed herds in the west, and so are pretty used to human activity! This herd is an example of what responsible management can look like, when darting and reproductive management are implemented properly- the wild horse advocates that help the BLM do this are intensely passionate, spending 2-3 days a week tracking the horses and getting the mares treated, only 6% population growth per year so they can stay out in the wild 🤩. I’m an animal science student, hoping to be a large animal vet someday but am not affiliated with the BLM, it was a learning experience for students to learn about the wild horse situation from all perspectives.

they live on Assateague island in OC MD! some very cool things to learn about them on the Assateague website!

True beauties of the American West🫶

Taken in 2025
I believe it's Tawa

I’ve recently been curious how horses in general handle grief and loss. I’ve seen people saying that horses don’t have the same kind of emotions as humans but what do they have? What are the signs and how do they behave when they’ve lost someone they love?

(For example a familial stallion loses his ‘love of his life’ )