Wild horses on the beach

[vigil617]

We're very fortunate here in North Carolina to have communities of wild horses along our Outer Banks. One herd that lives near the state line with Virginia peacefully coexists with people, but not always with each other, especially when competing for dominance during mating season. One lucky beachgoer was able to capture an encounter recently that combines the beauty of our coast and the wildness of these magnificent creatures. Enjoy!

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article242968266.html

 

[bigwheelzip]

I'm not an "animal person", but hubby convinced me to paddle our kayak out to NC's Shackleford Banks, and remote camp there. I was apprehensive about the "gangs" of horses that might trample us in our sleep, but I needn't have been.

The horses were beautiful to watch as they ranged among the dunes, and never came close enough to cause me concern. Besides the horses, we couldn't find anyone else on the island with us once the day trippers went home in the evening.

 

[italiansport]

We have a herd of wild horses on the East side of Phoenix/Mesa on the Indian Reservation that we generally see while tubing on the Gila River. They are a fantastic sight and will usually charge across the river in front of you. The Federal Government made an attempt to remove this herd a few years back but gave up after the public outcry.
Jim

 

[6518John]

Some neighboring ranch boys were self proclaimed horse whisperers and bought some western BLM wild horses at auction.

They turned them out of the trailer, they jumped the corral fence flat-footed, ran to the fence line of the adjoining pasture, jumped a 5 strand barbed wire fence flat-footed (some just ran though the fence like they were armor-plated, I guess it was just too much effort to jump), then swan a river abutting the ranch and took off into the wilds of the next county. I think they finally caught them all several months later. The father of the boys told me lions in Africa would be gentler and easier to tame.

 

[meaneyedcatz]

I bet it was a beautiful sight.
We have herds of wild horses here in Missouri. They are around the Current river and Jacks Fork River in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. That area is special to me as my father grew up in that area. He was from Gang Mo which was a small town but now it’s a fork in the road accessible only by 4wd trucks.
Anyway, I do plan on getting down there soon and try to photograph them.

 

[Big Cholla]

I have been watching "Feral" horses in Nevada and Arizona for most of my adult life. IMHO, that bunch of horses were all young stallions about 2 to 3 y.o. Their DNA led behavior is to fight like that within their outcast group until one is totally dominate over the rest. Then at the right time that dominate young stallion challenges the actual herd stallion. The young challenger does not always win. Those older stallions don't get where they are by not being able to seriously fight. The management of that herd group is not doing the herd any favors by leaving them alone. IMHO, they should round up the young boys and castrate the obvious lesser quality stallions. Most so called 'wild' horses really called Feral horses are old and sick in many different ways by the time they are around 6 to 7. They are sentenced to a horribly painful death at a very early age. A moderately cared for equine that is wormed at least twice a year and given hoof care at the same time can and do live until in their 20's.

 

[MaricopaKid]

We have a herd of wild horses on the East side of Phoenix/Mesa on the Indian Reservation that we generally see while tubing on the Gila River. They are a fantastic sight and will usually charge across the river in front of you. The Federal Government made an attempt to remove this herd a few years back but gave up after the public outcry.
Jim

Back in the 80's I had a ranch south of there near Tabletop. My wife commuted to Phoenix and would often comment on the near misses with the herds on the Gila River Indian Reservation. In 1989 or '90 a friend of mine was riding his Harley home from work in Buckeye at about midnight. They said he probably never saw the horses off to the side of the 2-lane. To say there was nothing left was an understatement.

 

[6518John]

We have herds of wild horses here in Missouri.

I think the neighbor boys chased theirs nearly to Missouri.

 

[vigil617]

I have been watching "Feral" horses in Nevada and Arizona for most of my adult life. IMHO, that bunch of horses were all young stallions about 2 to 3 y.o. Their DNA led behavior is to fight like that within their outcast group until one is totally dominate over the rest. Then at the right time that dominate young stallion challenges the actual herd stallion. The young challenger does not always win. Those older stallions don't get where they are by not being able to seriously fight. The management of that herd group is not doing the herd any favors by leaving them alone. IMHO, they should round up the young boys and castrate the obvious lesser quality stallions. Most so called 'wild' horses really called Feral horses are old and sick in many different ways by the time they are around 6 to 7. They are sentenced to a horribly painful death at a very early age. A moderately cared for equine that is wormed at least twice a year and given hoof care at the same time can and do live until in their 20's.

These aren't feral horses, BigCholla. They are truly wild and descended from horses that have lived on the Outer Banks since pre-colonial times. There is a management group -- the Corolla Wild Horse Fund -- that cares for that particular herd, and the federal government manages the herds further south on Core Banks and Shackleford Banks, which are part of the National Seashore. They are not left to fend for themselves entirely, and they do receive medical care. We treasure them as a unique part of our coastal environment, and preserving them is important to us.

 

[vigil617]

I'm not an "animal person", but hubby convinced me to paddle our kayak out to NC's Shackleford Banks, and remote camp there. I was apprehensive about the "gangs" of horses that might trample us in our sleep, but I needn't have been.

The horses were beautiful to watch as they ranged among the dunes, and never came close enough to cause me concern. Besides the horses, we couldn't find anyone else on the island with us once the day trippers went home in the evening.

BWZ, you stood more chance of being threatened by the swarms of mosquitoes that inhabit Shackleford Banks than by the horses there. I hope you and your husband had a nice onshore breeze during your camp! That barrier island is a lovely place indeed when you don't have to worry about being dragged back to the swamp by the 'skeeters!

 

[Big Cholla]

These aren't feral horses, BigCholla. They are truly wild and descended from horses that have lived on the Outer Banks since pre-colonial times. There is a management group -- the Corolla Wild Horse Fund -- that cares for that particular herd, and the federal government manages the herds further south on Core Banks and Shackleford Banks, which are part of the National Seashore. They are not left to fend for themselves entirely, and they do receive medical care. We treasure them as a unique part of our coastal environment, and preserving them is important to us.

Sorry Vigil, but I respectively ask you to do some deeper research into the origin of all of the East Coast's island horses. All of them are descended from survival horses that swam ashore from wrecked sailing ships having come over from various ports in Europe. The closest animal that North America has ever had that came close to being a "wild horse" was small and looked vaguely like a horse and was about the size of a Shepard dog. That animal became extinct along about the time of the Ice Ages. All of the horses that are on the North American area are descendants of horses that were imported by sailing ship from what we know as Spain, Italy, France, England, Europe in general and some from today's Middle East. A Zoologist will say that all horses in North America are in fact "Feral" stock.

You reference "Pre Colonial Times". If the stories of exploration of some of North America by Vikings are true, it is possible that they brought some pony type horses for their use. I have never read even a hint of that actually happening. The first to import large numbers of horses into this area were the Spanish during their exploration efforts in SE and SW America. They brought mainly the 'Spanish Barb'. It was a small horse very little bigger than a pony. That horse breed gave the Western Mustang most of its DNA. Arabian horses followed in smaller number and of course the Englishmen brought several harness breeds along with the taller riding horse we call "Thoroughbreds".

The reason the West has so many "Feral" horses running untamed today is because of natural loss by explorers, farmers and ranchers. And, some very cold winters that caused many horse owners to turn out their excess herd stock to fend for themselves during that winter. Some survived and herds were established. Then we come to the story of "Wild Horse Annie" and that is another chapter in the mess we have today.

BTW; I was surprised while looking at the above pictures of the young stallions mock fighting by the pretty fair quality of the average horse confirmation of the herd. Someone is taking care of those island horses and seeing that uncontrolled inbreeding is not ruining the quality of that horse flesh. That is good for the horse herd. And, it gives credence to your reference to their 'Horse Management' group. Their efforts are proven by the better than average quality of horse conformation through out that herd.

 

[leswad]

Feral horses on the Pecos River.

 

[vigil617]

Well, BigCholla, since you contend that all of the horses on the North American continent are considered "feral" by zoologists, I'll defer to that exacting description instead of what I referred to as "wild." Yes, these horses are thought to descend from those brought by Spanish explorers to the East Coast, likely through shipwrecks, and they have indeed been present here as a result of being introduced instead of being a "native" species, which I take from your description that no horse in North America can claim. As a born-and-bred Outer Banker once told me when I asked where his family had originated, "Oi s'pose they just washed up on the beach." These horses must surely have done the same.

I'm glad that they appear healthy to you and that their management appears to be working. I can tell you that these horses are beloved, many of them have names assigned them by their handlers, and there is true sorrow and dismay whenever one of them succumbs, often as a result of being struck by a vehicle.

Have to add too, that Jagger and Richards' song just wouldn't have had the same punch if it was about "Feral Horses."

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0QATz8aEAc[/ame]

 

[6518John]

Feral horses on the Pecos River.

I think that gray is one of those that jumped the fences here in Arkansas! I guess he went south!

 

[boykinlp]

If I remember correctly, I went through the Outer Banks about 35 years ago during their offseason. While talking to some locals one night, I think I remember hearing about a group of firemen that somehow profited by corralling and maybe? selling some of the wild horses each year. I think I also remember that it used to draw quite large crowds.

Like I said, if I remember correctly. In other words, all this could be completely false.
Larry

 

[Big Cholla]

I totally agree with your solution to a very emotional and touchy problem. Please let me give you this suggestion; The horses running mostly free and not belonging to any identifiable owner are not "Wild". They are "Feral" animals and as such are invasive specie to the No. American Continent. I can assure you that I really love the equine specie. I raised Morgan horses for 18 years. If there had been any real money to be made raising and training horses I would have left my construction career in a heart beat.

The problem with the Feral Horses managed by the BLM and other smaller agencies is that free running horses don't get the Veterinarian/Owner care that the horse specie needs. Another problem well known to ranchers and farmers is that the equine is very destructive to the environments that they free run. The sight of those flying manes and tails the horse exhibits while running is beautiful and inspires many to attribute attributes to horses that they do not deserve. The life experienced by horses running free on the range is not ideal. In fact it is far from it. As I have written before, the average age of death is often between 4 and 8. That death comes with horrible suffering on the part of the dying horse. If "Wild Horse Annie" had ever watched helplessly while her pet horse died from an advanced case of colic she would not have lobbied so hard and long to get the law passed that created our current "Wild Horse Problem".

I too think that ALL so called "Wild" horses should be removed from the range. If it requires the licensed hunting of them, so be it. But, Americans have been removing horses from the range ever since the first herd was established. The total removal is a problem that could be solved in a couple of years. I too have eaten horse meat. It was during WW II and I was very young, but I knew what we were eating. It wasn't bad. Not as good as mediocre beef, but good enough. I would rather see everyone of those "Wild" horses adopted by a horseman who knew how to train and make a useful horse out of them, but that is not going to happen. The cases of animal abuse involving pet horses is rising in the US so adding several hundred of thousands of horses to that situation is not a solution.

BTW, I will add just a little more flame to the above; Feral horses are far, far, more destructive to the health of range forage and water sources than sheep. Any rancher growing beef and/or sheep will tell the same story.

 

[Rule3]

Documentary National Geographic Wild Horses as Native North American BBC Documentary Wildlife Animals

Enter the Federal Govt.




[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXEf8hUvdOU[/ame]

 

[TheHobbyist]

I don't have a horse in this race...

 

[rubiranch]

They're feral, not wild.

 

[dockmurgw]

All I know is that according to the TV commercials, if you wear any article of clothing with copper in it you'll be able to run those horses to the ground on the beach and then climb a mountain when your done. All while holding hands with your wife, riding a bike, throwing a football, and being old enough to have come here via the wrecked ships that deposited the horses on the beach.