Wild and feral Horses

Maibrit

• The Wild Horse is a member of the Horse genus which currently is native only in Aasia. The true wild horse is not merely a feral horse like the Mustang; a true wild horse species is one which was never successfully domesticated.

• Only two never-domesticated "wild" groups survived into historic times, Przewalski’ s horse and the Tarpan. The Tarpan became extinct in the late 19the century.

Wild horses are often treated as mongrels of the range and ranchers are glad when they can rid their land of the pest

• Wild horses

were distributed throughout the West and some of the Plains states

They have been

accused of hastening erosion, fouling water supplies, displacing native species, and competing with domesticated cattle.  The real problem seems to rest in the population explosion among wild horses, who have few natural predators and an adequate food supply.

• Feral horses are free-

roaming, untamed horses who are descended from domesticated horses. As such, they do not meet the definition of "true" wild horses that never had domesticated ancestors

Feral and wild horse

herds are usually made up of small bands led by a dominant mare, containing additional mares, their foals, and immature horses of both genders

. There is usually one herd stallion.

Bands are usually on the small side, as few as three to five animals, but sometimes Horse "herds" in the wild are best described as groups over a dozen