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Wild Horses
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| "As farm animal numbers increase the number of wild horses roaming free on public lands decline." ~ Katie Bachmann |
Wild horses can be found all over the world; most wild horses are feral animals (domesticated animals that have returned to the wild).The most famous wild horses are found on Sable Island. Most people believe that the ancestors of the horses on Sable Island are survivors of a shipwreck. But the first horses were actually brought to the island for pasture in the late eighteenth century, and additional horses were later transported to improve the herd's breeding stock. Later they took the horses off the island. How come they still there, you might ask. Well when they were taking the horses off the island they missed some. The horses that they missed are the ancestors of the horses that live there now.
The Sable Island horses have been in several documentaries, books and magazine articles. They were the subject of an exhibition at the Equine Museum of Japan in Yokohama, and a photography exhibition in New York City.
There are other wild horses roaming the world. Other island horses are on Barrier Islands of Assateague and Shackle Ford
Some wild horses live on public lands, because of this they must share the resources of grazing lands and water with farmers' livestock. As farm animal numbers increase the number of wild horses roaming free on public lands decline.
When most people think of horses they think of mustangs. Mustangs are not easy to define. Their ability to survive in the most hostile places is amazing. From rigorous winters to scorching summers these magnificent animals can survive on the limited amounts of food and water that’s available.
Mustangs, like all horse herds, create paths when they travel from pasture to water hole and back. They follow the paths they make and the horses usually travel in single file with the lead mare in front and the stallion at the rear. The paths are marked like how all animals do it; with droppings. These dropping are not to mark territories but to let other herds know that they were there and to be careful.
A good herd has one stallion and however many mares the stallion can look after and their foals. The colts in the herd will slowly be chased out at the age of 2 or 3. All the bachelors will usually stay together until they make their own herd. This means steeling mares from existing herds which could end up in a fight with the stallion that owns the mares. Fights can end good or bad, but violent combats between stallions are rare. Fights are most likely just eye contact, bowed necks and controlled kicks.
Wild horses are not treated fairly, pregnant mares are chased by helicopters when they should be doing little and enjoying life. They are then captured where they wait to be killed and turned into dog food. Wild horses should be protected and left alone, only to be handled by humans when something happens to their home.
Horses today are used for all kinds of things, from work to pleasure. Work horses are those that pull things whether it’s a tree or farm equipment. Pleasure horses are those that are most popular. They are used for different kinds of riding disciplines such as trail riding, dressage, jumping, eventing, cattle penning and other western riding
Horses have been through a lot, those on Sable Island and anywhere else. Not just due to environmental changes but also due to physiological changes (from a four toed plant eating animal to a one hoofed grazer). There should always be two types of horses, wild and domestic, not one or the other.
Katie Bachman
Age - 13 years
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| "Wild horses are not treated fairly, pregnant mares are chased by helicopters when they should be doing little and enjoying life." ~ Katie Bachmann |
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| "There should always be two types of horses, wild and domestic, not one or the other." ~ Katie Bachmann |
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