Wild Horse Survival
Round- Ups
For years, humans have begged for the trust of a wild horse. They repeatedly have used the
phrase “There is nothing to be afraid of. I won’t harm you.” Maybe unintentionally, humans have been
responsible for one of the gravest dangers in a wild horse’s life: Round ups. A round up all starts when
the population of wild horses is too large, water is scarce in a certain area, horses are injured, or any
other safety precaution. The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) legally uses helicopters to “herd” the
wild horses. But in reality, they really fly a helicopter behind a band of wild horses. The horses don’t
recognize anything flying as their usual predator, but still have instincts to flee from possible threats.
They keep running, trying and hoping desperately to escape the strange flying thing. The horses don’t
know that the helicopters won’t stop, and will, in fact, chase them all the way to a certain place were
the horses will get caught and loaded into trailers. During a round up, horses can run so hard that they
break a leg or break down and fall. Pregnant mares sometimes get injured or undergo trauma, which
can cause birth defects, deformity, and death to their foals. Helicopters can also crash. With horses
underneath, in front, and behind them, horses can get caught, smashed, and killed. The debris can cause
gashes, a missing body part, and death of horses. Helicopters crashes are extremely rare, but sadly
happen time to time.
The BLM has hundreds of headquarters around the USA where wild horses and burros are kept
in corrals. Sometimes horses are kept only temporarily and treated for injuries. But in most instances,
they are freeze branded and put up for adoption. Wild horses don’t understand why they are robbed of
their freedom and why they are confined in small areas. But once they are, the horses panic. They
“scream” and sometimes bash themselves against the sides of a corral, gallop in laps, buck, or sweat
excessively. They mentally stress out. The wild horses can sometimes be tranquilized. If they seem to be
in a risk of running to death, or killing themselves, the horses will be put down. Round ups are quite
dangerous, and, as you can see, doom for wild horses.
Food and Water
Food and water are key elements of survival for a wild horse. When you think of horses,
you might think that they eat lots of food due to their large, round stomachs. But horses
actually have very sensitive digestive systems. Their systems can’t handle foods such as meats
that are chewy and hard to break down. Horses are herbivores (vegetarians). Wild horses have
always eaten native grasses and shrubs on Western rangelands. If grass isn’t available,
horses will eat tree bark, young twigs, goose bushes, and leaves. Wild horses get
minerals and salts from the ground. They can eat up to 14 kilograms of food per day, but
spend over half the time just chewing! Horses grind foods down to a mushy consistency
with their teeth to make it easier to swallow and digest the food. Once you eat food,
you usually get thirsty. Well, wild horses feel the same way. They drink from seeps,
streams, and lakes about 2 times daily. Though most domesticated horses eat nutrient
filled grains, wild horses are not even remotely accustomed to grain.
The Herd
As she led the herd, the lead mare glared back at a small colt that was naughtily veering off to
the right of the band. She had her work cut out. In a swift motion, teeth bared, the mare lunged. She
gave a scolding nip on the colt’s neck. Now, he was expected to obey her. Otherwise, the colt would be
showing disrespect. But the colt seemed full of himself and wouldn’t listen. How dare he insult one of
his leaders and forget his place in the band. The lead mare actually fully herded him until he squeezed
into a spot right behind an old palomino mare who was quietly dozing in the sunshine.
Wild horses seem to have a free and carefree life. But they actually follow a strict ranking within
their band, or family. A band consists of a stallion, his mares, and foals that are not old enough to leave
the band and start their own. Colts stay in the herd until the age of two or three. Fillies stay in the band
because, as they grow up to be full grown mares, they are no threat to the stallion. Some bands only
consist of a few colts that were kicked out of their former band, having come to an age to start their
own family. These are called “bachelor bands”. Horses in bachelor bands practice their skills that will
someday be used to steal mares from another stallion. The stallion is the most important member of the
family and the lead mare comes second. Most people would think that the stallion leads the herd places,
all high and mighty. This may be a surprise but the stallion actually holds up the rear while the lead mare
leads the other mares and young. The stallion serves the purpose of alerting the band to predators and
protecting his mares from other stallions. The lead mare, on the other hand, decides when the herd will
eat, where they will eat, and who will eat. She also disciplines horses who get out of line. A great respect
is given to the lead mare- No member of the herd would dare disobey her.
When another stallion comes prowling the corner, the stallion of the band instantly gets
protective. At first, there’s lots of pawing the ground…..
Predators
Something was watching us, somewhere. I could sense it. Uneasiness made me dance in place
and jerk my head high in the air. The stallion, his grey body shimmering in a nervous sweat, gave an
alerting neigh. That was all I needed to hear. In an instant, the whole band was uneasy. We watched the
twisted ravine on the other side of the creek. What was hiding? A cougar? Shying, I butted my colt with
my nose and came in line behind the lead mare. A rustle came from the bush. Run! The instinct swept us
all at once. Breaking through the starry sky, we galloped down to a mountainside trail. I heard panting
from behind me and not horse panting. Barely daring to look back, I saw a cougar darting. A cougar! My
heart raced and I galloped faster. Speed was my only weapon. We swept through dry riverbeds, a
stream, and over some open land. I felt a sharp stab as the cougar attempted to stick his teeth into my
tender skin. Ouch! I galloped at a pace that seemed unimaginable. My beloved colt lingered behind and I
felt a stab of sorrow. His high pitched neigh convinced me. The cougar was getting to my colt. Swerving,
I nosed him away from the predator and to temporary safety. As we finally came to the mountain trail,
my heart felt as if it would bust from me, it was beating to fast. I breathed deeply. We slowed to a walk.
Gently, I rubbed my colt with my muzzle. We’re alright for now son, but never truly safe, I told him.
Though wild horses don’t eat meat, their predators are pretty much all carnivores. Cougars
(mountain lions) are main predators and by far the most aggressive. Bobcats are predators also and
coyotes will eat small foals if hungry enough. For a wild horse, danger could be lurking in any corner.
Nothing is safe. The horses don’t like to be in water because they feel that it can slow them down when
escaping predators. Wild horses use twisty secret trails to get away from danger. These trails confuse
predators and they can get lost/mislead when following a wild horse. Horses have one major secret
weapon, though: Speed! When no other options are available, a wild horse can try to out run a
predator. Foals are targets for some predators because they are small and easier to kill. Also, if a foal is
distracted when learning about the world and playing, a coyote could easily pounce. Mares tend to be
very protective of their young as they know that this can happen. Weak horses are also in jeopardy. A
predator will circle a horse; sort of test it, to see how he/she reacts. If the horse seems to be sick or
injured it would be easier to kill. Therefore, they become a predator’s target. You never know with an
old horse because with many years of experience, they could have really great strategy on escaping
danger. But if their too weak, survival chances are slim. Being strong and healthy is a way to for wild
horses to maintain the best chances of surviving predator dangers.