- Breeding
- Horse Breeding, Part 1: The Estrous Cycle
- Submit Your Grant Proposal To USA Equestrian Trust
- Equine Experts Send Us Your Best Tip - Win $750 Worth of KAM’s Healthy Horse Products and More
- Buying a Horse
- Equine Experts Send Us Your Best Tip - Win $750 Worth of KAM’s Healthy Horse Products and More
- Top 3 Ways Using Horse Classifieds Can Save You Money
- The Top 4 Places to Find Horses for Sale
- General Horse Articles
- Trail Rides, Cell Phones and ID
- Miniature Horses: Do Good Things Always Come in Small Packages?
- Equine Photography: A Look at the Horse Photos Industry
- Horse Feeding
- Ingredients in Feed that Affect Behavior
- Keeping the Horse Replenished - Equine Electrolytes
- You’ve Got the Right Feed, Now What?: Proper Feeding Practices
- Horse Grooming
- What do do when the Panic is On to keep our Horses Safe!
- When Dealing With Horses Get It in Writing - Sign Up for May 16 FREE Webinar
- Relive Southern Eighths/Nikon Three-Day on YouTube
- Horse Health Issues
- Keeping the Horse Replenished - Equine Electrolytes
- A Look at Horse Feed
- It’s Getting Cold Out! What to Do With Your Horse
- Horse Training
- Mythunderstandings About Riding the Trot
- Let's Talk About Equine Probiotics - Equitivia
- Why Making a Rope Halter Isn't as Easy as They Say
- Horses & History
- When Dealing With Horses Get It in Writing - Sign Up for May 16 FREE Webinar
- Equine Experts Send Us Your Best Tip - Win $750 Worth of KAM’s Healthy Horse Products and More
- A Brief History of Horse Breeding
- Horses & Sports
- Cookies With a Clue For Your Horse
- Relive Southern Eighths/Nikon Three-Day on YouTube
- Ask Chelsie Natural Horsemanship - What Does It Mean To Disengage My Horse?
The Feral Horse and Its Impact
05/26/2008
A feral horse is a free, untamed horse whose ancestors were domesticated. This contrasts feral horses with wild horses, which are descended from other free horses. Feral horses are descended from domesticated horses that escaped or strayed
A feral horse is a free, untamed horse whose ancestors were domesticated. This contrasts feral horses with wild horses, which are descended from other free horses. Feral horses are descended from domesticated horses that escaped or strayed, and learned to survive and reproduce in the wild without human interference. Over time, the behaviors of these horses revert back to behavior resembling that of true wild horses.
Feral horses live and travel in herds, or groups. Led by a dominant mare and a stallion, these herds can range from several to over a dozen. The herd members change as young stallions challenge the older ones for dominance over the herd, or as they grow, young ones are driven out to join other herds.
Animal welfare advocates and others often clash and debate with livestock producers over what to do with feral horse populations. If a feral herd is living in a region where horses are native, then a controlled population can have very little impact on the surrounding territory, especially if they do not have to compete with any domestic livestock in the area. However, if the population numbers increase dramatically, or if they are an introduced species into the area, they can severely affect the native plants and animals in that territory. If near human population, they can damage manmade fencing and other equipment and structures.
In the Western United States, feral populations have competed with domestic livestock on the range, which leads to deteriorating rangeland and debate over whose fault it is. Commercial livestock producers claim the feral population is responsible and should be removed, while animal welfare advocates debate that the domestic livestock populations should be reduced.
In some areas, the feral horse provides value, such as the Chincoteague and Assateague Island feral horses. These horses provide both sentimental value and economic value, as their annual Pony Swim and accompanying carnival attracts tourism from all across the country. By carefully managing these populations, they support the local economy. Population management techniques can include capturing horses for adoption (practiced in Assateague), or the often-debated practice of hunting them.
