HorseClicks Blog

It is natural to believe that wild horses have "always" roamed America's Western States, but that simply is not the case. Horses were native to North America until the end of the last ice age, 10-12,000 years ago, and then they died out.

It took the joint actions of Christopher Columbus and Hernando Cortez, to bring horses back to North America. In 1493, Christopher Columbus brought horses from Spain to the West Indies, during his second voyage to the Americas. In 1519, the Spanish conquistador Cortez brought horses to the mainland, as the captain of the third Spanish expedition.

Horses arrived in North America, by way of Mexico and Florida, as a tool of the Spanish conquistadors and were used to great effect by Cortez in the defeat of the Aztec empire.

Many horses went wild after their riders were killed. Other horses escaped from their corrals, and many more horses were integrated into Native American societies. Within just a few decades, horses had migrated from Mexico and Florida and entered into the North American interior.

The History of American Horse Breeds

Nearly all of the horses currently running wild in the ranges of the Western United States hailed from the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, in a region defined by modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations suggests that there are 17 individual horse breeds that can be defined as "Iberian horses". Three of the breeds hail from Portugal and the remaining 14 originated in Spain. Most of the Iberian horse breeds are considered to be Baroque horses, comprised mostly of horses of Andalusian, Arabian and Barb ancestry.

Many of the Native American tribes became master horse breeders, most importantly, the Comanche, the Shoshoni, and the Nez Perce nations. Through selective breeding by the Native American tribes, the first truly American horse breed was the Appaloosa.

The wild horses of the Western United States are actually more accurately referred to as horses that have gone "feral", or horses that were once domesticated and now are wild. Just as there is a huge population of feral dogs near the big cities of America, most notably near Miami, Florida, there is also a substantial population of feral horses in America.

Free-Roaming Horses Eventually Required Protection From Congress

In 1900, it was estimated that there were as many as two million free-roaming horses in the United States. During the early years of the twentieth century, the free-roaming horse population was severely diminished through a combination of factors including the capture of horses for use in the military, and more revoltingly, by companies who killed the horses to make dog food.

By the 1970's, the plight of wild horses in the United States had attracted the attention of the U.S. Federal Government. This newly focused attention eventually led to the passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.

In recent years, it has been estimated by the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management that there are as many as 29,000 feral horses and burros on BLM-managed lands in ten western states. The ten Western U.S. states that have feral horses running wild includes: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming.

It is estimated that more than half of the wild horse population resides in Nevada, and Montana and Oregon are the other states with significant wild horse population numbers. There is another few hundred head of wild horses free-roaming in Alberta and British Columbia, in Canada.

Through the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, the Bureau of Land Management has the responsibility of managing the numbers of wild horses and burros, to ensure that healthy herds thrive on healthy rangelands. Within the mandate of the BLM, they are responsible to manage the herd numbers of wild horses and burros that roam the American West.

The BLM Wild Horse and Burro Adoption and Sale Program

Wild horses left to their own wits can literally double their population within four short years, provided that drought and wildfires do not diminish their numbers naturally. Horses do not have natural predators within the rangelands of North America, so their numbers will generally run unchecked without BLM intervention.

The beauty of the 1971 law is that as the BLM culls horses and burros from the wild population, those horses and burros will become available for adoption and sale through the BLM program to individuals and groups willing and able to provide humane, long-term care to these beautiful animals.

To learn more about the adoption of purchase of horses or burros, you can visit the Bureau of Land Management website at: http://www.blm.gov or give them a call at: (866) 4MUSTANGS. You can actually adopt and purchase feral horses through the BLM program in states on both sides of the Mississippi River. Sales are held yearly throughout the South, the West and even in Illinois.

Source. http://www.horseclicks.com/

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If you have ever watched the Kentucky Derby or other events in racing's Triple Crown, you have had the opportunity to see Thoroughbred horses. If you're not a racing fan, but watch the news on a regular basis - particularly after the 2006 running of the Kentucky Derby and on through the rest of the year, you're likely familiar with the story of Barbaro, the 2006 Derby winner that was put down after shattering a hind leg during the 2006 Preakness Stakes: the beautiful, calm Thoroughbred Horse was beloved by many.

Many of the reasons why Barbaro was much beloved share similarities with the reason why many people express love and adoration for Thoroughbred horses. The breed is known for a noble beauty, a dignified appearance, a determination, coupled with speed and drive.

Of course, it's the speed and wildness of the Thoroughbred horse - known widely for its racing abilities - that make Thoroughbreds a less than ideal choice for those who are looking for a horse for their family, as well as for inexperienced riders. Many find that Thoroughbreds are too fast, too unpredictable and dangerous for those who aren't experienced with horses.

Just how fast can Thoroughbred horses be? On average, Thoroughbreds like those that are used in racing run nearly forty miles per hour, but remain agile, able to turn quickly and change pace without much notice, when necessary. The hindquarters of Thoroughbred horses often are the seat of their power; long, well-developed muscles in the hip and thigh are things that you should pay attention, whether you are picking a horse out of the line-up in race five or if you are looking to buy a Thoroughbred horse for your own use.

In addition, when you look at a Thoroughbred horse, you will want to also look for other characteristics that define the breed. Thoroughbreds stand between 15 and 17 hands. Colors range from dark bay to black or gray. White Thoroughbreds can occur but are extremely rare, however, that doesn't mean that there cannot be white hairs or patches of white on a Thoroughbred horse.

As many Thoroughbred horses are bred specifically for racing - and, as a result, it's not surprising that many Thoroughbred horses for sale have been born in Kentucky. Other states where Thoroughbred horse breeding is extremely common are Florida and California.

Still, not all Thoroughbred horses are bred for racing - and, of course, very few that are make it to the Triple Crown races. Based on the athleticism of the breed, the drive that most Thoroughbreds have to succeed and excel at a task, many are also trained for other equestrian sports. Though the Thoroughbred is uncommon in dressage, it is not unheard of; the same is true for show jumping. Likewise, because Thoroughbred horses move with a smooth gait, some have been used for classical jumping and as show hunters.

The best of the breed are taken one step further and trained for event performance. In event competition, dressage, cross-country and show-jumping is all combined into a single equestrian event. Because of their success in event performance, many Thoroughbred horses make it to World Championship and Olympic competition levels.

This athleticism of the horse and its competitive potential is something that, when one is looking at horses for sale, often puts young Thoroughbred horses out of the price range of many families. When making an investment with two or more partners into buying a Thoroughbred horse for racing, buyers can expect to pay up to $5,000. To own your own Thoroughbred, you'll need to invest at least $10,000, and understand that you are buying one of the least expensive Thoroughbreds. At this price level, many horse owners are only partial owners of the horse that they have invested their money. Prices only climb from there.

However, those who do own Thoroughbred horses - either on their own or as a part of a partnership - tend to find that there are many rewards. There's camaraderie among Thoroughbred owners, an excitement that comes from getting together at the track (even if your horse is not the one that ultimately wins the race).

If you are committed to owning a Thoroughbred horse and do not have the financial backing to buy one outright, you may want to consider contacting the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Charity service to learn more about adopting retired racehorses.

Source: http://www.horseclicks.com/