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Wild Horses
George Grady Grossman
Wyoming is home to several herds of wild horses, with some of the largest found out in the Red Desert and around Green Mountain in the heart of Wind River Country. These horses are not true “wild” horses, which are found only in Asia and have never been domesticated. Rather, Wyoming’s wild horses are descendents of the animals that were reintroduced to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 15th century and are known as Mustangs. Some of the bands found in Wyoming also include horses that have escaped or been released from local ranches.
Wild horse herds typically include a single adult male stallion and his harem of mares and offspring. These herds roam wide swathes of the desert searching for food and water and you can often see them as you drive over the backroads of the Red Desert. The Bureau of Land Management
manages wild horses intensively because they compete with wildlife and livestock for food and water. Horses are rounded up on a regular basis and either culled from the herd for adoption or given birth control injections to limit reproduction.
In Wind River Country, many of the horses are taken to the Wyoming State Honor Farm, a minimum-security prison located near Riverton. The Honor Farm has a Wild Horse Training Program that plays an important role in inmate rehabilitation. Inmates work with the horses and in the process learn to respect the opinions and goals of others as well to care for the animals with patience and kindness. These skills help prepare the inmates for their release and also give the horses the basic handling experience they need for successful adoption. The Honor Farm holds a wild horse adoption auction each September.
Wild horse herds typically include a single adult male stallion and his harem of mares and offspring. These herds roam wide swathes of the desert searching for food and water and you can often see them as you drive over the backroads of the Red Desert. The Bureau of Land Management
manages wild horses intensively because they compete with wildlife and livestock for food and water. Horses are rounded up on a regular basis and either culled from the herd for adoption or given birth control injections to limit reproduction.
In Wind River Country, many of the horses are taken to the Wyoming State Honor Farm, a minimum-security prison located near Riverton. The Honor Farm has a Wild Horse Training Program that plays an important role in inmate rehabilitation. Inmates work with the horses and in the process learn to respect the opinions and goals of others as well to care for the animals with patience and kindness. These skills help prepare the inmates for their release and also give the horses the basic handling experience they need for successful adoption. The Honor Farm holds a wild horse adoption auction each September.
