Some from the wintertime, up by Ya ha Tinda...lol they were exploring one of the equestrian campsites...

A couple more pictures of my favorite herd.

I watched a documentary on Animal Planet tonight about these wild horses (the same ones!), and had to literally laugh out loud when Sustainable Resource Development had the gall to claim that there are more than 2000 of them.

I would estimate the number to be closer to 200.

More Pictures

Some more pictures, going from newest to oldest. I haven't been out there for almost two weeks. The area is notoriously busy over the long weekends with Off Highway Vehicles, ATVs, and random campers, and they all pass directly by my house on their way out to abuse the pristine wilderness.

I wondered all weekend if the horses were able to stay safely away from these intruders and their vehicles....

Here's some of my pictures from the last 8-9 months.... Yes, I do get that close... I just have a simple little digital camera, no telephoto lenses.

In fact, I can get so close that I often have to back up in order to get the picture :)

What will it take?

What will it take for the Government to recognize these horses as a legitimate breed/species of wild animal?

They share significant DNA & mitDNA links to other Iberian (Spanish) Mustangs found and recognized in different parts of North America. They obviously have a breed type.

Ok, so suppose some ranch or group of people released several thousand Spanish Horses a hundred years ago.... (even though you and I know they've been there for much longer, but lets just give the government the benefit of a doubt)

Doesn't the fact that they have survived and ADAPTED TO OUR NATURAL WILD LANDS AND ECOSYSTEMS WITH THE REST OF THE WILDLIFE earn them a spot among the deer, bears and elk? ELK, WHO WERE ALSO INTRODUCED AND ALLOWED TO ADAPT AND NATURALIZE INTO OUR ENVIRONMENT?

I have no time for those who argue that they bully the deer, elk, etc out of grazing and their natural ecosystems. I have yet to see a skinny or starving elk, deer, or moose out there among the "Wildies"...hmmm maybe its because they stick together and the horses help to protect them from hunters by alerting them and keeping them with the herd and away from danger.

I have come within 5-10 feet of a couple different herds and individual wild horses and have yet to experience a serious charge where I feet fearful for my life. They are prey animals and not predators, so I will not entertain anecdotes of studs attacking kids or people on ATVs.

I don't have any problem with a controlled humane capture, in which the horse is caught very young and branded so that it is unable to be sold as a meat horse. If some one is interested in training a mustang and experiencing one for themselves then I would count that as a +1 for public relations for the mustangs.

But these majestic animals have survived on their own devices for this long, and should not be caught just to be eaten or used as target practice or bear bait.

What's next? The Bald Eagle?

There was once another large prey animal that roamed free, which the government refused to protect. And now in order to see a "wild buffalo" you have to go to a show or wildlife park.

First Things First

Now, right off the bat.

One of the biggest controversies that arise from the discussion of wild horses in Alberta is the the validity of the term "wild".

Alberta SRD (Sustainable Resource Development), Fish & Wildlife, and the other aspects of the government that are asked to comment or begrudgingly answer questions surrounding their origins, care and future will deny, deny, deny the horses heritage and historical significance. They simply pass them off as stray livestock who either escaped or was dumped off in the wilderness to fend for themselves.

What a sad comment on the province's lack of pride in their heritage and history.

First of all, take a look at this herd:

Do they look like a mixed group of breeds?

They are all the same size. They are all the same colour type.

They all have the same physical characteristics.

I can recognize a Mustang whether domesticated or wild as easily as any Arabian, Tennessee Walking Horse, Morgan or Clydesdale.

They are a specific BREED of horse because they have a uniform genetic type. Yes, they probably are descended from a mixture of multiple breeds, but over a period that spans hundreds of years just like other breeds of horses.

I contend that the process of breed development was probably the most thorough and efficient of any horse breed in existance, based simply on the premise that if a generation or individual was weak, unhealthy, or otherwise unfit, it wouldn't survive to breed and contribute to the genetic pool.

DNA testing of caught mustangs show a largely significant amount of Spanish Mustang blood, in the same capacity of those horses caught in the BLM Mustang Program in the USA. While it is true that many horses of different breeds may have some spanish mustang blood, they do not have the same amount and type as the mustangs caught in North America.

So if Mustangs aren't a Breed, Can somebody please tell me what Breed these horses are?

Welcome

Welcome. This blog is dedicated to the discussion, research and otherwise note-comparison and reflection in regards to the wild horses of Alberta.

I decided to start blogging after amassing a huge amount of photos and data in the last year, and this seemed the most viable platform in which to share it.

Enjoy.