Wild horses live in herds, or bands consisting of up to 15 members of broodmares, foals, yearlings and the dominant stallion.
Contrary to popular belief, the stallion's duties are to defend his territory, kick his young out of the herd, and breed.
Australian Brumby
Australia
Australia’s first horses arrived in 1788. Irregular shipments followed that initial cargo. Because of the conditions the horses lived under, only the fittest survived. Some horses died during the voyages. When horse racing was recognized as a sport in 1810, good quality thoroughbreds were imported from England to Australia.
It is thought that the name Brumby for Australian feral horses is thought to have been derived from a James Brumby who arrived on the Britania in 1791. James Brumby, born in Scotton Lincolnshire, was a soldier with the New South Wales Corps, he was also a farrier and it is thought that he was responsible for some horses in the early Australian Colony.
When James moved to Tasmania in 1804 it is thought that he left some horses in New South Wales. Locals asked who owned the horses, "they are Brumby's" was the reply. Whilst there is some uncertainty as to the origin of this name for horses the above appears the most certain route to their naming
The first horses were used for farm work, and contributed to the opening up of Australia’s pastoral land. Explorers used horses and bullocks for transport. Horses were later bred for the remount trade.
The low number and quality of fences, and infrequent musters, meant that many horses escaped. Some horses were also abandoned as machinery took over many of their tasks. Both groups of horses became feral.
Brumbies are rarely of consistent size, conformation or color. This is because domestic mares may escape and join feral horse herds. Also, they were originally of mixed type, including draught and thoroughbred.
Brumbies are viewed as both a pest and a resource. They can cause damage to fences, overgraze cattle pastures, drink and foul water supplies, and make cattle mustering more difficult. They may also mate with domestic mares, and carry and pass on diseases.
Their usefulness in Austalia has been as meat, hair (for musical instruments, brushes, upholstery), and tourism/recreation. They can be captured and used as replacement stock horses, but demand is low. When the weather is dry, Brumbies may make water available by pawing at sandy creekbeds, providing water for wildlife and cattle as well as themselves.
Because of the limited commercial need for these horses, regular culling is necessary, and studies have been carried out as to the most humane and efficient method. This culling is necessary not only to reduce the horses’ impact on cattle farming, but for the protection of the horse herd. A large number of horses in drought conditions would suffer starvation, thirst, and may consume toxic plants.
Horses have played an important role in Australia’s history. It is unfortunate that some became feral. It is up to us to control the size of the brumby herds, for their protection and our livelihood.
Kiger Mustangs,
USA
Kiger Mustangs are thought to be descended from the horses brought over to North America by the Spanish explorers in the early 1600's. They carry the genes which code for the primitive dun coloration and markings known as the dun factor. Markings for dun factor include dorsal stripe, ears with dark outline and fawn colored interior, bi-colored mane and tail, zebra stripes on the legs and chest, arm bars,shadowing on the face. The conformation of the Kiger Mustang is distinctive, smooth, and stylish, with chest of good depth and width, short back, broad and moderately muscled, well rounded hips, dense bone with sufficient substance. The Kiger Mustang has a lively, light action, tending toward higher than average front leg action.Kiger Mustangs are thought to be descended from the horses brought over to North America by the Spanish explorers in the early 1600's. They carry the genes which code for the primitive dun coloration and markings known as the dun factor. Markings for dun factor include dorsal stripe, ears with dark outline and fawn colored interior, bi-colored mane and tail, zebra stripes on the legs and chest, arm bars, shadowing on the face. The conformation of the Kiger Mustang is distinctive, smooth, and stylish, with chest of good depth and width, short back, broad and moderately muscled, well rounded hips, dense bone with sufficient substance. The Kiger Mustang has a lively, light action, tending toward higher than average front leg action.
Spanish Mustang
USA
The true Spanish Mustang is a direct descendant of the horses brought to the New World by the early Spaniards. Confused by many with the feral horses currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management (B.L.M.), there is a vast difference in both appearance and ancestry. Columbus, on order from the Spanish throne, commenced bringing the first Spanish horses to the New World on his second voyage. Thereafter, each ship headed for the New World, by order of the Crown, carried breeding animals of choice Spanish stock. Breeding farms were set up in the Caribbean and subsequently in Mexico. Breeding farms such as the one operated in Sonora, Mexico by Padre Eusebio Kino, a Jesuit priest, produced stock, including horses, which were placed with each group of Christianized Indians as Kino expanded his efforts further and further north. The Apaches, never falling under the spell of the Church, ravaged and pillaged these little "visitas" taking stock at will. They also plundered deep into Mexico allegedly as far as Mexico City. Their goal - well-bred and trained Spanish horses from the Mexican estancias. Through trade of these valuable horses northward to other tribes the Apaches became one of the primary methods of spreading the Spanish horses over the west. Over the years horses escaped, were lost or stolen and many became feral, roaming all over the west. Eventually they numbered in the hundreds of thousands, closely related to the horses maintained by some of the Indian tribes, indeed, they were basically the same horses.
Considered the finest horses in the known world at the time of the Conquest of the New World, the Spanish horse left a legacy in its tough, beautiful, hardy descendants that endures to this day. On the brink of extinction in the early part of this century, their salvation can be attributed primarily to Robert I. Brislawn of Oshoto, Wyoming, who founded the Spanish Mustang Registry, Inc. in 1957.
Born in the Palouse country in 1890, he made his own way at an early age, working on ranches, mining and freighting. During his years in the West, his horses of choice were Spanish Mustangs. His respect for these Spanish descendants was enormous as they thrived on forage that could not support other breeds and never seemed to tire. He never hobbled or tied his horses in camp as he always stated that they would stay with him, much like pet dogs. He was impressed with their speed, agility and above all, their will to survive. As he roamed throughout the West, he realized the authentic Spanish Mustang was being methodically exterminated and he commenced his search for horses of essentially pure Spanish blood, desiring to preserve those few remaining. He started his preservation project in 1925. Two full brothers, Buckshot and Ute, were his first foundation stallions, sired by a buckskin stallion named Monty and out of Ute Reservation blood on the dam's side. Monty, captured in 1927 in Utah, escaped back to the wild in 1944, taking his mares with him. He was never recaptured. For years Bob Brislawn, with the assistance of his brother Freddie, bred their few mares, unaware that others shared their dream of preserving this unique and rare breed. The work spread and in 1957 a group headed up by Bob Brislawn incorporated the Spanish Mustang Registry, Inc., the first and oldest Mustang registry in the country. A non-profit organization, this registry was formed to preserve and perpetuate the last known remnants of the true Spanish Mustangs. Twenty animals were initially registered. With well over 2,500 registrations, Brislawn's goal is now realized. The Spanish Mustang is secure and is demonstrating to the world the attributes inherited from its Spanish progenitors as well as the traits developed through centuries of selection by the cruelest and most selective of breeders, Nature herself.
Breed Characteristics
The Spanish Mustang is a medium size horse ranging from 13.2 to 15 hands with an average size of approximately 14.2 hands with proportional weight. They are smooth muscled with short backs, rounded rumps and low set tails. Coupling is smooth and the overall appearance is of a well-balanced, smoothly built horse. The girth is deep, with well-laid back shoulder and fairly pronounced withers. They posses the classic Spanish type head with a straight or concave forehead and a convex nose which is in contrast to the straight forehead and nose of most breeds. Ears are medium to short and usually notched or curved towards each other. Necks are fairly well crested in mares and geldings and heavily crested in mature stallions. Chests are narrow but deep with the front legs joining the chest in an "A" shape rather than straight across. Chestnuts are small or missing altogether, particularly on the rear legs. Feet are extremely sound with thick walls, many having what is typically known a "mule foot" which resists bruising due to the concave sole. Canons are short, upper foreleg is long, with the canon bone having a larger circumference than other breeds of comparable size and weight. Long-strided, many are gaited, with a comfortable four bear gait such as the amble, running walk or single foot. Some individuals are laterally gaited and do a very passable "paso" gait though without extreme knee action. They are hardy animals and tend to be less prone to injury, particularly of the legs and feet, than other breeds. They have a very different mentality than "domesticated" horses. They are not push button horses and will not abide abuse, however they bond well with their owners and once bonded, become very attached to that person. Highly intelligent with an innate sense of self-preservation they are not prone to put themselves into any situation which may be destructive or dangerous. Compared to "domesticated" breeds, they retain a great many of the instincts that allowed them to survive in the feral state.
Colors are extremely varied, the inheritance of the early Spanish Horses who came in many colors and patterns. Spanish Mustangs can be found in colors from appaloosa to Zebra striped dun, as well as grulla, buckskin, paint, palomino, cremello, Isabella, roan and perlino, and the more common colors of bay, chestnut, black and white. Because of the vast array of colors found in the Registry, Dr. Phil Sponenberg prominently features the breed in the book Horse Color.
Environmental conditions must certainly have had a role in the development of these horses through the generations. The feral Spanish Mustangs developed according to their environment with nature culling out those less suited to the locale. Though the Spanish Horse was not a feral animal when it arrived on our soil, once turned loose it managed not only to survive but also to thrive in the New World, which attests to the versatility and strength of the breed. Genetic imperfections, if any, were culled by the most critical judge of all- Nature. The end result is an extremely hardy and sturdy horse exhibiting the aptitude to perform in almost any equine field, and perform well. The staying power and endurance of these Spanish descendants is legendary. Frank Hopkins, the renowned endurance rider in the latter part of the last century, a rider of Spanish Mustangs, is quoted as saying "You can't beat Mustang intelligence in the entire equine race. These animals have had to shift for themselves for generations. They had to work out their own destiny or be destroyed. Those that survived were animals of superior intelligence."
Thousands of Spanish Mustangs were used as cow horses and hundreds as U. S. Army cavalry mounts. When fighting Indians, who were riding Spanish Mustangs themselves, the option to "fight fire with fire" was brilliant, as the American bred horses of the Cavalry were no match for these Spanish descended war ponies in the inhospitable and barren mountains and plains of the West.
The modern Spanish Mustang has lost none of the traits found in those horses of yesteryear. Today's Spanish Mustangs retain their stamina and ability to travel long distances without undue stress. They are a using horse and are versatile and well equipped to compete in varied fields.
Though eager to acquaint the public with this fine breed, the primary aim of the Spanish Mustang Registry is to assure the retention of the qualities that allowed this unique horse to survive over the centuries under adverse conditions. It is with a great deal of pride that the breeders and owners of Spanish Mustangs can honestly state that the preservation of the Spanish Mustang has been accomplished without compromising the historical value or uniqueness of the breed. The Spanish Mustangs are now as they always have been and the principal tenet of the Spanish Mustang Registry is that there will be no attempt to crossbreed or to otherwise change these historical and distinctive animals. With the trend toward conforming breeds to satisfy various show standards this unique breed is among the very few that has not lost many of its characteristics due to the whims of man.
Assateague/ Chincoteague Pony
USA
The Chincoteague and Assateague Ponies inhabit the 37-mile, barrier island of Assateague off the coast of Maryland and Virginia. Both herds are essentially the same except for the area of the island on which they graze, divided only by a fence which is an extension of the border between the two states. These small, hardy horses have been the source of great intrigue and speculation throughout their history on the island, from how they arrived there to the love affair created by Marguerite Henry's children's book, Misty of Chincoteague and the annual "Pony Penning" event.
How did these horses come to inhabit this unlikely spot? The most romantic idea has it that a 16th century Spanish galleon bound for South America was torn asunder off the shoals of Assateague Island during a violent storm. After escaping from the cargo hold, the horses it carried swam to the safety of the island's nearby shore. Another legend would place the horses on Assateague Island in the 17th century, turned out there to graze by mainland farmers who wished to avoid fencing requirements and the payment of livestock tariffs. However they reached Assateague, the horses soon adapted to the rigors of island life. Natural selection helped them evolve into a pony-sized, hardy breed over the next two centuries. As they flourished in a young country, so did the people who settled there.
Immigrants found Virginia a most hospitable place to live, the climate was temperate, the soil fertile and the sea held great bounty. By 1671, some had found their way to Chincoteague Island (meaning Beautiful Land Across Water). Barely seven miles long and one and a half miles wide, Chincoteague is located four miles off the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay and sheltered from the unforgiving sea by its larger neighbor, Assateague.
Most of the inhabitants of Chincoteague earned their livelihood from the sea, yet a few remained herders and farmers. During the late 18th century, they began the process of capturing the wild horses of Assateague, which often swam the narrow dividing channel to raid farmers' crops. Selected horses were pulled from the herd to be domesticated, the rest returned to freedom, where they continued to breed.
Islanders found the ponies to be sturdy, intelligent and willing, ideal for work and pleasure. The thinning process also controlled the equine population and prevented overgrazing of the island's limited resources. Although Assateague remained uninhabited by man, it sheltered a thriving wildlife population of ponies, deer and birds.
By the early 1900s, the Virginia coast had become a popular destination for tourists and sportsman alike. Chincoteague and Assateague had hitherto only been accessible by boat, but the influx of people spurred natives to build a causeway and bridges connecting them to the mainland in 1922. Even though this made travel easier, two devastating fires served as a harsh reminder to the community of their relative isolation and lack of emergency services.
Determined that history not repeat itself, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1924, and quickly became the backbone of the community.
The Fire Company faced the dilemma of such groups everywhere; a lack of funds to purchase sorely needed equipment. Members brainstormed for moneymaking ideas, and soon lit upon a unique solution. They would make pony penning and sales into a yearly fundraising event. In exchange, the Fire Company would assume responsibility for the welfare of the wild herd, a task they took very seriously.
This event began in some form during the 17th century when unclaimed horses were captured and marked by colonists in the presence of neighbors on a day of fellowship and festivity. The modern Pony Penning began in 1924 and is still held on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July. The Virginia herd, rounded up by the Chincoteague "saltwater cowboys", swims across the channel (at slack tide) to Chincoteague on Wednesday in front of thousands of cheering spectators. The swim takes about 5 - 10 minutes. Most of the foals are auctioned off on Thursday and the remaining horses swim back to Assateague on Friday. New owners must be able to provide safe, humane transportation for their purchases. Most foals are easily tamed and adapt well to domestic life.
Pony penning proved successful, with animals fetching $25-$50 apiece, and attendance grew with each passing year. However, by the early 1930s, members of the Fire Company began to feel concerned about the lack of genetic diversity within the herd. An attempt to infuse new blood was made in 1939, when 20 wild mustangs were purchased from the Bureau of Land Management and set free on Assateague. (Later genetic contributions were to come from the Arabian breed, as it was felt that the Mustangs might have temporarily diluted the breed's tendency to throw a large percentage of paint markings and more refined features.
In 1943, the federal government purchased Assateague Island and divided it: the Maryland end became Assateague National Seashore Park, the southern end Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Today, the ponies are split into two main herds, one on the Virginia end and one on the Maryland end of Assateague. A fence at the Virginia/Maryland State line separates the herds and the population size of each herd is kept around 150 animals to lessen their impact on island ecology.
Both herds are managed differently. The National Park Service owns and manages the Maryland herd while the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company owns and manages the Virginia herd. The Virginia herd, referred to as the "Chincoteague" ponies, is allowed to graze on Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, through a special use permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The size of both herds is restricted to approximately 150 adult animals each in order to protect the other natural resources of the wildlife refuge.
In Virginia, the "Pony Penning" event is responsible for meeting the limit of 150 adult animals. The Virginia herd undergoes a veterinarian check twice a year. In the spring (April) they are vaccinated against encephalitis (both eastern and western strain), rabies and tetanus and tested for EIA (Equine Infectious Anemia or swamp fever). They are also de-wormed and some horses have their hooves trimmed. In the fall they are de-wormed again and all horses have their hooves trimmed. The horses on the Virginia side of the island are also fenced off from road areas to stop people from feeding them and attracting them to cars and roadways, where they have been fatally injured in the past.
In Maryland, the number of horses has grown from approximately 28 in 1968 to more than 165 in 1997, exceeding the desired herd size of 120 to 150 animals. With this growth has come increasing evidence that the horses are having a significant negative impact on the dune and salt marsh habitats due to overgrazing. By establishing a population limit of 120 to 150 animals, the National Park Service is attempting to balance the health and well being of the horses with the need to protect the island's other sensitive natural resources and values. To manage population growth on a long-term basis, a unique contraceptive has been developed for use in the Maryland herd. Administered by dart guns, the non-hormonal contraceptive vaccine stimulates the horse's immune system to produce antibodies. At sufficiently high levels these antibodies block fertilization and thereby prevent pregnancy. The contraceptive effect is temporary, lasting about one year, but can be extended with an annual booster shot. During seven years of experimental field trials, the technique has proven better than 95% effective and has exhibited no harmful side effects. Use of the contraceptive as part of a long-term horse population management program began in 1994.
Today, Chincoteague Ponies may be found throughout the United States. Known for their striking looks, good nature and intelligence, they are beloved family members. In addition, Chincoteague Ponies excel at a variety of competitive endeavors and are often a child's first introduction to the horse world.
Ponies have become a thriving industry on Chincoteague Island. The pony motif can be found incorporated in many aspects of everyday life, and the ponies themselves are seen as a living piece of history. To that end, the Chincoteague Pony Association was formed in 1994, and serves both as a membership organization and breed registry
Breed Characteristics
Because the Chincoteague Pony is a hybrid whose breeding program is largely left to natural selection, conformational traits may vary among individuals. Most ponies tend to resemble the Welsh or Arabian breeds, although Mustang blood is obvious in others. The head is expressive, with broad forehead; large, soft eyes, straight or slightly dished short face; firm muzzle; small, wide-set, tipped-in ears; tapered muzzle, large nostrils and rounded jowls. The body is clean with a, moderately refined throat latch and neck; well-angulated shoulder; broad chest and loins; short back; deep flanks; well-sprung ribs; round croup; straight, sound legs with dense bone and an appearance of overall hardiness; round, hard hooves; adequate mane and tail. The Chincoteague Pony can be found in all common colors, with many pintos among them.
Today's horses are actually the size of ponies (average 12- 13 hands) probably due to their poor diet and harsh environment. Some horses removed from Assateague as foals and fed a higher protein diet grow to horse size. Almost 80% of their diet is coarse salt marsh cordgrass and American beach grass. Various grass species, greenbrier stems, bayberry twigs, rose hips, seaweed and poison ivy make up the rest of their diet. The high concentration of salt in their diets causes the horses to drink twice as much fresh water as domestic horses. Because of this, the horses have a "fat" or "bloated" appearance. Although they will sip salt water, they actually drink very little of it.
Sable Island Horses
Canada
1612 The first horses came to Nova Scotia.
1632 Horses brought to Acadia from France were a mixture of several breeds. after 1680 These horses were interbred
with stallions from the New England colonies.
1760 During the deportation of the Acadians, about 60 of their horses were shipped to Sable Island and became wild.
1801-1940s Sable horses were regularly rounded up and sold in Halifax, but prices were low. A variety of stallions were sent to breed with the wild horses, in hopes of increasing the price.
1960 Parliament under Prime Minister John Diefenbaker ruled that Sable's horses should be left alone.
Today Sable Island horses still look like the horses of the early Acadian settlers. They are rugged animals well suited to life on the island.
Most of the time, there is plenty of food and fresh water on Sable Island. But in some seasons the horses must struggle to find nourishing plants or a source of drinking water. The horses grow fat grazing on lush summer plants. Summer fat is the key to surviving hard winters, because the dried winter leaves of Marram are not very nourishing.
Horses can sense where to dig for water in a dry season.
Mongolian (Asiatic) Wild Horses, AKA 'Takhi'
Asia
Wild horses once roamed in great herds over Mongolia. Numbers declined with increasing competition for pastureland from domesticated livestock. Remnants of herds were gradually pushed into the southern Gobi -- they were discovered there by western explorers at the end of the last century. Living specimens were then exported as novelties to western zoos, where they were bred in captivity. The remaining wild horses in Mongolia were exterminated during the 1950s when hungry soldiers retreating from a failed insurrection in China hunted them for food.
The Mongolian wild horse is regarded by some as a unique species, differing in important ways from other horses in the world. The subject is debated, however, and has taken on a nationalistic tinge due to the symbolic importance of the horse in Mongolia. Research is being done on the genetic makeup of the original animals, and the extent to which genetic purity was maintained during decades of captive breeding. The animals that have now been reintroduced to Mongolia are distinguished by extremely heavy manes and an unusual coloring that allows them to blend into steppe terrain. In winter, the horses are white on their bellies and light-tan colored on their backs; in summer, the light coloring darkens as snow cover on the steppe melts.
In Mongolia, this species of horse is called 'takhi,' a word that reflects a reverence for horses. Takhi means spirit, or spiritual, in Mongolian. The takhi is called the Przewalski horse in Europe and America, after a Polish colonel who explored Siberia and Mongolia for the Russian czar in the last century. Przewalski sent living examples of this horse back to St. Petersburg. European zoos then began to acquire individual horses for their collections. With the extinction of the takhi in its native Mongolia, these zoo animals became the only remaining examples of the species.
At the present time about 1,200 takhi are living in captivity around the world. They have been bred in captivity for 11 to 13 generations. In 1990, a program to reintroduce the takhi into its native homeland was agreed upon between the Mongolian Association for Conservation of Nature and the Environment (MACNE) and a Dutch Foundation that manages six semi-reserves for the horse in the Netherlands and Germany. In 1992 the first thirty-two animals arrived at Hustain Nuruu, a reserve one hundred ilometers west of Ulaanbaatar. They came from reserves in Holland and the Ukraine, and were carefully chosen for genetic variety, in order to produce vital offspring that are as outbred as possible. Further transport of animals has continued since that time and there are now around two hundred takhi living back in Mongolia.
The Hustain Nuruu reserve includes three acclimatization areas, which are large fenced-in areas in semi-mountainous terrain. They incorporate a natural stream that runs through a valley. After one or two seasons in this semi-protected area, horses are released into the wild in 'harems' or groups of mares with one stallion each. In June, 1994, the first two harems were released into the wild and in July, 1995, a third harem was released to complete freedom.
Eight foals were born at Hustain Nuruu in 1994 and of these seven have survived the past winter, when temperatures went down to negative 39 degrees C. (-30.4 degrees F).
In addition to the reintroduction of the takhi to the wild, a separate Hustain Nuruu project was begun in 1993 that is called the Hustain Nuruu Steppe Project. Its objective is to establish an effective and sustainable management system for conserving the biodiversity of the Hustain Nuruu Reserve. This program is a pilot project for applying practical steppe conservation to Mongolian circumstances.
In November 1993, the Mongolian government endorsed the official status of Hustain Nuruu as a reserve. Regulations protecting its flora and fauna were passed by the Mongolian Parliament in the spring of 1994.
Even in the vast lands of Mongolia, creating such a reserve is not easy. Herdsmen who have used the area for generations have had to find other grazing land. Livestock and herdsmen are not allowed within the area, and hunting for marmot and deer is forbidden. Undisturbed steppe has become rare in Mongolia: cattle breeding is the main source of income for the rural population, and at present 26 million domestic animals exceed the carrying capacity of the land. This MACNE program is working on realistic ways to balance human and wildlife populations in a vital part of the world's ecosystem.
Camargue Horses
France
Some say that the Camargue horse has an oriental or Saracen origin, due to the forsaking of Arab horses during the barbaresque invasion in the south of France in the 8th century. We can presume that those horsemen only rode males, not females. So, if crossings have been done, they were absorbed into the local horses.
According to some scientific research, the origin of the Camargue horse would be the solutre horse, who lived in a marshy land, near the Quanternary Sea. Both have the same characteristics (same skeleton, same stature...) From his cradle, they went down to the Rhone Delta.
So, we can admit that the foreign crossings had no influence on the present Camargue horse and that he's really the descendent of the solutre quaternary horse, with the same characteristics, thanks to the deep and permanent action of the environment in which he lives in half-liberty.
Main characteristics of the Camargue horse (according to the standard of the specie Approved by the National Stud-Farm in 1978.)
-Rustic saddle-horse.
-Pale gray coat when adult.
-Stature: from 1,35 meters to 1,45 meters.
-Weight: from 300 kg to 400 kg.
The Camargue horses live in marshes. This hard way of life (lack of grass, heat) makes the Camargue horse resistant to abstinence and bad weather (no stable).
The only work of the breeder is to choose a stallion who will stay in the breeding the whole year. The breeding happens in total liberty, without any human intervention. The births, from April to July, happen in total liberty too. The foals are born black or dark gray, with a white blaze on the forehead (most of the time). To 6 months, time of the weaning, he will always follow his mother. He will then lose his birth hairs to become, at 5 or 7, white (exactly pale gray). At 1 year old, he will be lassoed to be branded on the left thigh. Each breeder has a different brand (Blazon, initials, symbols) to recognize his cattle. From 3 to 4 years old he begins breaking in. He will then be caught to be led to a stable, where he will get used to man, and then, gradually, to the saddlery. Now, the Camargue horse is a real saddle-horse. He's absolutely necessary to the "Guardians" for the work bulls. He's also used for leisure riding.
New Forest Pony (semi-feral)
UK
New Forest ponies represent a major part of the Forest's heritage, but it's important to note that these are not wild animals, despite them being allowed to roam freely throughout much of the Open Forest.
They are, however, descendants of the wild ponies that roamed areas of Britain centuries and centuries ago but have long been domesticated and interbred with other pony and horse breeds to improve their genetic makeup.
The idea that all New Forest ponies are direct descendants of Spanish horses that survived shipwrecks, during the time of The Armada, and swam ashore along the southern English coastline is an idea that has long been accepted as a myth.
The New Forest ponies of today are all owned by someone, these owners are known as 'Commoners' and they have the right to graze their ponies on the Open Forest land. This right has been passed down since the times of King William I and the creation of the New Forest as a royal hunting ground.
The ponies are cared for not only by their owners but also by the Agisters, the employees of the New Forest Verderers.
During late summer each year, all New Forest ponies are rounded up in the drifts and accounted for. Auctions are held at the Beaulieu Road saleyard which give the commoners the option of buying / selling ponies if they so wish, not to mention having a good get-together.
Wild Horse Movies
Flicka (Mustangs)
Thunderhead: Son of Flicka (Mustangs)
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (Mustangs)
Misty of Chincoteague (Assateague Ponies)
The Silver Stallion (Brumbies)
Acknowledgements:
Breeds of Livestock-Australian Brumby
Horse Head Ranch-Spanish Mustang
Rayclin Ranch-Chincoteague & Assateague Pony
Virtual Museum of Canada-Sable Island Pony
New Forest National Park-New Forest Pony
Breeds of Livestock-Camargue Horse
Thinkquest.org-Takhi
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