Your wonderful and enchanting photography does great justice to our Mustangs. It is a disgrace that our government is rounding them up and forsaking the wise 1964 Wilderness Preservation Act. We Americans should write them and tell them so, before they wipe out all of our Mustangs.
The new 112th Congress is looking for ways to raise revenue. There are approximately 9.2 million horses in America. Applying fair taxes to all horse owners would create significant revenue and spur the economy. Taxes would be comparable to vehicle tax.
Taxing horses would also create a greater sense of responsibility for horse owners. Citizens take better care of things they have to pay for. Taxing horses would also deter horse over-population as breeding would be minimized. Redeeming pride for America’s much-admired companion animal would make passing Bills to halt horse slaughter more favorable.
Eyes would be opened on value of 'our Mustangs', making the possibility of sending the cattle on 'our Mustangs'' land possible as Americans demand tours, rides and preservation of their American heritage. In 1960-1970, Mustangs were given grace of their land back by tons of personal letters to Washington. Personal letters and petitions are the American way and will be responded to.

Taxing horses would benefit all facets of the horse industry. Revenue would be available for trail maintenance in parks, education on horse care and provide wages for committees to oversee the horse industry in each state. Small animals have shelters in each county. Horses do not. Taxes on all horses would fund sanctuaries.
For a copy of a petition pertaining to this article visit Horses as National Treasure at https://sites.google.com/site/horsesasnationaltreasure/

what you have done is just amazing. i would die if i could just see wild horses run wild and free to see thier responce in things and how they do. i study horse well i want to get into that. horse are just byond the any humon can get when it comes to the wild. well i think so anyways.

Loved your video.
My husand and I have been photographing the wild horses in WY for quite a number of years and have come to love them....we call them "Our horses". They're are what the West was all about. I am appalled to hear about them being systematically removed from their range....such incredible beauty is hard to define and harder yet to find in our so-called civilized world. These wonderful animals need to be preserved for future generations; surely we can spare land for them? If we can reintroduce a highly destructive animal such as the wolf, then we can let the wild horses roam the BLM in peace. I understand managing their numbers, but they must stay! Our favorite herd was originally used to supply the US Army with horses and there are some wonderful animals among them and as you said, these are not mustangs but truly wild horses. Wild and Wonderful in WY!
You mentioned factors that limit their habitat and I chuckled when I heard oil and gas exploration listed. They wander among the wells and pay very little to no attention.....just a new kind of scenery as far as they are concerned.

Melissa, these pictures and the message that goes along with them is one that has become very important to me. I am very fortunate to be a part of a program called the 88 Ranch Wild Horse Program and we are working extremely hard to raise awareness of the adoptions and training of these horses. You can read more about the program at www.gerrygesell.com as well as www.edmundstwining3rd.com/public_html/. On Facebook there is a fan page available which is a continual work in progress as the second year begins with the selection of 15 mares ranging in age 5-7 which is the most critical group as they have already been branded as permanent residents. Selection is at the Palomino Valley holding facility on April 7-8. We will be photographing and videoing the entire process this summer and we are all incredibly excited to help these horses. The two trainers will also be blogging and sharing their experiences with everyone. We would love to hear from anyone that would like to learn more about how we are trying to provide these wonderful animals establish new identities and a new future.

First of all these pictures are amazing I think they really capture the beauty of these animals. I didn't grow up around horses and it wasn't until I began working with our range specialist to capture some that I really came to respect their power and intelligence. However, they are not a native species and they do compete not only with ranchers and cattle but with antelope, deer, and elk populations. Horses will stay in an area, as long as there is water, until a good majority of the grass and shrubs are gone. A good sized herd can potentially have a negative impact on the land especially around water sources. They seem to get along with antelope well on the flat plains and the elk in the high country. I believe the most impacted animal is the mule deer. Horses will consme alot of the high nutrition shrubs and forbes that are critical parts of mule deer diets.

I agree that horses are a big part of our heritage not only as Americans but to the whole human race. I can't say that they have a place in the wild now. I think if more people cared for horses and knew about them, horses would again find a place in our society and would be better managed so they wouldn't out compete native species and degrade the land in some areas. Again I love the pictures, keep up the good work!

P.S. Kudos to all those who have adopted and now care for feral horses.

these horses are america's heritage and the idea of butchering these horses makes me sick. they have more stamina are very sure footed, more than others horses. the blood lines are from the spainish that left them and went back to spain.indians picked them up.in the old west days you were hung for stealing or abusing a horse.we better keep these horses around, there may the day we will need them again.the idea of ranchers using up land that belongs to the goverment for cattle seem to think they have the right to kill anything. kill horses is lowest form of humanity for the very reason they were the only form of transportation built our country. the horse gave everything they had when they were called for it. give them a break.

lo,
what resources are the "feral horses" competing? Are you speaking of the competition for grasses and water with the cattle ranchers?

Melissa Thank you for a lovely article. I was fortunate enough to be able to adopt three of these lovely creatures over several years. Two were "certified" as mustangs, i.e. they were x-rayed and shown to have a different spinal structure - like the original Spanish stock that they were descended from. The third was, as someone put it, merely a feral horse that got away from someone's corral. Fuego (my stallion) had been adopted illegally, starved, and was to go to a dog food plant. Fortunately, he was rescued. When brought home, he could barely stand. It took months to rehabilitate him - starting with straw and lots of water. He grew to be a large, wonderful, easy to ride friend. These creatures are worth the effort and are part of our history.

Unfortunatly not everyone will get to see this message. We are loosing a great American icon. All because of cattle ranchers who feel the Mustangs are taking away from Their cattle grazing rights. That land belongs to ALL of us. Every American man woman & child owns that land NOT THE CATTLE RANCHER..

Maybe one day we all will wake-up. Hopefully before the Mustangs and all animals on the plains are gone forever and our Grandchildren will only know them in pictures..

Shannon

Thanks Melissa. What an awesome set of pictures. I have sent it to everyone I can. I sure hope that it will move people to Care about these majestic horses.

Humans have wiped out so many species in this country, but, in my opinion, none as beautiful and majestic as the Mustang. My greatest wish is that people could learn to co-exist with wild animals. The world would be incredibly dull, drab and lonely without them.

Thank you for your work.

Thank you

I have a dual sided opinion on these precious animals. First of all, a slight correction is needed. Most of these horses are "wild horses" not mustangs. The mustang breed is nearly gone. Nevertheless, they are remarkable. As you can see by my email I have three of them that I got from the BLM. Why take a full bloodline horse, when you can get a horse that is versatile. One of my horses, is like a dog. She walked right up to us at the BLM corrals, the next week had brand new digs at my house. She likes to carry my hammer when working on the corrals. She will stroll into my garage to "help" if I am working on my vehicles. And has even nudged tha back door open and come inside to visit our macaw. She has very little training, but she saddled the first time we threw it on, and now loves to go for walks, and rarely spooks. She plays with my dog, lets the cats come around her, one has even stepped off the fence onto her back, she did nothing. One will be a great barrel racer, and the other was kind of the runt, and my wife just had to have her, and is great with kids. If expand my herd they will be wild horses. And after the Oklahoma butcher ordeal, unless the BLM recently lifted the ban, they don't get them, and there is penalites and jail time for it. Until the habitat can recover from drought, being "adopted" helps them too.

We own foundation horses that are 99.4% pure. VERY heavy on the mustang side, they are extremely intelligent, calm, loving, trust worthy. Unfortunatley they are not FAST, won't win huge purses at the track, so they will never earn someone large sums of money. And since money, and lots of it, is what everyone craves these guys are just "throw aways". Too bad in throwing them away, because their only attribute is loyalty, the vast majority are going to miss out on the opportunity to have a best friend. One who would lay down his life for yours. All in the name of progress and greed.