wild mustangs/feral horses exist in a number of herds in colorado - another iconic representation of what was once the “wild west.” i was fortunate to catch this portion of the herd in a calm state as golden hour took place.

unfortunately, western mustangs have an overpopulation problem, and many of these wild horses wind up being rounded up by the BLM, living out their lives in small, overcrowded pens. many ranchers in the west have no sympathy for the animals as they compete for grazing territories for their animals. some make the claim the animals aren’t native and therefore merely nuisance animals (hence why they’re sometimes called feral horses) - which is true. these horses we see today, and their relatives were introduced to the area via the first european explorers to this land. however, horses did exists here long ago, but something caused these animals to become extinct. so the crux of the question, and of the support of these beautiful, iconic animals of the wild west, is how to treat them. are these animals related to those that were initially here long before europeans? if they’re deemed native, they’re considered wildlife. if they’re not deemed native, they’re considered nuisance animals. no matter what side of the fence you’re on, it’s hard to deny the beauty of the animal and it’s also hard to argue the historic significance of the animal on the west.