On
our way to Cody for a Christmas shopping excursion yesterday, we were delighted
to see a large band of wild horses hanging out close to the highway.
These mustangs are part of the Bureau of Land
Management’s McCullough Peaks herd, about 168 animals that range over 109,814
acres. The BLM does a good job of managing the area; even though it’s been a
drought year, the horses are in fairly good shape. Where he works, Hubby
sometimes sees wild horses from the Pryor Mountains. He reports that those
animals are smaller and in poorer condition.
Better
feed supply is not the only reason that the McCullough Peaks horses are bigger;
the herd has a definite draft horse influence. Genetic testing points to
Percheron breed markers, along with a lesser input of Spanish breed markers.
The herd’s genetic diversity is partially explained by the Friends of a Legacy
(FOAL), a wild horse advocacy organization:
“At least one McCullough Peaks horse
tested as a descendant of horses owned by the Royal Family in England, probably
a relative of the horses they gave to Buffalo Bill when he toured England with
his show the Wild West….Ranchers, in
the “before fences” era, would allow their horses to graze with the Mustangs
over the winter months.” (http://friendsofalegacy.org/?page_id=132)
Christmas shopping, eating out, and seeing
wild horses up close, all in one day—life is good!
“Surely your goodness
and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life….” –PSALM
23:6
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