The fact that there are still wild horses running around the United States absolutely fascinates me.
National Geographic says some 86,000 wild horses call US public lands home. About half of them are in Nevada, but California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and the state spotlighted in this video, Arizona, all have stable populations.
These majestic creatures are the inspiration behind many a country song, but seeing them in action, even just on a screen, shows how powerful – and violent – they can be, especially for someone like me who didn’t grow up around horses.
This video was taken in the Salt River in Arizona and shows two stallions, one a beautiful white bronco, going to battle over a nearby gray mare during mating season. It begins with both horses already in the water, but when one gets a bit too close to the other, it’s a no holds barred war for supremacy.
They rear up on their hind legs, kick, bite, and do everything in their power to come out on top. The white bronco was clearly the aggressor, but his tactics didn’t pay off and the brown horse ran away with the victory and the lady.
Who said the west wasn’t wild anymore…
