If you’ve ever watched Spirit or any other wild horse movie, you’ve definitely fantasized about catching and training one of your own. Something about the untamed nature of a wild horse learning to bond only with you is enticing for anyone to daydream about. Theoretically speaking, it is possible for a wild horse to be caught and trained, so it’s not entirely unrealistic. However, it is actually illegal to detain a wild horse in the United States, and that’s for your own protection as well as theirs.
How Do Wild Horses Become Wild?
There are populations of wild horses across the globe that just roam free from civilization their whole lives. However, only one small population of horses in Mongolia are truly wild, having never been domesticated. All other wild horse populations are actually descended from domesticated horses that escaped somewhere in history and have been nomads ever since.
The wild horse populations in the United States were once around 2 million as of the year 1900, but dwindled to a mere 17,000 or so by 1971. This was due to the constant capture of these wild horses for entertainment or even dog food by local populations that took advantage of them. However, the government passed a law in 1971 which made it illegal to capture or kill any of these incredible creatures, and their populations rose to around 30,000 horses in recent years.
Are Wild Horses Dangerous?
The short answer is, wild horses can definitely be dangerous, which is why you should avoid them. Not only is it illegal to capture a wild horse, but it’s also incredibly dangerous for you and the animal involved. Horses are natural prey animals, meaning that they’re skittish and are far more likely to run away from you before you ever got the chance to capture them. However, if you did get too close or backed them into a corner, they would turn around and fight. Getting kicked by a thousand pound animal is not a
great way to spend an afternoon in the wild West of the US, so it’s best to just enjoy them from a distance.
There have been some concerns that since wild horse populations are able to grow so quickly due to having few natural predators, they may cause harm to native plants and animals in the area. There have also been concerns expressed by local cattle ranchers
about having to share the land with these horses and the damages they could potentially cause to their property. As a compromise, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management rounds up a certain number of these wild horses and puts them up for adoption. They do this regularly, but it’s still being debated on how many wild horses should be allowed at a given time.
Can a Wild Horse Be Trained?
From a purely theoretical standpoint, yes, a wild horse can be trained. While you cannot go out and catch a wild horse yourself, you can adopt a wild horse that has been caught in the above scenario. They are unfortunately quite difficult to train or even just place in a good home, though, these horses are not for the faint of heart or the inexperienced.
While they are descended from domesticated horses, they have been wild for generations and certainly all of their lives up to that point. Should you adopt one of these wild horses, you will have quite the project on your hands. Keep in mind that these horses have rarely if ever interacted with humans before, so prior to even attempting to saddle them, they have to let you get close to them, touch them, and interact with them. They are likely to be a little mean at first out of pure survival instincts, they are prey animals after all, but with enough time and patience many of them will come around to enjoy civilized life with humans.
Can You Catch a Wild Horse and Keep It?
While you can’t catch a wild horse yourself since it’s against the law and quite frankly too dangerous, you could obtain a wild horse through adoption if you really want one. You can still pick out your own horse from the selection they have offered. It’s unfortunately not uncommon for these wild horses to be stuck in their corrals for years before finding a good home, since wild horses can be so unpredictable and difficult to train.
If you do decide to adopt one of these wild horses, it is highly recommended that you have the experience level in training horses required to handle them, or hire a professional to help you. The horse will likely have some health issues and be in desperate need of a good pedicure, but keep in mind they won’t take nicely to being poked and prodded after a lifetime of freedom before coming to your home.
However, with a lot of patience and maybe even a little luck, a wild horse could come around to being a faithful companion to you. It’ll take a long time, and a lot more work than most people would anticipate, but living out your Spirit daydream is entirely possible if you’re dedicated enough to taming a wild horse.
https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/horse/an-enduring-bond/protecting-wild-horses
