The Resilience of Arizona’s Free-Roaming Horses

The wild horses in Arizona come with a lot of baggage. Some love them. Others hate them. These free-roaming horses probably came from Spanish explorers in the 16th century. They have adapted well to the varying climate zones from the desert scrub to forests to riparian zones along the rivers (such as the Salt River Wild Horses).

These resilient horses face many challenges from drought to habitat reduction to human interference. Plenty of agreements have been made for and against these wild creatures — from the impact on native ecosystems to competition with livestock for resources. Another issue we’ve faced in the past is the murder of these majestic horses.