~ In the Beginning ~ ~Wild horses evolved and grew on the North American continent millions of years ago. During glacial periods, when the sea level would drop, they would move back and forth across the Bering Land Bridge into Siberia. Horses then went locally extinct 12,000 years ago, but they were not globally extinct. In fact they thrived in Asia and were eventually domesticated 6,000 years ago. Domestic horses spread throughout Asia and Europe, breeding with wild mares along the way. ~The wild horse in the United States is generally labeled non-native by most federal and state agencies dealing with wildlife management, whose legal mandate is usually to protect native wildlife and prevent non-native species from having ecologically harmful effects. But the two key elements for defining an animal as a native species are where it originated and whether or not it coevolved with its habitat. E. caballus can lay claim to doing both in North America. So a good argument can be made that it, too, should enjoy protection as a form of native wildlife. ~There is no question about it; the native wild horses are as American as apple pie. They have a place on our lands, both ecologically and by law. We, as the American public, owe it to the horses to protect and preserve their iconic lives for generations to come. #istandwithwildhorses #befierce & #betheirvoice #theydeservebetter 🐎 (at Wild & Free) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZffI7tv7av/?utm_medium=tumblr
