How long have they been here and why are they now perceived to be a problem?

The horse as a species evolved on the North American continent. About 12,000 years ago, horses went locally extinct here, but not globally extinct. When the Spanish brought horses back to the continent in the 1500’s, they were reintroducing a native species.



The perception that horses are a problem stems from the belief that they are a non-native species, which is incorrect according to evolutionary biologists, paleontologists and experts in species extinction. The history of our country is in the bloodlines of our wild horses. Horses played a role in every significant development in our nation’s history, from building the West to fighting alongside Americans in our most significant wars. They're the horse we rode in on. Horses compete for resources with commercial interests on western public lands, in particular the livestock grazing industry. These special interests advance unscientific claims that there are too many horses, and that they are damaging the range, even though they are vastly outnumbered by cattle and sheep on Western public lands.