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Wild Horses

Scientific Name:

Equus ferus

Type:

Mammal

Habitat:

Open spaces with forage

Range:

Western United States

Status:

No listed status

This species is

INVASIVE

to the Truckee Meadows.

Identification:

The wild horses in Nevada are feral descendents of released and escaped horses. They vary in color and pattern. Most wild horses are 52 to 60 inches tall and weigh between 700 and 1,000 pounds.

Fast Facts:

  • The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages and protects wild horses under the Wild-Free Roaming Horses and Bureau Act of 1971.

  • To control overpopulation, the BLM has implemented an adoption program.

  • As of March 1, 2020, the BLM estimates a total nationwide wild horse and burro population of 95,114.

  • Wild horses are descendants of domestic horses, and have adapted to the American West over hundreds of years.

  • Nevada is home to over half of the wild horses protected by the BLM.

  • It is illegal to feed horses. Please keep your distance; these horses are wild, and thus, untrained, and can be dangerous.

  • Wild horses can be found in the western and southern areas of the Truckee Meadows.

Sources:

Contributor(s):

Micah Beck (research & content)

Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)

Last Updated:

July 12, 2021 at 11:33:16 PM

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