Where did the wild horses come from?

Some 10 million years ago, up to a dozen species of horses roamed the Great Plains of North America. These relatives of the modern horse came in many shapes and sizes. Some lived in the forest, while others preferred open grassland.

No matter what the breed of horse the fact of the matter is that they all originated on the North American continent. As the evolution of the horse took place, they evolved into what was the Yukon Horse (Equus lambei) which is said to have gone extinct 8 to 10 thousand years ago. This was the forerunner of the modern horse (Equus Caballus). 

What I was taught and the history books state that horses were extinct in North America until reintroduced by the Spaniards in the 1500s. From their reintroduction it was believed that our First Nations people started to obtain the horse from the captured and/or escaped Spanish settlers.

Is this in fact true? Previously all this history was based solely on the white man’s accounts. Now new archeology research is showing that the horses may have been here in North America prior to the Spaniards arrival. Research from the University of Colorado and highlighted on a PBS documentary (https://www.pbs.org/video/native-horses-zwibqv/)  “Colorado Experience/ Native Horses”, season 9, episode 903, is casting a new light on these beliefs. What was always missing was that the native people were never included in the archaeology history and it was solely on the rich white man’s opinion. Native verbal history is indicating that the horses were here before they saw the first conquistadors.

It is noted that in the early 1800s it was estimated that over 1,000,000 horses were running free over the North American plains.

So now “science and indigenous stories are coming together to tell the true story of the horse in First Nation’s history.” Indigenous history was always looked down upon because it was just word-of-mouth, not written down. What this new archeology research that is being done in Colorado has shown is that their oral tradition matches the archeological finds.

Visiting Head Smashed-in Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre (www.headsmashedin.ca), tells the amazing story of how the horse transformed native culture.

The knowledge keepers of the First Nations People have tried to tell these stories for generations and only now is it being recognized. Therefore with this new knowledge it highlights the importance of our wild horses as part of not only indigenous culture, but also our history here in Alberta. Horses always played a significant role in our heritage.

When the FHAC committee was struck in 2013, what was always missing was the indigenous viewpoint. Finally when it was restarted a representative from the Stony Nation was included on the committee. The government kept insisting how important it was to have his input. I was always impressed by his knowledge and insight of the lands and the horses. One of the things he did state was that horses have been here a lot longer than was being said by the government and other stakeholders. No matter what he stated, his traditional First Nations knowledge about the wild horses and their cultural, historical and ecological role has been excluded in the government management framework.

Why? I believe it was because he was against the cattle being allowed to graze on their traditional lands. So just as the government had done to those opposing grazing leases, this input was ignored.

So the role of the Alberta Mountain Horse is important and should be preserved and shared by all for future generations. They deserve our respect. Don’t you agree?

As one of the original members of the Feral Horse Advisory Committee (FHAC) which began in 2013 and,it was established to provide guidelines to the Alberta government for the management of our wild horses. During all this time I would become upset over a lot of the misinformation being put forth by other stakeholders and government officials about the wild horses and their effect on the landscape. It was quite evident to myself and some others that so much of the information was directly misrepresented and was formed by preconceived prejudices against the horses.

Recently just last week the Minister, Todd Loewen, was on local TV stating that the wild horses were “wrecking the landscape.” It is obvious to us and other horse advocates that he has not been out west personally to witness what is truly happening to the environment. The government officials, including the Minister and cattle lease holders are so quick to blame the horses for all the degradation of the landscape.

Now tell me is it the horses that have ruined this area?

This picture shows what clearcut logging can do to these areas which effects all animals that call this area home. It will take a very long time for these areas to heal.

Also in the news report it talks about the number of horses increasing from 10 or so years ago to present day. And the government is saying that it is a concern. It is because of these massive clearcuts happening that the horses are becoming more visible especially when aerial surveys are done by the government. You only have to look at satellite images to witness how much of our Alberta foothills have been cleared. It is truly astounding!

Newspaper reports and other sources have reported that there always has been a large number of horses in certain areas. It is only now that the horses are being forced into these areas.

What the intentions of our society to do is to document and show that the arguments that the government and other stakeholders use against the horses are not based on fact. In the FHAC meetings that have taken place over the years, concerns brought forth by myself and others about the discrepancies and misinformation about the horses doing damage have been completely ignored. They say one thing to your face, and then do nothing because they do not want to hear it.

Truly it is not the horses we should be concerned about. We will continue to document and post facts to outline our points and you can make up your own mind about this whole issue.

On November 11 we mark a somber occasion and take time to remember our brave men and women who have fought and died for the freedom we have in this country. We must also remember and say thank you to all those that still serve in armed forces to protect our freedom, even today.

We should also take time out to reflect on all the animals that have died in all these conflicts trying to serve us and protect us.

The red poppy signifies our respect for our veterans who sacrificed their lives for our country and the purple poppy signifies our gratitude for all the animals that have served us in our fight for freedom.

Some of the Alberta Mountain Horses roaming free and wild in our Alberta foothills and mountains are direct descendants of horses that were rounded up and sent overseas to be used in World War I. 480,000 horses died in World War 1 (WWI), three-quarters of them from the extreme conditions they worked in. At the start of the war, the British Army had 25,000 horses. Another 115,000 were purchased compulsorily under the Horse Mobilization Scheme. Over the course of the war, between 500 and 1,000 horses were shipped to Europe every day. Canada sent about 130,000 horses overseas during WWI. By the end of the war, Canada had provided well over 10 per cent of the horses used on the Western Front.

Although many horses were taken from farms and ranches hundreds of others were wild horses that were rounded up by government wranglers in areas around the Red Deer River and YaHa Tinda. Glenbow archives records shows pictures of these roundups.

Besides the horses used in battle, there were dogs, donkeys, mules and birds that were part of the war and tried to help us in our fight for freedom. Millions of animals died in the war due to shelling, poisonous gas, disease and starvation. None of the wild horses that were rounded up and sent overseas ever came home.

Canadian Animals In War Memorial

So as we reflect on this day to remember all those who gave us our freedom and still serve to protect us, lets also remember the animals who played a huge role in it too.

Our society is dedicated to trying to assure that our wild mountain horses remain free and wild. They should be recognized for the role that they have played in our history and heritage. So just as their descendants fought to preserve our freedom, the Alberta Mountain Horse Preservation Society will fight to preserve theirs. They deserve it. So thank you to all our fallen heroes.