Science Matters

Someday, maybe ‘The Ecological Dynamics of the Wild North American Horse’ will be a subject in school. Right now, it isn’t.

It isn’t even a book. It’s not a movie, or a Saturday morning television show about animals. Understanding the Wild Horses’ place in our environment, their history on this planet, and their potential to restore the natural elements of our world which are now out of balance, is left to us. From paleontology, human historical accounts, and careful, scientific observations of Wild Horses in the present time, we must create our own science. Here, in Fargo’s Band, we will do exactly that. We’ll give you some things to think about, and together, we can examine what we know, and research what we do not yet know. Are you ready?

The first thing we need to address is the controversy of whether horses are a native species, or were introduced when Spanish explorers came to the Americas. This is important, because ecosystems can only be healthy if the plants and animals within them have developed together.

When Lyndon B. Johnson was President of the United States, his wife Claudia, or “Lady Bird” used her position as First Lady to begin changing how our nation viewed the natural world. Her first program was the Beautification of America, but she also worked hard to pass important laws like The Clean Water Act, The Wilderness Act, The Endangered Species Act, The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and many more. She was also very committed to restoring plants that belong in a certain area, but was quite conscious of the problems created when plants were introduced to areas where they did not belong; to which they were not native. But for all the lasting good her life’s work has accomplished, a story is told by weed experts that packages of “wildflowers” were handed out at gas stations around the country, to Beautify the Highways, but the flowers were actually a variety of Bachelor Button known as Knapweed, which is now one of the most hated Invasive Species in the Western United States. Oops.

You can probably think of examples where non-native, or invasive, species have caused problems. Just look at any roadside, and you will see invasive plants, like cheatgrass. There are bullfrogs, insects, rodents, and birds that were brought here, usually by accident, and have caused serious harm because they are not part of America’s network of special ecosystems.

Many people, and many government agencies, believe Wild Horses are invasive. But if they are invasive, then we would see detrimental impacts on species which truly are native. Instead, in those few areas where Wild Horses are allowed to interact naturally with native wildlife, including predators, native plants, and every other living organism, it is very evident that Nature meant to include horses. Wild Horses have different ways of feeding, watering, and migrating than other species, and they somehow balance the ecosystem when they can live as Nature intended.

We will spend more time on the history of Wild Horses in North America in future issues, but for the purpose of this discussion, we will assume horses do belong here, as a part of Nature. Horses can be found on nearly every continent of the world, and have existed as wildlife for a very, very long time. That is precisely why some countries are now using Wild Horses to restore damaged lands. This is called Rewilding. In several European countries, Rewilding is an established practice, with guidelines for the type and number of animals used. A typical Rewilding program will have three main species of animals; wild horses, wild cattle, and wild deer. If the animals used are too domesticated, they will not function as members of a natural ecosystem. For example, if milk cows from a dairy farm were released in the wild, they probably would not survive. They would stay close to easy food and water sources and would not have ‘wild’ skills to seek out other sources of food, water, and shelter. They would not move away from familiar surroundings, and would not contribute to the natural environment as wild cattle would do, such as the American Bison. The same is true with the breeds of horses selected for Rewilding. Many projects use the Polish Konik horse, which are believed to be the descendants of the extinct wild Tarpan horse. The Koniks function as Wild Horses in their environment. Since deer species are not as domesticated as horses and cattle, they fit easily into Rewilding programs. So, with these three major animal groups, and horses being the “keystone” or primary species, badly damaged lands are restored. This is due to the unique grazing, digestive, and social traits that each species brings, which in turn create a landscape where many other animals and plants can follow and work together in natural, healthy balance. That is called bio-diversity.

In the United States, two Rewilding programs, using only Wild Horses, have been very successful. Introducing horses to damaged environments brought the return of beaver, deer, elk, birds, and old water sources. These programs are the first of many experiments we need to pursue. Wild Horses can help restore over-used and abused lands, at a time when we all need a healthier planet.

If you are interested in learning more about Rewilding, you can see what is happening in European countries by clicking on this link:

https://rewildingeurope.com/rewilding-in-action/wildlife-comeback/wild-horses/

Research Project: Wild Horses protected by law in America are located in 10 Western States, mostly in semi-arid ecosystems. Design a Rewilding experiment in Western America with Wild Horses as the Keystone Species.

Factors to Consider:

- Areas need to be very large, so that all the components of a healthy ecosystem can exist

- Fences and man-made structures can prevent necessary movement of animals and even plants

- Influences that are not natural for the area can prevent wild behaviors

- What breeds of cattle might be suitable

- How can the animals in the research area be kept safe, while allowing other animals to enter

- Will it be necessary to provide feed and water for the animals until the area becomes productive