THE BEAUTY OF RUNNING FREE NOW

Wild horses running free are cliche, yet, oxymoronically, they are a rare site. For many reasons, their herds have been diminished. Fortunately, there are efforts to help preserve the beautiful freedom that the remaining numbers of these animals enjoy.

BLACK HILLS WILD HORSE SANCTUARY

More than 600 stunning American, Spanish, Curly, and Choctaw Mustangs that were once captured, now roam free over 11,000 acres of private land in The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in South Dakota.

The Sanctuary was founded by Dayton O. Hyde. Hyde was only 13 years old when he ran away from his home in Marquette, Michigan, and landed at his uncle’s cattle ranch in Oregon. There, he learned about rodeos, cattle drives, and Native American -- and he fell in love with the wild horses.

Hyde established the Sanctuary, in 1988, to keep the horses running wild and free. All of the Sanctuary mustangs were born in the wild and consist of Rescues, Rare Breed Preservation, and Sanctuary-Born Descendants.

“Running Wild: The Life of Dayton O. Hyde,” documents Hyde’s life and adventures, from his childhood up to the present day in Black Hills, where he is living out the last parts of his life.

THE WILD HORSES OF ALBERTA

Alberta, Canada, is home to herds of beautiful wild Canadian Mustang horses that freely roam through fields and forests.

These magnificent animals have become threatened in recent years, as a large percentage of them are killed, often after accidentally wandering onto private properties or roadways.

Thanks to the Wild Horses of Alberta Society, in an agreement with the Alberta government’s Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Department, a new adoption program is helping to save these beautiful creatures.

Stray horses and abandoned foals can now be relocated to the WHOAS safe handling facility, where they will be taken care of until they find a loving adoptive home.

One herd of wild horses lives on the 20-acre WHOAS facility property, paying daily visits to the generous volunteers of the WHOAS.

The horses, ranging in shade from golden sand, to glowing chestnut, to rich ebony, are an important part of the Canadian natural landscape. We hope they can continue to roam wild and free there.

WILD HORSES OF WAIPIO VALLEY, HAWAII

Beautiful wild horses run free in Waipio Valley, on the Big Island of Hawaii. The valley is flanked by 2,000 feet-high cliff walls, with tumbling waterfalls. It is edged by a black volcanic sand and rock beach, where the horses love to roam

Waipio Valley is home to taro farmers, who in the past, used these horses to carry their crops. The horses are not afraid of humans and will happily approach you.

The human population of Waipo Valley has significantly declined in recent years, from 5,000 residents in the 18th century to just 40 today. There are no hotels or fancy restaurants, just unspoiled terrain and wild horses roaming free.

WILD HORSES OF CAMARGUE

The beautiful Camargue horse is one of the oldest horse breeds in the world. They are indigenous to the Camargue region of southwestern France, located near the mouth of the Rhône River. These magnificent horses ramble freely through the marshes and wetlands.

The horses are black or brown when they are young, then turn white as they mature, with white hair growing on black skin. They have a small, but rugged build, standing between 13 to 14 hands, weighing between 770 and 1,100 lbs.

Some of these horses are ridden by Carmargue cowboys, also know as “gardians,” who herd the black Camargue bulls used for bullfighting in southern France.

ASSATEAGUE WILD PONIES

The beautiful beaches, pine forests, and salt marshes of Assateague Island, off the coasts of Maryland and Virginia, are home to a special breed of wild ponies.

These gorgeous creatures are often found freely grazing on rough cordgrass, rosehips, bayberry twigs and persimmons, growing on the western side of the island.

The Assateague Island National Seashore has documented over 300 wild ponies in Maryland and Virginia. Many people believe that these horses landed on the island when a Spanish ship carrying a cargo of horses sank offshore in the mid-1600’s. A recently discovered shipwreck supports this theory.

Virginia runs an Annual Pony Swim that sends 150 horses across the Assateague Channel to neighboring Chincoteague Island’s pony auction to help manage herd numbers.

Read more about Beautiful Freedom, as it relates to  Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including 10 New Books That Celebrate The Beauty of Freedom Now.

Do you have amazing photos? Enter them in this week’s BN Photo Competition. We run new creative competitions every week! Now, it’s even easier to enter with the new BeautifulNow App!

Plus check out the rest of our App’s beautiful features. It’s free to download here.

IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: Courtesy of Hot Springs South Dakota. Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary.
2. Image: by South Dakota. Wild Horse Sanctuary. Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary.
3. Image: Courtesy of Hot Springs South Dakota. Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary.
4. Image: Courtesy of Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary.  
5. Image: Courtesy of Wild Horses of Alberta Society
6. Image: Courtesy of Wild Horses of Alberta Society
7. Image: Courtesy of Wild Horses of Alberta Society
8. Image: Courtesy of Daimars Adventures. Waipio Valley Horses.
9. Image: by Wolfgang Staudt. Camargue horse.
10. Image: by Wolfgang Staudt. Le Camargue.
11. Image: by Numb Photo. Assateague Ponies or Horses.
12. Image: by cgc76. Wild Pony, Assateague Island.
13. Image: by m01229. Wild ponies of Assateague.
14. Image: by Black.Dots. Assateague.
15. Image: by William (Bill) Kirby. White horses.
16. BN App - Download now!
17. Image: by Philip Haslett. Horses in the Camargue.