Pryor Mountain Horses

wild horses

pryor mountains of the

The image is iconic.

Thundering hooves hammer mounds of dusty soil while

Pryor Mountain Wild Mustangs’ Unique Conformation and Colors The Pryor Mountain wild mustangs are descendants from the original Colonial Spanish horses brought to America

by Cortez. These wild horses tend to be an average of 14 hands.

Their distinctive faces feature

wild manes flow in the pr airie breeze—rippling muscles

wide foreheads

fuel the charge.

tapering to a small

From centuries past to the present, nothing captures our collective hearts more than that of a wild horse herd stampeding with eloquent gr ace.

In Big Sky Country, we are fortunate to observe the r aw beauty of wild horses still at work in our own backyard.

muzzle, with wide, expressive eyes and small ears that point slightly inward. They have narrow chests;

Mysterious in their countenance and unbridled beauty,

short, strong backs;

the Pryor Mountain wild horses remind us of the simple

distinct withers;

pleasures of roaming free and living unencumbered by

and a sloping croup

the tr appings of modern day life.

with a low-set tail.

Although there are variations,

By Shelley Van Atta I Photogr aphy by casey page

this distinctive conformation is reflective of their Spanish Mustang

Kokopelli and Bakken, two Pryor Mountain wild horses, spar under the vast expanse of the Big Sky.

92 I MAY 2014 I MAGIC CITY MAGAZINE

ancestors.

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From plains to plateaus In the 1960s, the Pryor Mountain wild horse herd was in danger of extinction. Where once vast herds of free-roaming horses in North America were estimated to be in the millions, they then numbered in the thousands.

Montana’s fierce defense of their Pryor Mountain wild horses attracted national attention. Through a series of victorious court battles waged by area citizens during the 1950s and ‘60s, the herd’s protection was won. In 1968, the first public wild horse range in the United States was formed—the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range.

In 1971, Congress further acknowledged their significance by denoting the Pryor Mountain wild horses as “living symbols of the historic and pioneering spirit of the West.�

This legislation placed them under protection of U.S. law, designating special oversight by the Bureau of Land Management.

Few today know that the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range established a groundbreaking precedent of protection for all wild horse herds in America.

Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center

From top: Herded by helicopter, a band of wild horses moves toward the corrals at the southern end of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range near Lovell, Wyo. Kokopelli crosses Highway 37 as a band of wild horses graze on a section of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range near the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Bakken nibbles at an itch as a band of wild horses graze nearby.

Captivating creatures After being exclusively studied, the Pryor Mountain wild horse herd has been termed “horses with a heritage� for their purity of history and genetics.

Historians believe the Pryor Mountain Mustangs are descendants of the 15 horses brought by the Cortez expedition in the early 1500s

to Mexico and New Mexico. Through escape, trading and warring among Native Americans, the horses rapidly spread across the continent and are believed to have been brought to this area in the mid-1700s by American Indian tribes.

Studies conducted in the 1990s confirmed that the Pryor Mountain wild horses are unique among North American wild horse herds. Their color and conformation (the horse’s body shape) verified the purity of the herd, consistent with the Spanish Mustang, a rare and endangered breed.

Cortez once compared his mustangs as being only “second to God.�

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Watch in wonder

After the U.S. Department of Interior designated the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Location: Just east Range as the country’s first public wild horse of Lovell, Wyo., on range, the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse AsHighway 14A; east sociation was formed in 1968 to call attention to the wild mustangs’ plight. of the Cal S. Taggart This group of advocates evolved over the Bighorn Canyon years, and, in 1998, incorporated into the National Recreation Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center, a Area Visitor Center. public, not-for-profit educational center and Phone: 307-548-9453 museum located just east of Lovell, Wyo. Summer hours (after The PMWMC is housed in a 30’ x 40’ log building located on 12 acres. Visitors will ofMemorial Day): ten find domesticated descendants of Pryor Monday-Saturday, Mountain wild horses on the property for from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. immediate viewing. It also offers educational resources, such as DVDs and field trips, as well as souvenirs and gifts.

Visitors wishing to view the wild horses are asked to come to the PMWMC, first, where they will be provided with maps and directions to optimal viewing locations.

Perhaps the most famous celebrity wild horse from the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range is Cloud, a palomino wild stallion whose life has been chronicled from birth by Emmy awardwinning filmmaker Ginger Kathrens; the documentary aired on PBS’ Nature series. The films, and three books written about Cloud, have imbued him into our imaginations as a living symbol of the pioneering spirit of the West.

Due to the popularity of the films and books, Congress designated Cloud as the American West’s “Ambassador for Wild Horses� in 2011.

The PMWMC plans to build a 16,000-square-foot building in the future, featuring both permanent and traveling exhibits, as well as a full multimedia center, library, classrooms and a second-level observation deck, providing an elevated view of the Pryor Mountains.

A treasured symbol of grace and freedom for generations to come, the Pryor Mountain horses were saved from extinction by enthusiasts committed to preserving their majesty. Share their timeless beauty with your family during your next trek through the Pryor Mountains.

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