Imagine a steppe where the wind drives sand and a herd appears on the horizon. This is not a cartoon. This is wild horses. A symbol of freedom, unbridled power, and beauty. When we say "wild horse," the image of a mustang — a hero of Westerns — comes to mind. But in reality, there are only two true wild horse species left on the planet. All the others are feral descendants of domestic horses that have escaped or been released by humans. The populations of wild horses today are islands of wilderness in a rapidly urbanizing world. Let's embark on a journey through these herds. True Wild Horses: Przewalski's Horse The only remaining species of truly wild horse is Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii). It has never been domesticated. Discovered by Russian traveler Nikolai Przhevalsky in 1878 in Mongolia. In the 20th century, the species was on the brink of extinction: by the 1960s, only a few dozen individuals remained in the wild. Thanks to breeding programs in zoos and reintroduction, the population today is about 2,000 individuals. They inhabit reserves in Mongolia, China, as well as acclimatized populations in Kazakhstan (Altyn-Emel National Park), southern Russia (Orenburg Reserve, Pre-Ural Steppe Zone), and Ukraine (Chernobyl Exclusion Zone). Przewalski's horse has a stocky body, a short neck, a large head, a dark mane without a forelock, a boulonnais-savrasa coat in summer, and lighter fur in winter. Mustangs: The Symbol of the Wild West Mustangs are descendants of Spanish horses that were either escaped or released in North America in the 16th-17th centuries. The word "mustang" (from Spanish mestengo) means "ownerless, wild." There were millions of them in the 19th century. By the 1900s, the population had drastically decreased due to capture, extermination by livestock farmers, and destruction of the habitat. Today, under the protection of the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, there are about 60,000 mustangs in the United States ... Read more