This is extremely interesting. I'm very glad to see the collaboration, including with the 3rd generation rancher, and the idea of establishing a wildlife corridor. (Reminds me of a great documentary a few years back about a wildlife corridor for the tigers in I think it was Bhutan). I'm going to follow what you're up to! :) And thank you for having the courage to See what can be done, and for doing it scientifically and collaboratively.
To anyone who is ignorant of the facts: Update: At the end of 2021, very exciting news has come from the Permafrost. Through new technologies it is being shown that wild horses did not go extinct on the North American continent over 10,000 years ago; the timeline is proven to be much shorter. (Learn more here) The origin of the horse is not in debate. But you will often hear a fierce debate using the terms “feral” in a versus argument to “wild.” Feral is a term used to describe a domestic animal turned wild, almost exclusively to a species that is “non-native” to an area. We use the word “wild” almost exclusively to refer to a native species living in a wild state.
Folks need to realize that horses evolved right here in North America, and not just primitive, forest-dwelling horses. There were believed to be caballine horses right here in the U.S of A! There were species ranging from the size of ponies to the size of draft horses. My only concern for these animals is how their numbers will be managed if there are no large predators here as of yet that can keep them in check.
"Planet Wild" recently helped rewilding the American Prairie Project in the US. (Mission 19) Monthly they support rewilding projects around the globe and show the results in TH-cam videos. Everybody can become part of it 😎👌
they're NOT wild horses, they're feral horse, not native, they're a domestic breed of horse from Europe. And they can do a lot of dammage on ecosystem if there's no population control (predators) or in some ecosystem. If you want to rewild the great plains, you have wapiti/elk, bison, deer, pronghorn, , greater sage grouse, prairie dog, greater prairie chicken black footed ferrets, wolves, grizzlies, puma, even jaguar in southern areas. Now if you really want to rewild, you can try to reintroduce some guanacoes, camel, tapir, peccaries, kulan/kiang, saiga etc. which were all native of north america great plains but the local speice shave vanished, so we're left only wth potential south american or eurasian proxies.
Thank you for your comment and thoughts. Our opinion is that as far as the horse is concerned, species matters more than breeds, and there is only one species of horses, which originated right here in America. Secondly, functionality of species is just as important a topic: what are these animals built to do and capable of in terms of restoring vegetation and habitat? Few people ask themselves this, yet it is most pertinent and exciting scientifically. You bring up many good points about management, predation and co-existence with fellow grassland/inter-mountain steppe species. We invite you to consult our website to read about the paleontological evidence and the origin of the horse in America, as well as insightful perspectives on rewilding and species reintroduction (www.rewildingamericanow.org/the-wild-horse ; www.rewildingamericanow.org/science-library), and to follow our work!
You must be an advocate of the inhumanity and cruelty and insane suffering of the horses. Well, I got news for you, this is going to stop. Take your cows to your own land. This land is for the Wild Horses. They are equally as beneficial as the animals you mention if not more. People like you and the cruelty you serve up to the horses need therapy.
"Rewilding" the Birch Creek Valley by introducing wild horses is a gross misnomer. You're really just introducing a species that likely never existed in the valley before Spanish explorers came to America. These horses will compete with, and be detrimental to, native species, particularly elk. You're also setting in motion what could eventually be the need for a repeat of the dreadful roundups shown in your video, since the valley's large predators (cougars and a few wolves) never evolved the attributes necessary to take down horses on a regular basis and thus keep the population from exploding. If you're wise and care about the environment, you'll set aside your romantic (versus scientific) notions of wild horses roaming the Birch Creek Valley, tear down the corrals the video shows you building , keep your grazing allotment, and then leave the land to the native animals (e.g., elk, moose, pronghorn, and mule deer) rather than horses and cattle. That would be true rewilding.
Science disagrees with you. The fossil record is clear that horses originated on this continent and were alive and kicking up to at least (pending further discoveries) 6,000 years ago until the Spanish came. That is a blip in evolutionary time. It is bizarre to have such a knee-jerk aversion to a species that during thousands of years helped bring about and sustain grassland and steppe habitats across this continent.
thank you for helping wild horses
We need this in the EQUUS FIlm Fest to help get your message out. This is a wonderful short film!
This is extremely interesting. I'm very glad to see the collaboration, including with the 3rd generation rancher, and the idea of establishing a wildlife corridor. (Reminds me of a great documentary a few years back about a wildlife corridor for the tigers in I think it was Bhutan). I'm going to follow what you're up to! :)
And thank you for having the courage to See what can be done, and for doing it scientifically and collaboratively.
❤️💯
To anyone who is ignorant of the facts: Update: At the end of 2021, very exciting news has come from the Permafrost. Through new technologies it is being shown that wild horses did not go extinct on the North American continent over 10,000 years ago; the timeline is proven to be much shorter. (Learn more here)
The origin of the horse is not in debate. But you will often hear a fierce debate using the terms “feral” in a versus argument to “wild.” Feral is a term used to describe a domestic animal turned wild, almost exclusively to a species that is “non-native” to an area. We use the word “wild” almost exclusively to refer to a native species living in a wild state.
Folks need to realize that horses evolved right here in North America, and not just primitive, forest-dwelling horses.
There were believed to be caballine horses right here in the U.S of A!
There were species ranging from the size of ponies to the size of draft horses.
My only concern for these animals is how their numbers will be managed if there are no large predators here as of yet that can keep them in check.
"Planet Wild" recently helped rewilding the American Prairie Project in the US. (Mission 19)
Monthly they support rewilding projects around the globe and show the results in TH-cam videos. Everybody can become part of it 😎👌
Bison??????? Too!!!! And wolves and grizzlies, please, cougars, too, 4 footed kindly.
they're NOT wild horses, they're feral horse, not native, they're a domestic breed of horse from Europe.
And they can do a lot of dammage on ecosystem if there's no population control (predators) or in some ecosystem.
If you want to rewild the great plains, you have wapiti/elk, bison, deer, pronghorn, , greater sage grouse, prairie dog, greater prairie chicken
black footed ferrets, wolves, grizzlies, puma, even jaguar in southern areas.
Now if you really want to rewild, you can try to reintroduce some guanacoes, camel, tapir, peccaries, kulan/kiang, saiga etc. which were all native of north america great plains but the local speice shave vanished, so we're left only wth potential south american or eurasian proxies.
Thank you for your comment and thoughts. Our opinion is that as far as the horse is concerned, species matters more than breeds, and there is only one species of horses, which originated right here in America. Secondly, functionality of species is just as important a topic: what are these animals built to do and capable of in terms of restoring vegetation and habitat? Few people ask themselves this, yet it is most pertinent and exciting scientifically. You bring up many good points about management, predation and co-existence with fellow grassland/inter-mountain steppe species. We invite you to consult our website to read about the paleontological evidence and the origin of the horse in America, as well as insightful perspectives on rewilding and species reintroduction (www.rewildingamericanow.org/the-wild-horse ; www.rewildingamericanow.org/science-library), and to follow our work!
@@RewildingAmericaNow disagree,enjoy your pet horse sanctuary. This is not rewilding!
Correct
You must be an advocate of the inhumanity and cruelty and insane suffering of the horses. Well, I got news for you, this is going to stop. Take your cows to your own land. This land is for the Wild Horses. They are equally as beneficial as the animals you mention if not more. People like you and the cruelty you serve up to the horses need therapy.
"Rewilding" the Birch Creek Valley by introducing wild horses is a gross misnomer. You're really just introducing a species that likely never existed in the valley before Spanish explorers came to America. These horses will compete with, and be detrimental to, native species, particularly elk. You're also setting in motion what could eventually be the need for a repeat of the dreadful roundups shown in your video, since the valley's large predators (cougars and a few wolves) never evolved the attributes necessary to take down horses on a regular basis and thus keep the population from exploding. If you're wise and care about the environment, you'll set aside your romantic (versus scientific) notions of wild horses roaming the Birch Creek Valley, tear down the corrals the video shows you building , keep your grazing allotment, and then leave the land to the native animals (e.g., elk, moose, pronghorn, and mule deer) rather than horses and cattle. That would be true rewilding.
Science disagrees with you. The fossil record is clear that horses originated on this continent and were alive and kicking up to at least (pending further discoveries) 6,000 years ago until the Spanish came. That is a blip in evolutionary time. It is bizarre to have such a knee-jerk aversion to a species that during thousands of years helped bring about and sustain grassland and steppe habitats across this continent.