New Mexico's Wild Horses

You see them grazing on public lands that surround Albuquerque. Indeed, they are one of the most significant reminders of the cowboy and ranching heritage of New Mexico. The wild horses that have survived on the New Mexican range are a genetic and historic remnant of the Old West. The characteristics that were important in the Old West days are still found in our wild horses and burros: strength, endurance, and reliability. They are medium to heavy boned, carry themselves in a collected manner, and are surefooted over rough terrain. Adopters find gentled wild horses to be a smooth ride, capable of performing all day, and burros are reliable pack and companion animals. Their only natural predator is the mountain lion. In order to maintain the wild horse population at ecologically sustainable levels, the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act was passed, unanimously, through Congress and signed by former President Nixon on December 15, 1971. It became Public Law 92-195, which protects wild horses and burros within designated territories on both Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands.

The photo above shows wild horses along a stretch of old Route 66 between Albuquerque and Grants, New Mexico.