In 1968, after a two year, highly publicized campaign promoted by Lovell community members to protect the horses, the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range became our nation's first public wild horse range. Today there are between 90 to 120 mustangs managed by the BLM within the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the herd to maintain the health of the rangeland ecosystem, while sustaining a healthy population of wild horses.
They Pryor Mountain Horse Range boundary has changed several times since 1968 but today is approximately 38,000 acres encompassing BLM, Forest Service and National Park Service (NPS) lands. The horses are free to roam from the mountain high meadows, ridges and ravines, to the badlands bordering Crooked Creek.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Running Wild
You have just entered the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, home to wild horses, bighorn sheep, deer, mountain lion, bear, and other wildlife. There may be many opportunities to view and photograph horses and other wildlife. By following these simple rules, you can ensure they continue to be wild.
1. Stay at least 100 feet from horses and other wildlife.
2. Do not disrupt their behavior.
3. Do not fee horses or other wildlife.
4. Do not attempt to assist or handle sick or injured animals.
5. Keep dogs on leash at all times.
6. Horses and other wildlife can be on the road. Drive with caution.
In 2011 these horse were hit and killed by a drunk driver near this site. Please respect the wildlife and drive with caution.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Social Networking
Wild horses have a very well-defined social organization comprised largely of groups averaging 5-6 animals. Each member has a defined social rank. Most groups consist of a dominant stallion, a lead mare, and a variety of secondary mares and you offspring. Most of the group consistently mimics the behavior of the lead mare while the stallion protects his herd.
You may see young stallions sparring, learning the skills needed to eventually claim a mare, or a bachelor group peacefully roaming the flats. Most bachelor bands consist of 2 to 5 horses varying in ages.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
What's for Dinner?
Approximately 80% of the Pryor Mustang diet is grass. In a dry climate with low precipitation, the demand of a herd can have a negative impact on the range. With their flexible lips and long incisors horses can eat plants very close to ground level, sometimes even digging up roots when food is scarce.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has a goal to ensure and maintain healthy wild horse populations on healthy public lands. To do this, the BLM works to achieve what is known as the Appropriate Management Level (AML) - the point at which wild horse herd populations are consistent with the land's capacity to support them while protecting the range.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Spirited Mustangs
The Pryor Mountain Mustangs roam freely across America's first public Wild Horse Range and have for more than 100 years. It is hard not to wonder where they came from and the answer is unclear. Genetic sampling has shown an ancestry linked to the Colonial Spanish horses, light riding breeds and ranch stock. One common belief is that the horses may have escaped from local and American Indian horse herds finding a safe haven in the Pryor Mountains.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Heads or Tails?
The Pryor Mountain horses have distinctive characteristics which make them easy to identify. The faces of these wild horses are very triangular. A broad forehead with wide set eyes tapers to a narrow nose ending with small nostrils and muzzle. They have curved, pointed ears, sloping croup and a low set trail.
They may be any color (black, bay, grulla, dun, buckskin, sorrel or chestnut). Individual horses within the herd display unique primitive markings not common to all wild horses referred to as the Dun Factor. These markings may include a dorsal stripe the length of their back, wither stripes, and zebra stripes on their legs.
Credit / Author:
NPS
Date created:
10/14/2020
Last updated: August 27, 2017
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Contact Info
Mailing Address:
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area South District Visitor Center
20 US Hwy 14A
Lovell,
WY
82431
Phone:
307 548-5406
(307) 548-5406 is the South District in Lovell, WY.
(406) 666-9961 is the North District in Fort Smith, MT.