National “I ❤️ ” Day
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Did you know that today is National I Love Horses Day? Here at American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), we take any and all opportunities to celebrate horses, both domestic and wild!
And, tomorrow, AWHC’s lawyers will be in Court arguing two cases that will decide the fate of not only the wild horses from Wyoming’s Checkerboard, which include the Salt Wells and the Great Divide Basin Herd Management Areas (HMA), but will also set an important precedent for generations to come: Will private interests be allowed to dictate the use of public lands and decide whether our federally protected wild horses and burros can live on them?
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In honor of National I Love Horses Day, we want to tell you a touching story from the Great Divide Basin HMA.
AWHC’s partner and co-plaintiff in this critical litigation, Kimerlee Curyl, was out photographing the incredible Great Divide Basin horses when she came across a stunning, heavily pregnant white mare. Kimerlee stayed a respectful distance away from her, watching the mare and her family interact. While she was sitting there, a group of boisterous bachelor stallions approached the band, trying to steal the band’s mares. But their lead stallion was not about to back down. He fought the bachelors with fury.
The other mares and a few youngsters in the group were extremely distressed, but they knew they had to protect their pregnant family member. They started running circles around her — kicking up dust, determined to keep her safe. This made it extremely hard for any bachelor to try and infiltrate the group.
Kimerlee wrote about this experience:
“Finally, the stallion drove the last of the bachelors towards the horizon, the ground shook with the stampeding of hooves across the desert floor. I didn’t think he could do it, but he did. The powerful stallion won this battle with his strength, determination, and the unbreakable family bond they possessed.
He swiftly galloped back to the family and returned directly to her side with an air of chivalry. A testament to the enduring noble nature of the wild. She returned her tired head to the space upon his back where she had been resting, let out a big breath and all was calm in their world once again. Witnessing such events and moments in their wild world is the inspiration to continue the fight to keep them wild.”
She memorialized the touching moment between this mare and her stallion with this photo.
Photo: Kimerlee Cryl Wild Horse Photography
It is stories like these that make us even more determined to protect wild horses and burros across the West — and it’s why we’ve been litigating for over a decade to protect this herd and set legal precedents that uphold the law and protect all wild horses and burros. This National I Love Horses Day, join us in celebrating our wild horses and the incredible family bonds they hold.
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You are the backbone of our movement.
Thank you for your generosity,
Team AWHC