The thing about us wild horses…
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
I’m Hobbes. You may not know me, but I’m one of Utah’s Cedar Mountain wild horses—and I have a story to tell.
A little over a year ago, I faced what felt like the fight of my life. A bad injury to my front leg made every step a challenge. Some days, I wasn’t sure I’d make it through the winter.
But here’s the thing about us wild horses: giving up isn’t in our nature. Even with a limp, I pushed forward. Through deep snow and biting winds, I found ways to survive. I learned to adapt, move carefully, and conserve my strength. I even managed to avoid being captured during the federal roundup of 2022.
The odds weren’t in my favor, but spring brought hope. Not only had I survived—I had healed and I found something even more precious: a family. I’m no longer just Hobbes the bachelor stallion; I’m Hobbes the protector, the provider. My mare, Annie, and I even have a little pinto foal to call our own now, and a few other yearlings have joined our band as well.
My family and I are lucky. Thanks to American Wild Horse Conservation’s (AWHC) efforts to protect wild horses like me, I’ve been able to stay wild with my family and roam freely.
AWHC implements a scientifically proven fertility control program in the Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area, where I live. This program shows how herds like mine can be protected and managed in the wild without the use of cruel and costly helicopter roundups.
Life hasn’t been easy, but freedom is worth every single step. And as I stand on my mountain and look over my growing band, I know this: our strength resides in our unshakeable will to keep going, and the wild spirit that defines who we are.
Thank you for caring about wild horses like us.
Stay wild,
Hobbes