Nevada is home to more wild horses than any other state – more than 44,000 according to data released by the Bureau of Land Management as of March of 2023 – so chances are good that you’ll run into some if you’re out riding on public land. It can be exciting to see horses running wild but remember, they are territorial and they can be aggressive.
It’s important to be prepared so that you can keep yourself and your horse safe. Here are six tips for riding among wild horses:
1. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Check out the Bureau of Land Management’s herd management area map. It shows the areas throughout the state where federally-managed horses tend to be found. If you are planning a trip, it will help to know in advance if you’ll be riding through wild horse territory. Keep in mind, however, horses do not understand boundaries on maps, so they may be found outside the designated herd management areas as well. There are also state-managed and tribal-managed wild horses that can be found throughout the state. As well as wild burros (but that’s for another article!)
2. NOT ALL HORSES REACT THE SAME
Neighborhood horses (wild horses that live in and around residential areas) are desensitized to people, traffic, etc. and may just look at you with indifference as you ride by. Horses that have recently experienced a gather (round-up) may flee as soon as they spot you. In my experience, the horses that tend to be the most aggressive are those with the least experience seeing humans riding. As you would expect, stallions are usually the aggressors, but any horse can be dangerous, so never let your guard down. Because you don’t know how wild horses (or your horse) might react, it’s best to just keep your distance.
3. THERE’S SAFETY IN NUMBERS
A wild horse might think twice about going after a group of riders. Think of all the noise a group makes – saddles squeaking, talking and laughing, hoof falls and horse sounds, maybe a few dogs around the group. It’s a good deterrent. But, if you are like me and prefer riding solo, just know one horse is more of a target.
4. LOOK FOR SIGNS
Wild stallions get in the habit of defecating at landmarks around the places they frequently roam. These stud piles can get very big (spread out or tall) if horses are passing by regularly. The manure piles tend to be at intersections of roads and trails or breaks in fence lines. Keep an eye out for them and note the age of the manure. If you’re seeing a lot of stud piles with fresh manure, it’s a good sign that wild horses currently call that area home. If you aren’t seeing any sign, or the manure looks really old, then the horses probably aren’t in the area often.
5. ARM YOURSELF
If you are charged by a wild horse, you must protect your horse. In all my encounters, there has only been one thing that worked 100% of the time to scare them away, whether it was one horse or 50 horses. A plastic bag. Yes, a plain old plastic bag from the grocery store. Your horse should be desensitized to the noise and sight of a plastic bag (from the saddle and the ground) but trust me, it will strike terror in the heart of any wild horse. I like the plastic bag because it takes up no space and weighs nothing, and it is high impact with the least amount of damage to the horse. I tie my plastic bag to the end of a short English riding crop for extra umph. In lieu of a plastic bag, wildly swinging a jacket should do the trick too.
6. SLEEP LIGHT
If you are camping in wild horse areas, you’ll want to sleep with one eye open because at some point you’ll probably be awoken by the sound of thundering hooves. Here again, the plastic bag is handy, but just about anything that flaps and makes a noise will work, like a tarp or jacket. To deter wild horses from coming into camp you can make a perimeter of plastic bags on stakes. It might not stop them completely, but plastic bags blowing in the breeze will give them pause. Always make sure your horse is securely contained overnight, whether that’s a high line, corral, or something else.
All of this isn’t meant to scare you. The chance of a bad encounter with a wild horse is low, but never zero. It is exciting to ride by wild horses out on the range, so don’t be scared. Just stay alert and be safe, like you would with any other wild animal.
