Wild horses and burros still roam in many states in the Western US. Unfortunately, the populations have increased beyond what the ecosystem can sustain. In order to alleviate this pressure, the Bureau of Land Management operates their Wild Horse and Burro Program, which includes adoption of horses and burros into homes throughout the US.

And while mustangs are an iconic image of the West, the Great Lakes region is also home to a culturally significant horse – the Ojibwe horse or Lac la Croix pony. These horses lived alongside Anishinaabe people for generations, but by the 1970s, there were only 4 horses remaining. The Humble Horse, an organization in River Falls, WI is a part of ongoing efforts to revitalize these horses, who number about 180 currently.

On today’s episode of PNM, we visit with Martha Malik and Stephanie Carman at a BLM wild horse and burro adoption event; and revisit a portion of an interview with Em Loerzel of The Humble Horse, which first aired on A Public Affair in October.

Links:

* Evolutionary history of the Eurasian horse

* Native American horses

* Wild horse and burro program of the Bureau of Land Management

* The Humble Horse program

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