by Jessica A. Tucker

Created on: November 02, 2009   Last Updated: October 16, 2011

From over the hill stampedes a great herd of wild horses in flashes of magnificent, wild colors. A hundred feet pounding in close unison, source this rumble as these majestic, historical animals prance and pound by.

Sadly, there are several issues plaguing the survival of this of horse. Primarily, culling of large groups of these horses is the main road to their demise, followed by habitat destruction, horses being stolen and sold for profit and an ever demanding need by these animals for food and water.

While researching for this article, a new release from Horsetalk.co.nz posted in early October stuck out from the numerous other search results. This story states that:

"...Hundreds of wild horses in Western Australian with strong Arabian bloodlines may be lost in a cull, a campaigner for the animals fears... There are more than 5000 wild horses living over the area from Bililuna to Balgo, mostly around Lake Gregory, a 100km-wide freshwater lake formed from the Sturt Creek, which has its origins in the Northern Territory..."

Source: Horsetalk.co.nz: Hundreds of part-Arab wild horses under cull threat, http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2009/10/073.shtml

Unfortunately, New Zealand is not the only place this happens.

Like many other species, the main danger for these animals has quite a bit to do with the encroachment of humans on their natural habitat of grasslands and large expanses of land. Grazing lands, shelters and safe migratory routes to water and food for these beautiful animals are being more and more threatened every year. Housing developments, recreational facilities, and shopping malls are being erected where these horses once grazed and houses surround lakes and line riverbeds blocking these horses from clean water sources and pastures. Migratory paths to plentiful water sources used in the past are disrupted by fences, houses and highways. Due to these issues, hundreds of these horses are endangered, pushed to and killed on the North American highways every year.

Long ago, when horses ran wild all over a world without fences; grasses, hays and alfalfa grew rampantly for all animals to gorge on. Travelling generally in packs, they require a large amount of food at meal times and a generous supply of water. Nowadays, food and water is available for these animals in the spring and fall months provided there is rain. However, winter and summer is a different scenario. Lakes and creeks freeze up; the few grazing pastures available to these horses

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