Wild Horse Herds in the US

The Pryor Mountain Mustangs are found on a 31,000 acre area known as The Pryor Mountain National Wild Horse Range. There are currently between 120-160 wild horses living there, sharing the varied habitat with mule deer, black bear, falcons, bats, elk, mountain lion and big horn sheep.

The range lies at the Montana/Wyoming border.

Colorado has four sites for the preservation of the wild horse. Little Bookcliffs is a 30,261 acre area with currently holds 110-120 wild horses. It is a semi-arid area of rugged terrain that the horses share with mule deer, elk, bobcats, coyotes, eagles, hawks, owls, mountain lions and falcons.

The Piceance Basin is a 148,000 acre area of sloped woodland with mountain scrub that is home to between 90-145 horses. Prairie dogs, rattlesnakes, grouse, eagles, hawks, coyotes and lizards also share this habitat.

Rolling hills and rugged mountain dominate The Sandwash Basin which is home to about 200 horses. It is 160,000 acres and the horses share the space with antelope, grouse, raptors, owls and deer.

Spring Creek is a 16,417 acre area that deer, elk, coyote, eagle, falcon, rattlesnake and prairie dogs share with the horses. It is made up of rolling hills and rugged mountains.

Utah also has four Wild Horse Management Areas and all are mountainous brush in terrain and provide a home for many animals along with the horses. The Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area is 147,000 acres large and home to 60-100 horses. The Onoqui Herd Management Area is much smaller at 43,880 acres, but has about 170 horses. King Top Horse Management Area is home to between 40-60 horse and is 149,567 acres large. The final wild horse area is Swasey Herd Management Area and it is a 120,113 acre brush land that holds 60-100 horses.

Idaho is home to the Owyhee Front Wild Horse Area and is made up of 120,000 acres with hold 150 horses.

The Arturus area of California holds the Wild Horse Sanctuary, a privately run area that has about 80 horses as residents.
Santa Cruz Island had become the subject of much controversy after it was bought by the National Parks Service when they discovered a before then unknown herd of horses living on the island. The Parks Service has planned to remove the horses, but public outcry means that this battle is far from over and it may be some time before an outcome is decided.

By far, probably the best known wild horses are those that are living on the Assateague/Chincoteague Island. A strip of land 37 miles long it is watched over by two different states. Each state has a herd of about 150 horses, which are rounded up and swim over to Maryland once each year for auction. Those horses not sold then swim back to the island until the next year.

An unknown number of Corolla Wild Horses are currently calling an 1,800 acre area home.

An unknown number of Nokota Wild Horses currently have a range in this state.

Nevada is home to the Palomino Valley Center, the National Wild Horse and Burro Center Adoption Site.

Oregon is home to three ranges of wild horses. They are The Steens Mountain Mustangs, The Kiger Mustangs and is also home to the Burns Wild Horse Adoption Center.