This story of the wild mustang horses of the Great Divide Basin began in 1520, when the Spanish introduced sixteen Barb Horses to the Americas. The descendants of these "1st Horses" made their way north of the Rio Grande, by way of Indian raids and trades, until some escaped into the protective home of the Great Divide Basin. This remote territory of sage and sand perfectly suits the natural instincts of the wild mustang. The mustangs need the wide-open spaces of this unfenced wilderness to thrive. It is a vast landscape, bigger than Yellowstone National Park, covered in short bunchgrass and secret waterholes. Here, the mustangs have room to roam and run free, protected from civilization by the barrier of the Continental Divide.
Over the past nine years, High Wild & Lonesome has led limited horse back adventures to see, up close, the wild mustang horses in Wyoming. Without exception, our past guests have found this experience to be one of the most thrilling and unique adventure vacations of their life, with their perceptions of the wild mustang, and often themselves, changed forever.
Generally, wild mustang horses are spotted everyday we ride the Great Divide. Many individual mustang bands, numbering from a just few head upwards to around a dozen horses each, often total upwards of 200 mares, foals, stallions, and juvenile stallions that are on the fringes of the main bands. As we guide riders into closer proximity to these wild horses, being careful not to disturb or excite them, it is not unusual to get within 50 yards of these truly wild and wary animals and the photo opportunities are exceptional. You can actually hear the nickers of the mares to their foals and the snorts of defiance by the stallions as they stand between their harems and anything that seems out of place.
In addition to getting "up close and personal" with the wild mustangs, we continually are in the presence of other wildlife, such as the desert elk, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, several varieties of hawks, prairie falcons and the golden eagle. To see this much wildlife however requires steady riding at a brisk pace for five to eight hours and 15-25 miles each day. The pace and distances covered make this on of the most challenging horse back adventures worldwide. Therefore, all participants must be skilled, experienced riders who meet or exceed the standards of the Experienced Skill Level description that we discuss with each rider before booking. Call us before you book your horse back adventure and we can discuss your skills and physical condition in depth.
If you look sharp-eyed to the far horizon of the Honeycomb Badlands, a whirlwind of desert dust swirls upward, marking the march of the salmon-dun stud as he drives his band into the only waterhole for miles. Watch as this battle-scarred warrior defends his harem from daring, young challengers that try repeatedly try to sneak in and steal mares to start their own bands. His foals practice their buck-jumping games around the outside edge of the herd, always under the watchful eye of the red-roan lead mare. The skill of your trail guide is put to the test as she attempts to get you close to these spooky and suspicious mustangs. Flared nostrils, nervous snorts, rolling eyes, windswept manes and tails, and skittish hoofbeats let you know you've been spotted and that it is only a matter of time before the herd bolts and runs, flying into their favorite game of "catch me if you can."
You watch them run and are in awe of the beauty, grace and power of these "spirit horses" as they disappear. The only other spectator has been the red-tailed hawk that is riding the wind high above the now-silent desert floor. We invite you to track the wild mustangs
and become part of this story.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- All camp lodging,
- Meals,
- Horses and activities,
- Camp equipment and staff from first day lunch through last morning breakfast.
Price Excludes:
- Transportation into Wyoming (no airline or ground) and the camp (round trip shuttle from Jackson, Wyoming and the camp provided for additional $175.00 U.S. per person),
- Additional pre- or post- overnight accommodations,
- Gratuities,
- Liquor (BYOB) and items of personal nature.
Also see tour packages in:
USA
Wyoming
Nature & Wildlife
Wildlife Viewing
Horse Riding
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