Wild Horses: Pryor Mountain Herd - A National Treasure

On a rugged patch of red-painted desert along the Montana-Wyoming border lives a band of wild horses that have been a part of the open range there since the state was an unsettled territory. With Spanish bloodlines that many believe trace back to the conquistadors, the sturdy mustangs have stayed on the land with the help of a loyal following of preservationists who work with Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials to ensure the small horse herd remains healthy and genetically viable.

This spring, 15 foals were born on the range, bringing the herd’s numbers up to about 160. The horses occupy about 39,000 acres in the Pryor Mountains, running the cliffs and bluffs above the Bighorn Canyon. Most of their range is BLM and U.S. National Park Service Property. It is part of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, and U.S. Forest Service property and some historic private land holdings are also part of the range. It was set aside for the horses in 1968, just prior to the establishment of the Wild Horse and Burrow Act in 1971, which protects wild horses and burrows on public lands.

The wild horses of the Pryor Mountains are Montana’s only wild horse herd, and they are remarkably accessible. Almost any time of year, they can be seen browsing the hills around the Bighorn Canyon Recreation Area, which is a popular destination for hikers and boaters.

Throwback to Ancient Breeds

It’s believed by many that the horses were stolen by or traded to the Crow Indians, and the horses escaped into the Pryor Mountains, which were Crow Indian territory and are now part of the Crow Reservation. Because of the isolation of the area, the Spanish bloodlines were preserved in the wild herd.

Those old bloodlines are evident in the distinctive markings and colors of many of the Pryor Mountain wild horses. The line-backed dun coloration is most common in the herd, and frequently includes primitive stripes or bars on the legs or withers and a dark stripe down the horses’ backs. Another common color that’s unique to the Spanish bloodline is the grullo — a dark slate-gray color. They also have a line down their backs and usually have dark legs and heads. Although dun and grullo horses are common in the herd, there are still a wide range of colors from jet black to pale palomino. There are no paint or pinto markings, but many of the horses have stars or blazes on their faces and occasional white stockings.

Each horse, while it looks like it belongs to the herd, has its own unique markings, said Nancy Cerroni, a Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center board member and longtime advocate of the herd. “All the horses are easily identifiable,” she added. “We go as detailed in our records as to tell what direction their manes lie.”

Cerroni enjoys watching the horses and has gotten to know their individual personalities. Her favorite horse is a lead mare named Broken Bow. The horse has always had a strong bond with her daughter, Gabrielle, and even when they’ve been separated by a stallion, she always finds her way back to her daughter. “To me she symbolizes loyalty and strength,” Cerroni said.

Public-Private Partnership

The Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the wild horse herd and assists the BLM in tracking the horses year-round. Cerroni is among a handful of volunteers who go out almost every week to locate the various bands of horses and document any births, deaths or changes in herd hierarchy.

They track family lines and help to name the horses according to an annual, alphabetical structure. Starting in 2000, all the foals were given names starting with the letter A, and so on, year after year. Last spring’s foals were given names starting with the letter N. Additionally, volunteers try to give the foals names similar or related to their mothers. The program provides an easy way to identify the age of the horses and their family lines.

The BLM, which is charged with managing the herd, also monitors the herd and assigns corresponding numbers to each horse. According to analysis of the forage, the BLM estimates that the range can support about 120 horses. There are few predators on the range, so to control the population, the agency has implemented a fertility management program and administers PZP to select mares as a form of contraception.

In the past, the BLM has done roundups to trim the herd as well. The horses that are removed are placed for adoption, and usually snapped up by people from the area. Although the herd’s numbers are up, there are no immediate plans for another roundup, said Jared Bybee, the Montana Dakotas State Wild Horse and Burrow Specialist. “The main thing we’re trying to do is balance the population with what the range can support,” he said. The horses are frequently tested for genetic variability, and although their numbers are small, there are no signs of inbreeding, Bybee said.

The Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center has been tracking the lineage of the herd since the late 1960s, and the BLM takes into account their recommendations when deciding which mares to treat with PZP. “The management decisions help to keep all the mares equally represented,” said Matthew Dillon, a center board member and longtime observer of the horses. “We track the mares because you never know for sure who the sires are.”

Cloud, a Famous Stallion

While all the wild horses in the Pryor Mountains are identifiable, the most recognizable horse among them is likely Cloud, a pale palomino stallion. Cloud was the star of a series of PBS Nature films produced by Ginger Kathrens, an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker. Kathrens was so moved by the beauty and resilience of Cloud and his herd that she started The Cloud Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of wild horses on public lands.

The foundation is aimed at raising awareness of the needs of wild horse herds and preserving their diminishing ranges. Kathrens and the Cloud Foundation are often critical of BLM management decisions and have filed several lawsuits aimed at preserving or expanding wild horse ranges. Kathrens is particularly concerned about the genetic variability of the Pryor herd, and would like to see their range expanded so the herd could increase.

Currently, with such small numbers, a hard winter or wildfire could have a catastrophic impact on the herd. She believes that the range could be expanded to include more Forest Service and National Parks Service land, and the herd should be increased to at least 200. The Cloud Foundation filed a lawsuit in 2009 to force BLM and other federal agencies to expand the range. “We’re trying to ensure a future for this herd,” Kathrens said. “Here they are on this little postage stamp piece of land and we need to be sure they have everything they need to survive.”

Although the Cloud Foundation is based in Colorado and Kathrens lives in Colorado Springs, she frequently visits the Pryor Mountains to see her beloved Cloud, who is now 18. This spring she spotted a newborn filly that looked so much like Cloud — a pale, almost-white palomino — that Kathrens is convinced she is his offspring. She named her Encore as a tribute to Cloud. The filly’s other name, given by the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center, is Nimbus, also a nod to her sire. Chances are good that she will live out the rest of her life wild and free in the Pryor Mountains.

“In my mind this herd is a national treasure,” Cerroni said. “Their history is the way of the West. They’re a part of the West that intrigues us all.”

Originally Posted By Great Falls Tribune