*Can one love wild horses too much?**

We are posting this short video and want to explain why this is not a cute nor a good thing.

The Salt River wild horses live on approximately 19,000 acres in the Tonto National Forest, which lies not even 30 minutes from the huge metropolis of Phoenix and just 15 minutes from Mesa on one side, with Fountain Hills on the other. They are obviously hugely popular, and perhaps a bit too popular for their own good.

Thousands upon thousands of people come to the forest yearly just to get a glimpse of them, to take a picture of them, or to just enjoy the peace they exude. That is wonderful and 95% of people are respectful of their space, and stick to the 50ft guideline.

But lately, especially at our feed stations, more and more people have not. Some are just delighted to walk up to a horse and do not mean any harm, but some also seem to think they can do whatever they want when it comes to the horses.

While they are everybody’s horses, and it is seemingly harmless to try to bond with a horse or try to touch one, what is happening especially with some young and curious horses is truly detrimental for their safety and yours.

Once you tame a horse, it is very hard to “un-tame” that horse. The horse has had a good human experience, so it is going to try that again. However, the next unsuspecting person, who is perhaps laying on a beach towel, might not have such a good experience, when a wild horse comes right up to them to smell their hair.

It only takes 5 years for an entire herd to habituate to humans “too much.” Then you get a situation where horses will be coming up to people, snatching food out of purses, etc.

The older wiser horses will pass, and the new lead stallions and mares will be the young curious horses that have been touched and tamed by people who loved them.

Those sweet curious horses will then become a danger to the public and those horses will have to be removed.

So if you love wild horses, the best thing you can do for them is shuffle your feet when they come too close to you, or clap your hands.

You’ll see our volunteers doing that sometimes, not because they are mean, but because it is important for them to stay respectful of humans. This will ensure them their freedom in perpetuity.

Please spread the word, please try to keep a distance of 50 ft from wild horses at all times, even when they come your way.

Thank you SRWHMG.