Learn About Arizona's Wild Horses

Horses along the Salt River, May, 2012.  Photo by LuAnne Hedblom

If you're interested in learning more about our wild horses in Arizona, then pack up your lunch on Thursday, June 14th or on Saturday June 30th, and head on over at noon to the Visitor Center at Usery Mountain Park.  There "Ranger B" will be sharing what he knows of the history of wild horses in the west, including the Tonto National Forest, and in particular the horses we see along the Salt River. Though he won't be touching on the controversy over the management of the Salt River Wild Horses, it will still be interesting to learn about the origins of these gorgeous animals and how they survive in the wild. Directions: Take McKellips east past Sossaman to Ellsworth, turn left (N) on Ellsworth which becomes Usery Mountain Pass.  Look for signs, park entry will be on your right (E).  $6.00 entry fee.  Lecture starts at 12:00 p.m. in the Visitor Center.

For a more in-depth history of wild horses in Arizona and the southwest, see University of Arizona professor Ed de Steiguer's book , "Wild Horses of the West: History and Politics of America's Mustangs."

(Usery Mountain Park is one of 10 regional parks in Maricopa County.  It is not part of the Tonto National Forest, and Ranger B is not an employee of the Forest Service or the BLM.)