Media, Marketing and Madness: The Other Picture
Too Much Drama Means a Sad End for Wild Horses
Depicting wild horses in dramatic photos showing extreme behavior- behavior that is undesirable and totally inappropriate for the barnyard- does the wild horse a great injustice. Representing wild horses solely in photographs showing herds galloping at full speed, or pairs fighting, feeds a false and inaccurate impression of wild horses.
In normal wild horse society, most of their time is spent eating and relating peacefully with other herd members. There is back scratching, grazing together and walking calmly, often single file, to another grazing spot. Horses do not gallop and eat at the same time. Galloping herds are in panic and running for their lives.
Occasionally, very occasionally, to they run as a herd just for the fun of it – this is not normal! Likewise, fighting among horses is an occasional event, not regular interaction.
Drama photos like these, while entertaining and engaging, lead people to expect violence from horses, to anticipate violent behavior. and to believe that force and violence is necessary in human-wild horse interactions. This misinformation discourages adoptions and leads people to believe that wild horses are not worth the time or effort to protect or domesticate.
NMMBA Media Policy: The Other Picture of Wild Horses
Our policy is to provide information that is an accurate depiction of the nature of wild equines. The New Mexico Mustang and Burro Association publishes and promotes only information and visual images that show wild horses in realistic everyday situations: primarily socializing peacefully and eating, or in normal herd activities.
We also discourage reference to mustangs and burros as ideals or inanimate objects such as “history” and other “Images of the West.” Our position is that mustangs and burros are by nature gentle, kind, and compassionate.