Pryor Mountain Range
The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range is a unique and diverse habitat that supports a population of wild horses with remarkable characteristics. These horses exhibit a wide variety of colors and physical features, including bi-colored manes and tails, dorsal stripes, tiger-striped legs, and cobwebbing on the face. They typically range in size from 13 to 14 hands, reflecting their hardy and adaptable nature.
Genetic tests have revealed that Pryor horses have ancestry from a mixture of domestic breeds, with a higher than average level of ancestry from New World "Spanish" breeds and related European breeds. Interestingly, some Pryor horses carry a rare allele variant traced back to the original Spanish and Portuguese horses brought to the Americas. However, all genetic markers found in these wild horses are also present in other horse breeds.
Designated as one of only four wild horse and burro ranges in the country, the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range was established in 1968 and has since grown to encompass more than 38,000 acres of BLM and National Park Service-managed lands in Montana and Wyoming. Located in the southeastern portion of Carbon County, Montana, and northern Big Horn County, Wyoming, the range offers visitors the opportunity to observe these iconic wild horses in their natural habitat.
The topography and vegetation of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range are diverse, with elevations ranging from 3,850 feet to 8,750 feet above sea level. Precipitation varies with elevation, ranging from 6 inches in the lower elevations to over 20 inches in the alpine high elevations. The habitat includes a variety of plant communities, from shrub-grass vegetation dominated by sagebrush and saltbush to subalpine forests and meadows.
Despite the challenges posed by limited water resources, the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range remains an important refuge for these iconic wild horses and a cherished destination for visitors seeking to experience the beauty and diversity of the American West.
The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range is a unique and diverse habitat that supports a population of wild horses with remarkable characteristics. These horses exhibit a wide variety of colors and physical features, including bi-colored manes and tails, dorsal stripes, tiger-striped legs, and cobwebbing on the face. They typically range in size from 13 to 14 hands, reflecting their hardy and adaptable nature.
Genetic tests have revealed that Pryor horses have ancestry from a mixture of domestic breeds, with a higher than average level of ancestry from New World "Spanish" breeds and related European breeds. Interestingly, some Pryor horses carry a rare allele variant traced back to the original Spanish and Portuguese horses brought to the Americas. However, all genetic markers found in these wild horses are also present in other horse breeds.
Designated as one of only four wild horse and burro ranges in the country, the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range was established in 1968 and has since grown to encompass more than 38,000 acres of BLM and National Park Service-managed lands in Montana and Wyoming. Located in the southeastern portion of Carbon County, Montana, and northern Big Horn County, Wyoming, the range offers visitors the opportunity to observe these iconic wild horses in their natural habitat.
The topography and vegetation of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range are diverse, with elevations ranging from 3,850 feet to 8,750 feet above sea level. Precipitation varies with elevation, ranging from 6 inches in the lower elevations to over 20 inches in the alpine high elevations. The habitat includes a variety of plant communities, from shrub-grass vegetation dominated by sagebrush and saltbush to subalpine forests and meadows.
Despite the challenges posed by limited water resources, the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range remains an important refuge for these iconic wild horses and a cherished destination for visitors seeking to experience the beauty and diversity of the American West.
