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Experiencing the Wild Ones!
Klamath Ranch Resort is pleased to be able to offer a rare year-round wild horse experience and viewing opportunity to our guests. Free-roaming wild horses regularly visit our resort property and RV Park and the local herd ranges in the nearby mountain meadows providing exceptional opportunities for our guests to see, photograph and, occasionally experience them close-up under our published guidelines (‘Wild Horse Encounters – Dos and Don’ts’)
Wild Horse Encounters – ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’
The Dos:
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Respect the personal space of the horses
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Bring a camera and binoculars
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Have a great time and share your experiences and photos
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Enjoy their beauty and natural behaviors from a safe distance
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Ask questions; our staff is happy to offer their experience and insights
The Don’ts:
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Don’t try to touch or feed wild horses.
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Don’t get too close or between horses, especially mares and their babies
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Don’t allow dogs to run loose in the vicinity of horses
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Don’t allow children unattended in the vicinity of horses
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Don’t make loud noises or sudden movements that can spook horses
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Don’t fly drones near horses
More important safety information by a photographer HERE.
Wild Horse Conservation Through Education
We are working with naturalist and wild horse expert William E. Simpson II to help educate visitors about wild horses and their behavioral ecology. And we support his initiative to save America’s wild horses: the ‘Natural Wildfire Abatement and Forest Protection Plan’ (https://www.wildhorsefirebrigade.com).
We are blessed to have wild horses that have not been harassed by roundups that cause wild horses to lose trust in humans.
Photo courtesy of naturalist – William E. Simpson II
Brief History of North American wild horses
The origins of all of the world’s wild horses began exclusively in North America about 50-million years ago. The Zoological Institute at the University of Helsinki, has estimated that E. caballus (modern horse) originated approximately 1.7 million years ago in North America. As it turns out, wild horses are as American as apple pie. About 17,000 years ago, wild horses from North America crossed the Aleutian Land Bridge and from there American wild horses moved into Asia, Europe and Africa, where they were eventually utilized and bred for utility purposes over a period of about 4,000 years.
American wild horses are known scientifically as ‘keystone herbivores’ because of their symbiotic mutualisms with all of the flora and fauna in American ecosystems. They uniquely reduce wildfire fuels year-round while concurrently reseeding native flora. They are highly beneficial to the landscape and are cost-effective in reducing wildfire frequency and intensity, thereby protecting forests, watersheds and fisheries.
Wild horses are highly intelligent sentient beings that have social and family structures.
Photo courtesy of naturalist - William E. Simpson II
Wild stallions engaging in a ritual that establishes dominance.
Photo courtesy of naturalist - William E. Simpson II
Klamath Ranch Resort and RV Park uniquely offers a year-round wild horse experience-viewing opportunities (subject to weather and reservations). The local herd of wild horses primarily ranges just 5-miles up the road from the RV Park and Resort and are seen year-round by visitors to the area. Most often viewing and photo opportunities are available from the convenience of your vehicle.
Photo courtesy of naturalist - William E. Simpson II
Brief History of Our Local Wild Horse Herd
Our local herd of wild horses lives in the mountains 15-miles east of Hornbrook CA. This herd can be traced back to the days of the 18th century goldminers, stagecoaches and battles between the U.S. Calvary and the local native American tribe (Shasta Nation). The oldest local news publishers, journals and ranchers in the area cite herd size in the hundreds during that period.
The famous local cowboy George T. Wright, who lived in the present-day Soda Mountain Wilderness Area, often wrote in his personal journal about the local wild horses and his love of them, which today are considered ‘feral’ by some people. Nevertheless, the local herd, has long-established habitat across the nearby local open-range which is primarily privately-owned lands in Siskiyou County. The herd is privately managed using low-impact methods, which allow them to remain as unmolested and as natural as possible. The local herd consists of various types of horses, including; Appaloosa, Paint, Iberian and Kiger horses.
George T. Wright
(born in Hornbrook, CA. 1897-1984)
Some individual wild horses in the herd are quite friendly towards humans because they have been treated with the respect, they are due. However, they all have ‘wild’ instincts and are preyed-upon by local mountain lions, bears and coyotes. With these pressures of predation, wild (feral) horses operate on a ‘hair-trigger’ and can bolt unexpected in any direction when frightened by sudden noise or movement. They are especially spooky on windy days. (Please see our advisory Wild Horse Encounters – Dos and Don’ts)
Award Winning Video courtesy of naturalist - William E. Simpson II
*Wild horses come and go as they please at our RV Park. As such, we cannot guarantee they will be in or immediately around our RV Park at any given time. However, their core habitat is just a few miles up Copco Road from our RV Park, and they are often seen from Copco Road in the area of Iron Gate Lake. Please ask about our local guide services. Thank You!
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