Josefina mentors a band of young Sulphur mustangs at the Sanctuary. Photograph and story by Rianna Schmidt

Wild Horse Culture

As I watched a younger-looking mare maintain constant companionship with two aging matriarchs, her behavior touched me. It was nearly impossible not to notice the three horses continuously lagging at the back of the Spanish herd, or just over the last hill. Not to mention, her mother’s best friend Little Blue Aster was the most petite and fiery elderly horse that I had ever witnessed. No docile submission, but all kicks and squeals, Little Blue Aster cleared a safety zone for herself and her two friends to eat comfortably at the breakfast buffet.

But not Josefina. Certainly, she could have chased many off—she towers above most in her herd. It often perplexed me. Maybe she wanted to be polite, to make up for Little Blue Aster’s scuffles in the breakfast buffet line. Josefina was more like a large shield as her docile mother Martita became her shadow.

Her nurturing personality extends beyond the horses. When she sees me walk along the breakfast buffet, everyone else busily munching, she saunters over as if to just lay eyes on me. Sure she enjoys a scratch, but mostly she is content to look or stand near. Her eyes are gentle, resting, calming, and give you the sense that she came just to check on you. She’s almost never the first to move away. I regretfully make the first move and beg her pardon, as I must see the other horses, too. And many visitors have had the same experience!

Sadly, her little family passed one winter leaving her alone in the herd. After her mother was gone, she stood apart in the snow for weeks looking towards the Cheyenne River valley. It did not seem that she could be comforted, but needed the time to stand solitary.

Fortunately, now Josefina has family again—young Sulphurs introduced to the herd in 2015. Kasey, Ellie, and a bay friend often trail her path. Josefina is the new matriarch. I see more kicks and squeals out of her as if she is picking up where Little Blue Aster left off.

It is obvious that Josefina has a cultural understanding. Her wild horse family has a culture: one that is nurturing and passed through generations. Join us Thursday December 13th to celebrate National Day of the Horse and revisit another wild horse family living at the Sanctuary.

Donate hay and cake for the breakfast buffet.