Mustangs | Spirit of the Shrinking West, National Geographic magazine: Wild Horse Herd Drinks At Waterhole
Summer heat brings horses to water on a trek once a day as the herd travels to drink at the waterhole. Bands are led by a mare that is dominant in the hierarchy of the herd. She is called the “dominant mare,” the “lead mare” or “alpha mare.”
A thousand pound horse needs about 10 gallons of water daily. Generally a healthy horse cannot survive more than 7 days without water, and may well develop impaction colic going even 24 hours without water.
The camera was set off by a remote to capture wild horse behavior in a natural setting, although the sound of the shutter draws this curious horse closer for a good look.
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