The Gathering

In western Alberta, small herds of wild horses still roam freely through the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. We often call them “Wildies.” Some of these horses are believed to trace back to the 1930s, when work horses were turned loose after coal mines and logging camps in the west country shut down during the Depression. Over the years, other escaped or abandoned horses joined them, which helps explain the mix of breeds now seen within the herds.

On this particular day, west of Sundre, Alberta, we came upon something truly unforgettable. Three separate bands of wild horses had gathered together in one meadow, creating a breathtaking scene of more than 50 horses, the largest number we had ever seen in one place. We stood for hours simply watching their world unfold before us. Stallions challenged one another in powerful displays, mares grazed peacefully through the meadow, and foals rested quietly among the wildflowers.

That evening, after returning home, we could not stop thinking about what we had witnessed. Hoping for one more glimpse, we headed back out the very next day. But after hours of searching the same area, not a single horse was in sight. The bands had separated and moved on, as wild horses so often do. That is often the way with these remarkable “Wildie's” that call Alberta home, here one day, gone the next, leaving behind only the memory of a rare and beautiful encounter.

- Stan Masters

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