Seeing a herd of glossy feral horses galloping through a parched desert plain might make you think you’ve teleported into a scene straight out of the American Old West. Blink your eyes once and you’ll realise, somehow, you’re still in the southern African country of Namibia. One of the most mythical creatures on the continent, the Namib Desert Horse has miraculously tamed the world’s oldest desert and made it a haven.
For all horse lovers, and even just the wild at heart, seeing wild horses evokes a feeling of unbounded freedom. Namibia’s small population of wild horses is no exception. They pull on our heartstrings even more so, as they have not only survived living in the desert but thrived here.
Horses are not native to Southern Africa. The climatic conditions here are untypical for equines. Horses were imported by the European immigrants with the settlement of Southern Africa. Normally wild horses are not found throughout southern Africa as the climatic conditions are not typical for horses to live in.
An attraction in the southern part of the Namib are the Feral Horses of Garub. These horses have successfully bypassed their role as working or breeding horses. Need another reason to visit Namibia and the oldest desert in the world?
The Namib feral horse population is probably the only herd of wild horses that survives in Africa. Today the last population of Namib feral horses is protected by the Namibia Wild Horse Foundation.
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The Namibs, as the free horses of the Namib Desert are called, hold a powerful fascination for horse and nature lovers. One of the most mythical creatures on the continent, the Namib Desert Horse has miraculously tamed the world’s oldest desert and made it a haven. There’s no reason a horse should flourish in the intense heat and dryness - and yet, these do.
Namib Desert Horses at a waterhole. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Origins and Theories
Similar to the American mustang, the horses living wild in Namibia are said to be the offspring of European domestic horses that have run wild. There are different theories about the origin of today's wild horses, but there is no consensus.
Different theories regarding the origin of these horses exist. It is certain that the horses are no true wild horses, but that they originate from domestic horses. But from which ones?
Nature conservationists agree that the Namib horses originate from domestic horses, but the history of their precise origins is complex and uncertain.
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- One theory is that diamond prospectors brought horses more than a century ago to since-abandoned mining fields.
- Horses were bred as working and racing horses in the Namib Desert area. Here, animals could have escaped or been set free.
- Another theory, says author and historian Manni Goldbeck, is that they arrived with South African soldiers, who landed in Luderitz in 1915. The troops were bombed by the German troops they were pursuing, scattering the horses into the Namib Desert, where they remained.
- Alternatively, the horses may have escaped from South African soldiers during the First World War. German planes bomb the South African camps. It is estimated that 1,700 of the 6,000 stationed horses survived and found their way into the desert.
- Another theory on the origin of the wild horses refers to the stranding of a German baron at the end of the 19th century, who had bored horses, among other things.
According to another hypothesis, the wild horses originate from the German army infantry, the so called ‘Schutztruppe’. This second hypothesis goes that some of their horses were possibly let loose or went astray during the retreat from the South African army in 1915. Against this hypothesis there is the theory of the historian Manni Goldbeck who considers horses descendants of South African ancestors. According to his theory the animals were transported to Namibia by South African soldiers, who in 1915 occupied Luderitz. Subsequently, the South African troops were bombed by German forces, scattering horses across the coastal desert of Namibia, where they joined together to create a small herd.
After the latest research, where the historian Water Rusch and the tourism entrepreneur Mannfred Goldbeck from Namibia deserve mentioning, the following theory has been developed: the stud horses of the breeding farm at Duwisib and Kubub had many resemblances. These specific characteristics, especially amongst the Kremplin stud, one can still find today amongst the feral horses. Thus these horses must have met with the majority of South African horses in the mountains of Aus.
Historically, in Southern Namib the first breeders of horses were Hansheinrich Von Wolf at Duwisib and Emil Kremplin at Kubub in studs located near the Garub area. Feral horses might, therefore, originate from horses that went astray during the war that broke out in 1915.
Whatever their origin, the horses eventually gathered in the plains of Garub, near Aus, where an artificial water source stood.
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Adaptation and Survival
These horses have not only survived for over a century in a harsh desert, but they have thrived! Finding themselves in the waterless expanses of the Namib Desert, they adapted their behaviour to drink less regularly, tolerate a certain amount of dehydration and eat the local vegetation.
Africas Wild West - Stallions Of The Namib Desert | Wild Africa
Two main factors have favoured the survival of the horses. With the discovery of the first diamond in 1908 and the establishment of the huge Restricted Diamond Areas, which expanded up to 100 km from the coast inland, the area of Garub where the majority of the feral horses stayed became restricted to everybody, including hunters and horse traders. Thus the feral horses had 80 years time to adapt to the harsh environment and to live undisturbed.
The Namibs have developed into a new breed of their own throughout the decades. Today one mentions an own species, the “Namib”.
The other factor was the existence of a borehole at Garub that supplied the nearby railway line with water. Today the horses can be viewed from a shelter put up against the heat close to the water hole. This has also been made possible by the integration of 350 km² of the Restricted Diamond Area 2 into the Namib Naukluft Park in 1986.
Wild horses in the Namib Desert. Source: National Geographic
Facts About the Namib Desert Horse
- The Namib Desert Horse is considered an exotic species.
- The Namib Desert Horse population is the only herd of feral horses in the whole of Africa, and its group size ranges from somewhere between 90 and 150 individuals. The horses live in a 350 square kilometre stretch of the desert.
- The herd, known as a “breeding group”, is comprised of one or two stallions, a few mares and a number of foals. These groups are led by a mare, who decides when to move and when to stop.
- This breed of horse is remarkably hardy - it has to be, because the Namib Desert, though beautiful, is harsh and difficult terrain. Despite all this, the horses are in near-perfect health despite an environment that would be extremely stressful to any other breed.
- The Namib Desert Horse is one of the most genetically isolated groups of horse in the world. After decades of testing, their origin still remains unclear. Of course, there are theories. Their closest family is the Shagya Arabian, a Hungarian horse breed which had been imported into Southern Africa during Namibia’s period of German colonisation. Interestingly, though, the feral horses don’t at all resemble the Shagya Arabian in appearance.
- Horses weren’t exactly made for the desert - but these ones are managing just fine, thank you. During times of water scarcity, they can go without water for 30 hours in summer. In winter, they can manage water-free for a full 72 hours.
- Athletic and muscular in build the Namib Desert Horse is also very strong-boned.
- The hyena poses the biggest threat to foals, but the mare can always be relied upon to protect her young. It’s the stallion who deals with threats to the herd as a whole - but, these threats are minimal.
Social Behavior and Challenges
Today’s population counts between 250 and 300 animals. Since 1993 the number and the behaviour of the horses are being documented by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. In years of drought the numbers may decline rapidly, as was the case in 1992 and 1998/99.
The social behaviour of the horses is adapted to external conditions. It has been reported that the horses delay the energy-sapping rotation between feeding grounds and water hole. One or two stallions together with about 20 mares and foals form a breeding herd. The alpha male decides when the herd leaves for the feeding ground or the water hole. It has been observed that the alpha can change frequently. One reason is the absence of predators, thus no dominant males rule over a longer period of time. Is a foal threatened by a jackal for example, the mother will take care of it; the stallion only assists by shielding the whole herd. Although hierarchy fights between stallions exist they hardly ever lead to serious injuries.
The drought determines the whole life of these animals. Not only food but also reproduction is defined by it. Offspring are only born when there is enough food to ensure their survival. In July, when it is winter in Namibia, foals are born after 11 months of pregnancy.
In good years, up to 280 horses gather at the waterhole of Garub. In bad ones, it is less than 100. If the Namibs’ population drops below 50, the survival of their species is in danger.
Conservationists have different opinions on whether the Namibs are worth protecting. Opponents argue that the introduced species would stress fragile ecosystems, displace native animals and wipe out sensitive plants.
In 1986, 350 square kilometres of the former diamond restricted area were incorporated into the Namib-Naukluft Park. Today, the wild horses are still one of the leading tourist attractions in the southwest of the country and thus provide income and jobs in the country.
Threats and Conservation Efforts
In recent years the total number of desert horses has been subject to fluctuations, while the number of foals has drastically decreased, not only because of the severe drought, but also due to occurrence of spotted hyenas around Garub area. Numerous attacks by spotted hyenas in fact were recorded in 2019.
Following attacks by hyenas, officials from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) decided to kill some spotted hyenas. The intervention raised a protest from many conservationists since the spotted hyena's national conservation status is classified as ‘vulnerable’ in the country.
Drought is a key factor in the conflict (no rain in Namibia fell between 2012 and 2018), because it determines the movement of animals towards water supply sources. With an average annual rainfall of 100 mm and a single pool of water, wild animals are in a constant battle for survival.
In view of this situation, the Namibian Wild Horses Foundation (NWHF) is urging public assistance in funding the establishment of a second water supply at Garub (Garub 2) that could be crucial for the future of feral horses.
The Namibia Wild Horses Foundation (NWHF) was registered as a non-profit foundation in 2012 after a group of passionate individuals saw the need to protect the last remaining wild horses in Namibia. NWHF has conducted research and long-term monitoring for almost 30 years, keeping careful records of the lives and deaths of the Namibs.
The main aim of the Foundation has always been the horses’ quality of life, and to this end it advises the relevant Ministry in assisting with feeding programmes in times of drought as well as infrastructure maintenance where required. NWHF works with researchers to understand the link between the horses and predators in this region.
The Foundation has, in co-operation with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) and with donor funding, been able to provide supplementary feeding for the horses during two protracted periods of extreme drought.
In raising awareness for the horses, the Foundation has funded speed reduction signage on the main highway between Luderitz and Aus. This is an area where the horses often cross between natural grazing and the waterhole and where they area at risk.
The Foundation has been instrumental in bringing awareness regarding the risks pertaining to the horses and, as a result, a management plan was drafted by MEFT in 2019.
While the horses roam freely, they are not officially recognised as wildlife and as such are not supported by the Nature Conservation Ordinance. However, the through pressure from Wild Horses Foundation, the horses have received recognition as a national treasure.
The Foundation raises funds through donations, including a percentage of the sale of branded clothing and a percentage of the sale of a book: Wild Horses in the Namib Desert by Mannfred Goldbeck, Ron Swilling and Telané Greyling. To receive and administer funds for use to the benefit of the wild horses.
NWHF responded to MEFT’s request to rebuild the historic Garub 1 drinking trough which has been out of order for some time. At the same time, the failing water system at Garub 2 was upgraded with additional solar panels and leaking pipe connections replaced. This was all accomplished with local donor funding.
Logo of the Namibia Wild Horses Foundation
Visiting the Namib Desert Horses
To get to Garub one hast to travel along the B4 from Aus to Lüderitz. Today the horses can be viewed from a shelter put up against the heat close to the water hole.
Not far from the watering-place at Garub, which is the Namibs' centre of life, a wooden shelter has been erected from which the wild horses can be observed, protected from the heat.
If you’d like the chance to see these incredible horses for yourselves, you can join our Wild Horses Ride in Namibia - A fast paced, adrenaline filled ride covering the vast open desert that these horses call home. This is an adventure like no other; from the iconic dune sea of the Namib Desert to the edge of the stunning Sperrgebiet National Park, this ride traverses land previously unexplored and you will pioneer trails across spectacularly contrasting desert landscapes.
You will cross some of the best riding terrain in the world, covering vast grassy plains, passing the inselbergs (island mountains) and encountering herds of desert-adapted game. The journey ends at Klein Aus Vista close to the home of the Wild Horses of the Namib - an unforgettable end to what will have no doubt been an unforgettable ride in Namibia. And if this one ride isn’t enough, we have 4 other amazing rides in Namibia that you can tick off your bucket list.
To get to Garub one hast to travel along the B4 from Aus to Lüderitz.
The early morning scene at Garub is one that I have come to cherish through years of research on these horses. By then, they had lived as a wild population in the desert for more than fifty years. When the Garub hide was built in 1993, visiting the wild horses became one of the highlights of passing through southern Namibia for many a traveller.
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