The Wild Horses Of The Virginia Range, Nevada

America is home to a large number of wild native horses, many of which are descendants of domesticated horses who were lost or let loose, these have have gone on to form wild herds throughout the unsettled lands of the USA. Nevada is home to nearly half the country`s free roaming wild horses in America, and the most densely populated region of the state is the Virginia Range.

This wild heard is often referred to as `Annie`s Horses` taken from the name from `Wild Horse Annie` who campaigned to protect these wild horses, a campaign that lasted decades cumulated in the The 1959 `Wild Horse Annie Act` (P.L. 86-234) was named after her.

A number of movies have been filmed on the Virginia range including the 1961 movie The Misfits staring Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe which documented the cruelty of the wild horses of the Virginia Range.

Marilyn Monroe riding a horse during the filming of `The Misfits`

Marilyn Monroe riding a horse during the filming of The Misfits

Although much publicity was raised against the mistreatment of the Virginia wild horses and Wild Horse Annie being a native of stare the 1959 Wild Horse Annie Act actually excluded the herds of The Virginia range, and these horse were still regularly herded and captured for slaughter, in 1993 Storey County finally passed an ordinance prohibiting mustanging because of public outcry and zero tolerance for this senseless tradition.

Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary - A horse charity that is dedicated to the survival and conservation of the wild horses of the Virginia Range. The federal government continue to do roundups of the wild herds in the State, Return to Freedom have a number of sanctuaries that prove a safe haven they also provide an educational program to the public all about the wild horses of the USA.