The free ranging wild horses of Patagonia are called criollos. They were brought to Argentina in 1535 by Spanish settlers and were bred from Andalusians. Hundreds now roam wild on the Patagonian Steppe and are considered native to Argentina.
My husband and I were out exploring one day deep into the steppe on a dirt road when we faced a herd of oncoming traffic moving at great speed.
We stopped the car and I got out as the criollos streamed around us and I got these shots. It was a thrilling sight!
The criollos have the best long distance endurance of any breed next to the Arabians.
They are hardy and able to live in harsh conditions and withstand the severe Patagonian winters.
By nature they are said to be tractable, intelligent and sensible.
We saw herds of them all over the steppe, sometimes at great distances. It was wonderful to see such beautiful horses wild and free!
Cheers to you from the horsey Holler!
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They are beautiful horses,who owns them Cindy?
In Argentina there are vast estancias or ranches, huge many thousand acre estates. It is possible that some horses are owned by the estancias and managed by the gauchos or ranch hands. But much of the steppe is wild and free as are many of the horses. Hope that answers my friend~
I love the picture of the horses running toward you. That is an awesome picture. Holler is a photographer heaven!
It was definitely a thrilling moment to watch them split and stream around us! Beautiful creatures!
These horses are so beautiful. I love horses…..thank you for sharing.
Thank you for loving them!
beautiful visions
of freedom 🙂
Interesting about the origins of your horses. There is a breed of pure-bred wild horses of Spanish origin dating from c1500 on Abaco, Bahamas. 20 years ago 35 remained. 2 or 3 years ago there were 2 stallions and 3 mares. Now, sadly, there is one mare left in the world… RH
Oh man that is heartbreaking. I had no idea there were wild horses on Abaco. I guess the past tense is required. How sad~
That is truly sad.
They are amazingly beautiful, Cindy, and so are your shots.
You are very kind and I am so glad you enjoyed!
gorgeous horses — love the painting-like effect of your photos! 🙂
That was my prior camera…..it didn’t have quite the zoom of my current one but I still loved it! Thank you~
So beautiful! That must have been an incredible thing to see. 😀
Yes. It was a complete thrill. Everyday in Patagonia was a complete thrill. It is that sort of pinch me I’m here, place!
Very beautiful and very special! 🙂
We are in accordance about horses! Thank you~
Interesting info and great photos! Blessings, Natalie 🙂
Cheers to you Natalie~
Wonderful. All things should be free! And no one is until everyone is.
I agree! Don’t ask for whom the bell tolls…..It is marvelous to see horses free!
Wow! The horses are gorgeous and the scenery is breathtaking!
So happy you are back to blogging and very happy you like the horses! Cheers to you and can’t wait for your trip posts~
Beautiful! they are so majestic aren’t they?
Yes that is exactly the right word!
They are handsome, intelligent, sensible, majestic…! These are incredible captures, especially the thrilling sight!
Aren’t they beautiful! Beautiful wild horses in a beautiful wild place! Cheers to you Amy~
You do a great job at outdoing yourself! 😉
Laughing….the horses did it for me!!!
These pictures take my breath away. I get to see this on a daily basis from my back door. I love it!!!
You lucky duck! I would love it too!!
It is truly uplifting to see animals wild and free. The first time I saw two parrots flying overhead in the wild, my heart jumped for them – no cages, no artificial food, free as nature had intended them to be.
Oh yes!!! I had exactly the same joyous feeling in Australia and the Amazon. Parrot species I had only seen in cages, costing 1000’s of dollars, were flying, flocking and walking around!! I was speechless! So wonderful~
Aren’t they gorgeous. Wish all animals could roam freely. Food for the heart. Lovely photos.
Cheers to you and hope your shelter wins the grant! You certainly deserve it!
Magnificent animals .Civilization ‘s acknowledges their services to the humans. Great post.jalal
Yes we owe them a remarkable debt! Magnificent creatures. Thank you Jalal~
Cindy, what is your policy about using your pictures?
Beautiful shots of the horses!
My policy is I am honored if you use them! Thank you!
Gorgeous! what a breathtaking view …
I have only seen them in photos, I would love to
see them in their natural state of being
Thank you for sharing….Beautiful photographs…
Take Care…You Matter…
)0(
maryrose
Wasn’t it remarkable! They enhanced the already amazing scenery. You comments are very kind~
What beautiful work….yet again…Cindy. So inspiring on many fronts.
Ahhh, so nice, thank you Gary!
Oh, how fabulous. As all wild things are, so free and stirring. I bet your heart was racing, and still you managed to get great photos. Well done.
Yes it was a fantastic adrenalin moment! Thank you Brenda~
Absolutely beautiful! Horses are such magnificent animals. It must be really awesome to see them running free like that. Thank you for sharing these photos 🙂
I am just very glad you enjoyed it! Cheers to you~
Amazing shot of the horses kicking up dust coming towards you! And the pictures with the mountains in the background soaring high, are breathtaking!
Patagonia is simply breathtaking everywhere you look! I hope you visit someday Halim~
It’s hard to imagine such large numbers of horses running wild and free. It stirs the heart, Cindy. Lovely shots of these magnificent creatures.
So glad it stirred your heart too Don! It certainly did mine~
Stunning photos, Cindy. What a special experience. Patagonia is on my bucket list and now I am even more keen to go. All the best.
You will be SO grateful you went. It is a magical place that is not to be missed! Cheers to you and thanks too~
Wow! I’d whistle the marlboro theme if I know how to whistle. Great shots ma’am
The horses seem to be in very good condition. So perhaps someone keeps an eye on them and makes sure they are in good health.
Patagonia is unbelieveably rich and verdant….similar to NZ in this way, so they have plenty to eat in the summer months. The winter is what surprises me! Hundreds of them roam wild but many also are in corrals, so it’s a little of both I guess. I never saw a horse that looked unhealthy though~
And speaking of New Zealand, did you see our wild horses when you were here? http://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/kaimanawa.html If not, you definitely have to return to take photos 😉
NOOOO! I missed them! That settles it. I HAVE to go back! Gorgeous~
Cindy, what beautiful horses! It must have been a wonderful experience seeing them roaming around free. Great pictures. Thank you for sharing. Hugs! Veraiconica
Hugz back to you and I am so happy you enjoyed the wild horses!
Absolutely wonderful Cindy! I love horses! Like you – when I was a teenager, I chosed my little pony before boys and party on saturday nights! Thank you for those lovely pictures!
Smart girl! The pony would never let you down!
🙂 Exactly!!
What beautiful horses and beautiful photos of them… love this post Cindy…
Makes posting worthwhile! Thank you & cheers too~
Wow. Beautiful photos and a wonderful story to accompany them!
Very happy you think so! Merci beaucoup~
Wunderschön wünsche ein schönes week-end liebe Grüße Gislinde
Danke freundlich! 🙂
Reblogged this on Anything and Everything Possible 4 U and commented:
I love the free spirit that horses have and wish they would quit slaughtering them.
Oh how lovely of you and how very appreciated! Slaughtering wild horses has to be at the top of my list of stupid a** things people do! Thank you for drawing attention to this~
Cindy, I forgot to tell you this in your previous post.
Some Chinese people consider it a very lucky thing if one manages to capture eight horses in one photo. 😀
I thought that you might want to try to capture such a scene if you encounter it. 😀
Okay!! I consider this a new goal! I will errrr….focus on it!!
😀
If you see a Chinese-ink horse painting, count the horses. There is a huge chance that there are 8 horses in it. 😀
(“8 horses” is one of the several popular themes in Chinese art)
I am on the lookout for this now! Thank you Hari~
My kind of horses FREE!!!!
Me three Eunice!
🙂
Lucky you to get so close to those magnificent horses. Fantastic photos Cindy
I knew you would love it!
🙂
Great Photo’s Cindy. I remember seeing wild horses when I lived in Arizona. It is an awesome site to see up close.
Yes!! I have seen them in Az & Nev but at some distance…..still it is always a big thrill!
Dang, I didn’t think to look for the Marlboro Man!! I bet he retired to Patagonia~
Beautiful photography of the horses Cindy. Really enjoyed seeing in their natural setting.
Wonderful isn’t it! No bridles or saddles!
I can hear the thunderous sound of swiftly moving horses, echoing around the World !!!
Oh what marvelous imagery and YES it was quite a thunder!
Stunning!
So glad!!
So majestic. So amazing. Sigh!
We have free range cows a the Holler. I am amazed at how social and intelligent they are. I guess we don’t want to think of cows this way since we tend to eat them……gives one pause~
Their eyes are HAUNTINGLY sweet. (and Chloe is not paying me to say that)!
Where is the “Holler?” I am in Napa. I love rattlesnakes!
The rattlesnakes were photographed quite close to Napa actually but the Holler is in rural SoCal north east of San Diego~
Beautiful photographs, Cindy — and what a wonderful stroke of luck that you came across a stampeding herd and snapped some fantastic photos of them!
It was a pretty amazing kodak moment I admit! LOL. But what is really wonderful is hearing from you!! Hope all is well with you~
It is, and I must say that your winter is looking fabulous if your pictures are any indication! Lol, and I am going to make every effort to get back into the swing of blogging — there’s so much to miss when you get behind!
Well I missed you and I am glad you are back!
Your fantastic posts never cease to amaze me, Cindy! What beautiful creatures these are.
Divine aren’t they! So many living things on this planet are! Cheers to you~
Even the pictures take my breath away. I can imagine how you must have felt seeing the herds roaming free. They are such gorgeous animals.
You and I are in complete accordance. There is nothing better than seeing healthy, happy animals roaming free! Cheers to you Dor~
Beautiful!
Mil grazi~
You know my feelings about horses, Cuz. There aren’t enough words to describe how beautifull, how magnificent these wild horses are. Your pics captured those images much better than any words. Wish I could have been there to see them too. Hugs!
I wish you were too cuz! Cheers to you~
Cindy, your photographs always leave us in awe of the beauty this world has to offer! Magnificent animals, which live life as God intended for them. Free & wild~ This glorious look into their world is unbelievable. What an adventurer you are! You truly do live & breathe your art & it shows in your beautiful pictures. Thank you again for sharing this with all of us & for taking us on these adventures at every corner of the world & back!
People like you are what makes blogging so rewarding and worthwhile. Thank you for your incredibly kind and moving comments. They are so appreciated!