This truly wild horse has a primitive, yet stoic structure. The build is stocky with short legs. Its coat coloring is like the dun color of domestic horses. Its mane is erect, and the legs of the Przewalski typically have faint stripes. The horse, the only remaining primitive breed of the horses considered to be the foundation of all horses today, is actually quite different from the modern domestic horse, and not just in appearance. A Przewalski Horse, or Asian Wild Horse, has 66 chromosomes, not the 64 found in the typical contemporary equine.

The Przewalski lives in groups that have a dominant stallion and a lead mare. There are other mares and their babies in this group as well. They typically have a home range that is well defined, and they often travel three to six miles per day. They spend their time drinking, grazing, dozing and utilizing salt licks. In the evenings, they will sleep in herd clusters for approximately four hours. There is usually no conflict between overlapping herds because the stallion is more interested in protecting his mares than his territory.

Native populations declined in the twentieth century due to culling, progressing modernization, and hunting for meat. In 1945, there were just two captive populations that lived in the Prague and Munich Zoo. It wasn’t until 1977 that a foundation was developed for the preservation and protection of this symbol of equine freedom.

In the Ukraine, there is a vigorous program to repopulate the wild with these horses. Unlike Mustangs that are considered feral in the United States, the Przewalski is a truly wild breed and the horses are not escapees from ranches or farms. In 2005, the Przewalski was reclassified as “endangered” from their previous category of “extinct in the wild.”

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