Читать книгу Know Your Horses - Jack Byard - Страница 10

Characteristics

Size: 11 hands (122 cm). Colour: Mainly grey but also black and brown; many have pale underbellies and most have the dun factor, the dorsal stripe and cross, leg stripes, and a dark outline to the ears.

The Spanish introduced the burro to the southwestern deserts of America in the 16th century. As a pack animal it was in great demand—in such arid countryside it has the ability to endure low-quality forage and little water and can survive a water loss of up to 30 percent of its body weight, replenishing it with a five-minute drink. Humans, by comparison, would struggle with a 10 percent loss and take a full day to recover. The old prospectors who crisscrossed the desert searching for gold and silver relied on the sturdy burro to carry all their supplies. In many cases a burro would outlive a prospector in the harsh desert conditions. The life was not glamorous.

In 1971 Congress unanimously passed the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (WFRHBA), giving federal protection to the wild burro and mustang population. The act made it illegal to harass, brand, capture, or cause death to these animals.