About 500 years ago, Spanish explorers brought horses back to North America. Some of these horses escaped and thrived in their ancestral home. Today, feral horses animals that have escaped from captivity again run wild and free in the American West. Sadly, horses and their relatives seem to be an endangered race. Only one true wild horse still survives mostly in zoos.
Wild asses are also very rare, as are some zebras.
Fossils in Our Lives Like most state fossils, the Hagerman Horse has little practical value. It simply contributes to our knowledge of the past and makes us anxious to learn more. However, the Hagerman Horse is different from most state fossils in that it has close relatives living today. In fact, some scientists think the Hagerman Horse may be a link between prehistoric horses and modern horses. More than a cousin, it may the ancestor of the horses people admire today.