The desert is renowned for being a hostile barren expanse of land, where very few life forms exist. Plants and animals that live there suffer very hostile environmental conditions. The daytime is usually very hot and the nighttime can be the exact opposite when in a desert.
Due to these conditions, very often only little creatures can be found living there. These plants and animals have developed certain structures; both physiologically and physically which help them survive in such a place as this where only a little food is available to them.
There are also wild horses that live and survive in the desert. So what do wild horses eat in the desert and how do they survive? Do they get enough food to eat? What do they eat? All these questions need answers but in this article, let’s focus on answering the question; what do wild horses eat in the desert?
Horses are omnivores; this means that they eat both plants and animals. But we all know; not all plants and animals can survive in the desert.
Examples of plants that live in the desert are; Ghost plant, Pencil plant, Burro’s tail, Paddle plant, Living stone, Mexican thread grass, Joshua tree, Palo Verde, Tree aloe, Pink Muhly grass, Bastard toadflax, Indigo bush, Mormon tea, Ocotillo, Showy milkweed and more but horses can’t eat some of these plants.
The average horse needs about 5-6 pounds of grass daily to survive but, this amount of grass is not readily available in the desert so these wild horses have adapted to eating a small amount of food daily; at times they eat only about 2 pounds of grass a day.
Below are plants that horses eat in the desert: Wheatgrass, Arrowgrass, Vine, Gramagrass, Curly mesquite, Cheatgrass, Bristlegrass, Burrograss, Tanglehead, St. Augustine grass, Zoysiagrass, Buffalograss hybrids, Bermudagrass, Tall fescue, Ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass.
Wheatgrass
This is one of the grasses that survive in the desert. It belongs to a group of grasses called; common wheat plants. Wheatgrasses are very nutritious, they contain amino acids, chlorophyll, minerals, enzymes, and vitamins like; vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin k, vitamin B6, thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin.
The minerals they contain include; iron, zinc, potassium, selenium, copper, and manganese. This grass serves as a rich source of protein for wild desert horses.
Arrowgrass
This is another grass that grows in the desert. It got its name from its characteristic look. Arrowgrass belongs to the family of grasses called Juncaginaceae. This plant was first talked about scientifically by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753.
Grama grass
This grass belongs to a group of grasses called Bouteloua. The group ‘Bouteloua’ serves as a common group for some perennial and annual grasses. This grass looked like a tall stick with spikes coming out from it. Each of its spikes houses a fertile floret.
Curly mesquite
This is the common name for plants that belong to the genus; Hilaria. They are found in deserts in some parts of Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States.
This plant gains a characteristic look after dispersing its seeds. Its seeds before dispersal stay in the clump of its leaves. The stem of this plant is solid in structure and contains nodes. This characteristic feature makes it quite different from other desert grasses because they have hollow seems.
Cheatgrass
Cheatgrass is an annual grass that emerged from Europe, North Africa, and Southwestern Asia, but today it has spread to different parts of the globe; you can now find it in Japan, Southern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. This plant when found in rainforest areas; is known to grow very fast and so, causes problems for farmers.
It is also known to spread very fast because of its effective seed dispersal system. If it gets to an area, in no time, it will become the dominant plant there.
Bristlegrass
This plant got its name because of its brittle nature. Its name comes from the Latin word septa, which means bristle. This plant is known to do well in desert regions and so, it makes part of wild horses’ diet. Bristlegrass is a common name for up to a hundred different species of grasses. It is found in many temperate and tropical regions worldwide.
In recent times; farmers cultivate this plant to feed their livestock.
Triangle head
This is a very valuable plant that grows naturally in deserts. This plant is sometimes cultivated by farmers. In recent times, the love for this plant has decreased greatly because its seeds have been found to damage sheep’s wool when it sticks to them; it sometimes kills them. This plant put some wool companies in Australia out of business in the past. It is also known to have injured dogs and other animals who brushed against them.
St. Augustine grass
This grass can also be called Buffalo turf or Buffalo grass. It is known to thrive in a hot climate and so, it is not surprising that it grows naturally in deserts. This plant can commonly be found in Australia and South Africa. It is a plant commonly cultivated in subtropical and tropical regions.
This plant can become a problem if it finds its way to your farm because it grows really thick and so is capable of killing other grasses and plants. Its leaves are broad, flat, and dark green.
Zoysiagrass
This is a creeping grass normally found in Australia, Asia, and some islands in the Pacific.
This plant belongs to the genus Zoysia and loves growing in grasslands. This grass is a very tough one because it thrives in very harsh environments; it is even known to grow in deserts. This is one of those plants wild horses eat in the deserts.
Ryegrass
This plant belongs to a larger group of plants under the genus ‘Lolium’. It belongs to the subfamily bluegrass’. This grass grows in clusters that loom like bunches. They are native to North Africa, Europe, and Asia but are commonly cultivated in America, Australia, and some oceanic islands. They are relatives of Festuca.
Tall fescue
‘Tall fescue’ is a common name for plants belonging to Lolium Arundinaceum and Schedonorus arundinaceous species. It is native to Europe and is a perennial grass. This plant is highly cultivated in Europe because it serves as a good source of nutrients for farm animals. It is sometimes also used as ornament grass.
This grass has broad thick leaves which are highly photosynthetic. Its leaves also have parallel veins running within them and edges that are sharp to the touch. The base of its leaves has a characteristic shiny look and the entire leaves grow into bunches.
During growth, its leave first emerges as buds rolled up together, making it different from most other plants. The tips of its leaves are not pointed like the leaves of other grasses; instead, it is blunt. This grows as high as 1.2 m, making it really tall grass.
Final Thoughts
Any wild horses that live in the desert usually suffer starvation. They struggle to find enough plants to eat. The only advantage they have is that they are hardly hunted because most carnivores don’t live in the desert.
