NATURE: American Horses

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV / Watch now with KPBS Passport!

Mustang. Morgan. Appaloosa. Quarter Horse. Each of America’s horses has a unique story to tell. From New England homesteads to cattle ranches in Wyoming to tribal lands in the Mountain West, see how the horse is part of this nation’s history in NATURE “American Horses,” with narration by Bill Pullman.

Discover the origin story of American horses, which can be traced all the way back to the 50-million-year-old fossil beds of Polecat Bench, Wyoming. From these ancient beginnings, Equus spread around the globe, but mysteriously went extinct in North America. Arriving aboard ships of Spanish explorers, horses reclaimed the continent after a 10,000-year absence. With their return, the stage was set for a new generation of American breeds and a lifelong partnership with humans.

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Mike and Tara Miller riding horses on their 5th generation cattle ranch. Miller Ranch, Big Piney, Wyo.

Courtesy of Jeff Reed / The WNET Group and TMFS GmbH

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A brown and white horse in a ranch pasture at sunset. Eagle Mount Ranch, Mont.

Courtesy of Eric Bendick / The WNET Group and TMFS GmbH

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A group of horses standing in a dust storm.

Courtesy of Shutterstock / Wesley Aston

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Close up of Nez Perce girl dressed in regalia, petting her Appaloosa horse in the forest. Nez Perce Tribal Land, Idaho.

Courtesy of Jeff Reed / The WNET Group and TMFS GmbH

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A brown wild mustang yearling bends down in a summer lupine flower field in the mountains. Pryor Mountains, Mont.

Courtesy of Jeff Reed / The WNET Group and TMFS GmbH

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Two brown wild mustang stallions prepare to fight in a summer lupine flower field during mating season. Pryor Mountains, Mont.

Courtesy of Jeff Reed / The WNET Group and TMFS GmbH

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A young, wild mustang standing in a mountain field during summer. Pryor Mountains, Mont.

Courtesy of Jeff Reed / The WNET Group and TMFS GmbH

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A roan wild mustang mare stands with her new black foal against a pale blue sky. Pryor Mountains, Mont.

Courtesy of Jeff Reed / The WNET Group and TMFS GmbH

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A white wild mustang walks through a backlit field of flowers in the mountains. Pryor Mountains, Mont.

Courtesy of Jeff Reed / The WNET Group and TMFS GmbH

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Narrator Bill Pullman on a horse on his Montana ranch.

Courtesy of © Ami Vitale

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Two brown horses running through dirt.

Courtesy of Shutterstock / jacotakepics

A combination of natural selection, selective breeding, and chance created the wide spectrum of more than 100 American horse breeds we know today. Emerging from regional patterns of work, culture, tradition and geography, these signature breeds each made their mark on the nation.

Meet the Appaloosa, bred and revered by the Nez Perce tribe; the American Quarter Horse, perfectly trained to work the open range; the Morgan Horse, whose underdog story is legendary; and the wild Mustang, whose close bonds within their community shed insight into their relationships with humans. Witness vivid scenes of incredible horsepower, whether they are cutting cows in a sagebrush sea, galloping through autumn foliage in New England or racing across the Pony Express Trail.

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Credits:

A production of Grizzly Creek Films and The WNET Group in co-production with Terra Mater Factual Studios. The program is written and produced by Eric Bendick. Thomas Winston is producer. Narrated by Bill Pullman. NATURE is a production of The WNET Group. Fred Kaufman is executive producer. Bill Murphy is series producer. Janet Hess is series editor. Danielle Broza is digital content & strategy lead.