Unexpected Company on the Mountain Trail
Today I had one of the most curious encounters in the wild.
Every Sunday, I take some time off to visit my family and enjoy the outdoors with my dog, Nasus, usually by hiking the nearby mountain trails. We often spot signs of local wildlife during these walks, though usually from afar. Today, however, I had the rare chance to encounter two feral horses up close.
I’m not a horse specialist, although I know enough to ride, so I can’t say for sure what breed they were. They looked like Garranos, but they were larger than Garranos typically are, so perhaps a cross with a Lusitano horse. Regardless, they were beautiful animals, standing around 1.65 m at the withers and looking very healthy.
I first noticed them about 100 meters away from the trail, or rather, Nasus did. He froze mid-step and stared ahead. I decided to step off the path and slowly get closer to try to take a better picture of the duo.
The horses were grazing and didn’t move when I approached, even with Nasus at my side. The best part, though, happened after I took the picture. When I turned away to return to the trail, both horses followed me.
Two feral horses on the trail
To be honest, I got a bit tense at first, especially when I realized they were right behind me. I picked up the pace, but so did they, walking in a perfect line behind me. There’s no outrunning a horse, so I turned back and gently tried to spook them away. The first horse jumped back, and I thought that was it, that they’d return to where they came from or rejoin their herd. But as soon as I turned back toward the trail home, they started following me again.
As the trail neared the main road, close to a spot where we’ve seen a large herd before, I figured they’d stop there. I’d never seen horses venture past the main road. I tried one last “shoo, go back” before crossing, but instead they simply circled around and crossed the road about thirty meters away, then rejoined the path behind me.
At this point, Nasus gave me that classic Border Collie “what on earth are you doing?” look, and I just thought, alright, let’s go home, they’ll turn back eventually. So, for the last 500 meters of the trail, we walked in single file: Nasus scouting ahead, me in the middle, and the two horses calmly following behind.
I warned my fiancée that we were bringing some unexpected guests her way and snapped a few pictures of the moment.
The horses following down the trail
Catarina met me near the gate to her parents’ farm. As we stopped, so did the horses. They began grazing on the tall grass by the roadside. My future in-laws came out to see them and recorded the moment. Never before had the feral horses come this close to the houses, so it was a remarkable event for everyone.
After a few minutes of admiration, and one failed attempt to touch one of them, we went inside. The horses stayed by the gate for a while, grazing peacefully, and by the time I checked again a couple of hours later, they were gone. Back to the mountain, I hope, and safely to their herd.
It was quite a special moment. At first, there was that rush of adrenaline, two wild horses towering behind me on the trail. But after a deep breath and a calm step forward, it turned into something else entirely. A kind of quiet harmony with nature, walking home to the rhythm of hooves on dirt and the sound of wind in the trees, with my loyal companion leading the way, completely unbothered that this wasn’t the same group that had left the house earlier.
I always enjoy my walks with Nasus through the wild, but this one will stay with me for a long time. I can only hope that one day we get to see these amazing creatures again on that same mountain trail.
Nasus, proud of his finding
Update 15/11
I actually found them again, or at least I’m quite sure I did.
Today I took Nasus on another stroll through the mountains. There’s a path we often follow that crosses to the other side of the ridge and rewards us with an incredible view of the valley. Despite the rain, we still ventured out, walking through low clouds drifting across the slopes. That trail happens to intersect the exact spot where we first encountered the horses.
And on our way back, there they were, our old friends. Soaked from the rain, but unmistakable. Judging by the mark on the right front leg and the shape of the head, I’m almost certain it was the same pair. They were climbing up through the same section as before and stepped onto the trail right in front of us.
Two very wet but familiar faces
Just like last time, they approached us calmly, though this time they didn’t follow. Nearby was a small pile of something I’m still not entirely sure about, but whatever it was, they seemed absolutely delighted with it. So Nasus and I let them enjoy their feast and headed back home.
Still, it made my day to cross paths with this duo again. It’s always something special to meet them up close.