The wild horses of Namibia

These very adjustable horses have managed to survive for more than 100 years in the heat of the Namib Desert where there is no shade and temperatures reach 45 degrees C (113 degrees F). In the small town of Garub, 20 km west of Aus these wild horses can be observed even today.

The sun relentlessly scorches this amazing desert landscape of the Namib Desert – it is hard to believe that any creature can live at temperatures of around 45 degrees for any length of time or even survive.

But they managed to do just that: The wild horses of Namibia, the Namib Horses, have lived in this area for more than 100 years and without any human assistance. These feral horses were able to develop in almost complete isolation, and today we can speak of them as a separate breed, the “Namibs”.

The answer to this question was controversial for a long time. It was certain only that there were originally no wild horses in the Namib Desert; therefore the horses had to have been introduced with human help.

Some believe that they originated from a cargo ship, loaded with horses and other livestock that arrived in the late 19t century about 25 km south of the mouth of the Orange River (200 km from Garub).

Others mention the horse breeding station of Hansheinrich von Wolf (at Duwisib Castle, 250 km northeast of Garub). But a farm manager was continuously stationed there in the First World War during Wolf’s absences and after his death. Nothing in the books indicates that any horses had gone missing even into the late thirties, whereas the wild horses near Garub were mentioned in the 1920s already.

Where to stay while visiting the wild horses of Namibia

Near the southern city of Aus, there is a herd of wild horses known as the Namib Desert Horse. They are thought to be some of the last remaining herd of wild horses left in Africa. If you want to see the wild horses a great place to spend the night and get more info on the horses is at Klein-Aus Vista Desert Horse Campsite.