Canyon de Chelly, AZ

DAY 9
FRI 5 OCT 2012

Donkeys and horses roam freely throughout the Canyon - and throughout Navajo land. These animals share a long history with the Diné.

The horses are descendants of livestock brought over by early Spanish raiders and explorers in 1500's, and then abandoned. The Navajo quickly adopted these animals, and honed their horsemanship skills; revolutionizing their culture in terms of trade, transportation, and wealth.

Nowadays, local Navajo guides hire them out to tourists for guided trail rides in the canyon. Some of the horses manage to break free from their captivity, and roam freely - like these guys here. The Navajo don't seem to mind though; they take a benevolent view of these wandering livestock, and let them be.
Then again, the horses know where their food source is - and don't wander too far from their human benefactors.