Once-domesticated horses abandoned on old mining sites in Eastern Kentucky have been roaming free for decades, and their growing population is now straining the land.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Wild horses roam near a former surface mine in Breathitt County, Ky., on Friday, July 11, 2025. (Ryan C.

Herald-Leader columnist Linda Blackford holds Kentucky lawmakers and public figures responsible for their actions, highlighting the challenges faced by the state’s institutions and communities. In ...

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Colorado does not have a wild horse problem as a recent Denver Post headline states. The real issue lies with the meat industry’s grip on our public lands.

Wild horses roam near a former surface mine in Breathitt County, Ky., on Friday, July 11, 2025. Ryan C. Hermens rhermens@herald-leader.com Kentucky likes to call itself the Horse Capital of the World.