A life of freedom
The Namib's, as the free horses of the Namib Desert are called, hold a powerful fascination.
Living on the barren plains around Garub on the eastern fringe of the Namib Desert, their origin is shrouded in mystery.
But this is no paradise...
Yet, despite the harsh, arid landscape, they have adapted and survived against all odds
Is it our yearning for all that is wild and free the reason for our deep attraction to the Namib's?
Origins
THE TURMOIL OF WAR
One source of the origin of the Namib's is that the herd stems from the bombing of the Union of South Africa Troops stationed at Garub in 1915. The grazing herds scattered in the ensuing turmoil.
The remarkable similarities in conformation and markings of horses from Emil Kreplin's stud farm at Kubub, just south of Aus, suggests this as another source of their origin. Image left, Emil Kreplin and his wife at Kubub
Herds
Complex Social Structures
The Garub Horses have a complex social structure. The core of a herd is is made up of a breeding group of one or two stallions, several mares and their foals. Occasionally other stallions from casual bachelor group are tolerated in the herd. These 'outsider' or 'peripheral stallion' may follow a herd for several years but are not permitted to interact with the adult mares in the group. The outsiders play an important role in group stability and cohesion acting as a barrier and protecting the group from other bachelor stallions