Fish Creek HMA

Typically, the wild horses found in the Fish Creek HMA are medium in size, reaching approximately 14-14.2 hands (56-58 inches at the withers) and weigh an average of 800-1000 pounds. The dominant color within the HMA is roan (blue, red, strawberry), with other colors present including palomino, buckskin, grulla, sorrel, gray, brown and bay. The origin of wild horses in the Fish Creek HMA most likely descended from stock used by ranchers in the area, and are speculated to have originated from Quarter Horse stock. Curly horses can be found in the HMA and it is thought that these horses may be descendants of curly horses brought into the United States to Eureka, Nevada in the late 1800’s by Tom Dixon. The suspected origin of the Curly Horse in the Eureka area is documented in the book, The Dameles and the American Curly Horse by Dale E. Wooley. Though limited in number, there are still curly horses present in the HMA today, and it is the goal of the MLFO to preserve the curly traits in this HMA.

During the 2005 wild horse gather, blood was drawn for genetics analysis. Only 23 samples were submitted for analysis. The genetics analysis report concluded that the genetic variation was high with indications of mixed ancestry. The highest similarity of the Fish Creek HMA was to Old World Spanish breeds, but no strong allelic indication of Spanish ancestry, with similar values to all cold blood horse groups. Due to the small sample size taken at the time, and the fact that hair samples are the standard method for analysis, a large sample size will be needed for additional genetics analysis.

Location: The Fish Creek HMA is located just a few miles south of Eureka, Nevada in the Antelope and Little Smokey Valleys and in the Antelope and Fish Creek Mountains. 

Size: The area consists of 250,244 acres of BLM land and 2,527 acres of a mix of private and other public lands for a total of 252,771 acres.

Topography/Vegetation: The area is 25 miles wide and 28 miles long. The majority of the HMA is comprised of north-south trending mountain ranges that include all or portions of the Fish Creek Range, the Mahogany Hills, and the Antelope Range. Elevations range from 6,030 feet in the wide valley bottoms, reaching 10,100 feet at Nine Mile Peak. 

AML:  107-180