Wild Horses of Aus

A few hundred horses live wild on the gravel plains west of Aus, in country that gets almost no rain, drinking at a borehole at Garub that is maintained for them. How they got there is not settled: theories involve German military horses abandoned in 1915, a stud farm at Duwisib, and animals scattered by wartime disruption, and the truth is probably a mixture. A hide overlooks the waterhole and the herd comes in through the day. Numbers have crashed in drought years.

What you actually see

• The herd - feral horses coming to the Garub borehole through the day.
• The hide - a shelter at the waterhole for watching without disturbing them.
• The gravel plains - open desert country the horses survive on.
• The disputed origin - several competing explanations, none settled.

When to go

March to October is the cooler window. Horses come to water through the day, with mornings and late afternoons busiest. Drought years reduce the herd sharply and sightings with it.

Honest expectations

Numbers fell severely in the droughts of recent years and the population has been much reduced. Approaching or feeding the horses is harmful and prohibited. There is no shade on the plains beyond the hide.

Nearby

Aus is east, and Luderitz is west on the coast.