It’s not every day you see mares and their yearlings roaming freely in residential subdivisions. But over the last couple of years, these types of sightings have become more frequent in the Miller Creek area south of Missoula, Montana.

Bobbie Thompson, Interim Vice President, Miller Creek Horse Alliance: “Two things kind of happened at once. More housing started to be built down there, and it's really developing fast. Also the horses, you know, we don't really know why it could be predators that were after them. It could be, you know, they just found out that, ‘Hey, there's nice lush grass to graze on.’ But they did start going down into the lower Miller Creek area.” 

The herd of about 100 horses roaming around the area are not considered wild because their ancestors were domesticated. 

Area resident Bobbie Thompson says close to her backyard in upper Miller Creek, rodeos used to be held with spectators sitting on the hillside. The only remnants left behind are this street sign and the ranch horses that were either let go or got loose. 

Bobbie Thompson, Interim Vice President, Miller Creek Horse Alliance: “Roughly a year after we moved in, which would have been in 2021, the horses would come up over the hill and graze in the area behind us here, and it was just lovely.” 

Thompson is a professional horse photographer and she didn’t pass up the opportunity to capture the moment. 

For many years, it was unclear as to which government agency had jurisdiction over the horses. In an attempt to help clear up the confusion, the Missoula County Board of Commissioners considered the options.

Among several reasons for adopting a new policy, was a concern about road safety. Residents were worried vehicles colliding with a 1,500 pound horse could send a motorist to the hospital. In September of 2025, one of the stallions from the Miller Creek band was hit by a car and the horse had to be put down. 

Prior to the accident, some residents in the  county had no idea feral horses were moving through local neighborhoods. Following the crash, it became a topic of conversation and there was an increase in calls to law enforcement. 

This incident also resulted in the formation of two Facebook groups. One of them, the Miller Creek Horse Alliance, became a registered nonprofit. 

Thompson serves as the interim vice president of the Horse Alliance board. 

Bobbie Thompson, Interim Vice President, Miller Creek Horse Alliance: “I love having eight or ten, 12 horses in the backyard when they come through. I don't want 50.” 

A part of the alliance’s focus is to inform the public on how to act around the animals. They sent a letter to the school superintendent requesting educational materials be circulated. This included a safety notice that when the horses show up on school grounds, or anywhere near humans, it’s advised to not pet them due to the unpredictable behavior of the animals. Also, to not feed the horses because they can become aggressive and bite or kick. Thompson says staying at least 50 feet away is your best bet. 

Bobbie Thompson, Interim Vice President, Miller Creek Horse Alliance: “If the horses get spooked and that could be something as a loose dog off leash charging at them, a child making, you know, sudden movements, a car driving by and making a loud noise. And in that situation, they're going to flee. It would be a bad situation if a child or a person were in the way when that happens.” 

An official management plan was eventually adopted by the Missoula County Board of Commissioners in late 2025. When developing the policy, the board joined forces with several state agency representatives and experts in land and livestock to assess the situation. Among the public concerns were the possible spread of disease to domestic horses and property damage to fences and lawns. 

Other groups advocated for the horses' freedom and wanted to see the development of a humane management plan because it was almost certain the population would increase. Horse populations can double every 4 to 5 years.

Josh Slotnick is Chair of the Missoula County Board of Commissioners.

Josh Slotnick, Chair, Board of Missoula County Commissioners: “And I'm really proud of it, because we combined sort of scientific expertise with public engagement and really listened to the neighbors. And what we ended up with was something that everybody was pretty happy with.” 

Ultimately, the resolution that was adopted  provides a process to manage conflicts and band population. The measure also paves the way for future installation of permanent warning signs along county roads. 

Private landowners can now alert authorities of a problem horse on their property. Local law enforcement and Department of Livestock inspectors can then determine if the horse is in fact feral and does not belong to someone or has been reported stolen. The animal can then be vaccinated and rehomed by the state, the landowner or a nonprofit. 

Josh Slotnick, Chair, Board of Missoula County Commissioners: “People love horses. They love seeing them on the landscape and that makes them feel good about where they are. And, we can live that way. We just have to be smart about it.” 

For Market to Market, I'm Tammy Scardino.