There's no denying the beauty and power of horses. Those who are lucky enough to meet them in person can't help but be enchanted by their strength, but also their gentleness and sense of fun.
German photographer Wiebke Haas has loved horses all her life and has turned her passion into a career, traveling around and shooting beautiful photos of horses that capture their unique personalities.
But recently, an even bigger dream of Haas' came true when she traveled to Bosnia and stood face-to-face with a herd of wild horses in a truly breathtaking experience.
You might think that wild horses would be intimidating to get near, and Haas thought so too, at least at first.
"Contrary to my expectation to meet animals which are wild and untamed, I found trust, love, and pure curiosity," she says. "Never in my life [have] I felt so comfortable standing in a horse herd."
Set against the gray skies and open landscape with the wind blowing in their manes, the horses look even more magical and majestic. Being wild, they're not perfectly groomed and polished, but it actually makes them all the more beautiful and lends a personal quirk to each one.
Check out her photos below, and let us know your favorite!
[H/T: BoredPanda]
Photographer Wiebke Haas, who specializes in horse photography, recently traveled to Bosnia to capture a herd of wild horses on film.
Haas has always worked with domestic horses, so this experience was a dream come true.
The horses were curious, she says, and would even occasionally trot over to sniff at her and see what she was all about.
Naturally, she was careful to disturb them as little as possible to capture them in their element.
"Those wild horses demonstrated the perfect harmony with nature, human beings, and themselves," Haas says of her experience.
"They are extremely strong and tough animals, and none of them need a vet, a barn, a farrier, a blanket, or a human," she marvels.
(A farrier is someone who makes horseshoes.)
"All they want is wide open field and family."
And family ties are what keeps a herd like this secure and happy on the open plains.
Occasionally, there are power struggles, but confrontations like these seemed to Haas to be less violent fights and more for show.
"Most of the time, a gentle hug or squeal was enough to settle things," she says.
And looking at the horses, you can see the rugged lives they lead on their coats and in their expressions.
But as rugged as they are, they clearly haven't lost their gentleness and their instinct to love.
Nor have they lost their curiosity.
The experience also made Haas think about how domestic horses are kept, and that maybe something more akin to their natural habitat would be better for their health and well-being.
"Maybe we should learn from nature to understand the necessities of our domesticated horses a lot better," she says. "There is a wild heart beating in their chests, too."
Her photos also remind us that with so much strain on the planet, wild places like these are shrinking and becoming endangered, which means that wild creatures like these could potentially lose their homes.
And that's why Haas' photos of these beautiful wild horses are so important: they remind us of all the amazing animals we share a planet with and how valuable they really are.
