Wild Horses: A Tale from the Puszta – Vadlovak – Hortobágyi mese (2021)

Directed by: Zoltán Török | 54 minutes | documentary

The przewalski horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) is a subspecies of the wild horse (Equus ferus) and originates from the Mongolian steppes. The animal was discovered in 1878 by the Russian colonel and adventurer Nikolai Przhevalsky and is therefore named after him. The species became extinct in the wild in the 1960s. Because there were still specimens left in zoos, the beautiful and elegant animal survived thanks to targeted breeding programs. The animals are now roaming again through various European, Mongolian and Chinese nature reserves.

One such area is the Hungarian puszta (puszta in Hungarian), a vast steppe and grassland landscape in Hungary. ‘Wild Horses: A Tale from the Puszta’ takes the viewer to Hortobágy National Park, a beautiful scenic patchwork of grasslands, loess hills, wetlands and open forests. Here we meet the przewalski foal Dot and her herd. The horses were introduced here 25 years ago and are now flourishing in the Hungarian nature. With approximately three hundred animals, they form one of the largest groups of Przewalski horses in the world.

First of all, ‘Wild Horses: A Tale from the Puszta’ is above all a beautiful and endearing portrait of the Przewalski horse and life in a wild horse community. Director Zoltán Török portrays the dynamics within the group in an insightful and pleasant way. He occasionally adds a touch of romance and drama to give the story a bit more punch and emotion, but most of the time he just lets the images speak for themselves. Dominant, horny and sometimes paternal stallions, caring mothers and growing foals give a good picture of the horses’ behavior and the social mores within the Przewalski community. Surviving in the changeable Hortobágy is no easy feat. In the summer the steppe landscape becomes bone dry, while in the winter it can freeze hard. Fortunately, the przewalskis are hardened survivors who brave the sometimes unforgivable elements.

But Wild Horses: A Tale from the Puszta isn’t just a movie for horse lovers. We also get to know a wide range of other inhabitants of the Puszta. Think, for example, of the white-tailed eagle, which is the uncrowned king of the skies in this area, the fox and typical marsh birds such as the avocet and marsh harrier. The huge groups of migrating cranes, which every year in their thousands settle in the Hungarian nature reserve for a stopover, provide perhaps the most spectacular images.

‘Wild Horses: A Tale from the Puszta’ is a fine film. It is a compelling story about a group of rare horses, but at the same time a beautiful portrait of a special and dynamic nature reserve where survival requires the necessary toughness. Definitely recommended for fans of the genre.