Wild Horses - SCR 211

Trail Overview

Wild Horses, or Shannon County Road 211, is a gravel road within the Ozark National Scenic Riverway, the Pioneer Forest, and Shannon County land. The road is a mild example of a Shannon County road but features access to the area surrounding Little Shawnee and Shawnee Creeks, as well as leading to the open fields along the Jacks Fork that are preserved for the wild horses of the Shawnee Creek Herd. The road also leads to the Ozark National Scenic Riverway-managed Shawnee Creek dispersed camping area and Jacks Fork river access on Shannon County Road 211D, and also the horse unloading/resting lot where the Shawnee Loop (blue-blazed) horse trail leads northwest to Powell Spring or northeast to Two Rivers/Broadfoot. Be alert for horse riders, pass them slowly with care, and check the forecast and water levels to prevent encountering flood or high water scenarios on the low laying area around the Little Shawnee and Shawnee Creeks.

Photos of Wild Horses - SCR 211

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Difficulty

Wild Horses is a simple 1/10 base-rated gravel road, showing only mild forms of erosion in spots, having a few mild grades going up and down hills, with the potential of small natural 6" cobbles on the edges of the road and natural rock sticking out at the surface in the road. Expect the normal gravel road complications of potholes, mounding, and washboards. Difficulty could increase in times of heavy rain, adding water splashes to the creek crossing points, or in extreme scenarios of flooding in the creek area.

History

"Shannon County boasts two great Missouri Rivers - the Current and Jack's Fork - and about 35 wild horses that roam freely between these two rivers, surrounding the county seat of Eminence. The horses are a legally protected group today, but this was not always the case. No one knows exactly the origin of these horses, but it is believed that their ancestors were domesticated horses who were set free during the Great Depression, by farmers who could not afford to feed them. And so they lived, reproduced, and died on land that is a part of the Mark Twain National Forest. In 1991, the National Park Service declared the horses feral and determined that they could not be allowed to roam freely on federal lands. It was at this point that the Missouri Wild Horse League was formed, in order to advocate for this small group of 20 horses, and it began a campaign to stop their removal. Attorney Douglas Kennedy became involved, and the legal battle of these horses began. Ultimately, the case made its way to the Supreme Court, where the final decision was that the National Park Service had the right to remove horses from any federal land. The League made several attempts to compromise with the then Park Superintendent, to no avail. It appeared that the horses would be taken, much to the dismay of town residents. Along the way of the court battles, the horses made other friends. One was U.S. Representative Bill Emerson, and the other two were Senators Kit Bond and John Ashcroft. Emerson introduced a Bill in Congress to make the herd a permanent part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The bill passed both Houses of Congress and was signed by President Clinton on October 3, 1996. These three Congressmen are now labeled as the horses' saviors. Part of the 1996 law provided for the clearing of the fields where the horses roam and that was begun in 1997 by the Missouri Wild Horse League, which is also working with the National Park Service to successfully resolve other issues, such as population control. While the horses numbered about 20 back in 1992, their herd size has increased. Several stallions were removed from the herd, given standard blood tests and inoculations, and put up for adoption. This practice is likely to continue in order to keep the herd to a reasonable number. If you are going down to Shannon County for a float, it's worth the time to make a short stop to see these horses that were once the subject of a Supreme Court battle. The best places for viewing the horses are the Broadfoot Fields, located north of Eminence, the Shawnee Fields, east of Eminence, or the fields above the Two Rivers on Highway V (also east of Eminence). If you have difficulty locating these spots, check with the Missouri Wild Horse League, or just ask any of the townspeople. They are proud of their famous wild horses, and will gladly give you directions!" Sourced from https://www.floatmissouri.com/wild-horses-eminence/#:~:text=Shannon%20County%20boasts%20two%20great,was%20not%20always%20the%20case.

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