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Dave, you are absolutely correct that the words "feral" and "native" have precise and distinct meanings.  A "feral" animal is one that has been domesticated by man, and then has reverted to a free-roaming existence.  That is precisely what the "wild" horses in North America are.

 

"Native," on the other hand, implies that one was born in a specific place.  After a 10,000 year (give or take a thousand) gap, it is beyond even the most stretched interpretation of the word "native" to apply the word to horses that have been reintroduced to this continent.  As I said in my previous post to illustrate my point, the fact that my grandmother (who was even still alive in the early part of my own lifetime, never mind a gap of several thousand years) was born in Scotland would in no way, shape or form make me a "native" of Scotland should I choose to move to that fair country to reside.

 

Heidi

 It is your second point that has me confused, i.e., that without having the old ecosystem intact, the horse is not a native and therefore, a “feral” introduction.   “Feral” and “native” are words with definite meanings.  The fact that during its long absence from its birthplace the horse’s homeland was altered, either by the hand of man, or some other agency, doesn’t make the horse a feral animal. 

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