These are Yılkı horses, semi-wild horses that have freely roamed the plains of Cappadocia, Turkey for centuries. The Turkish word "yılkı" literally translates to a horse left to live free in its own habitat. Most of this massive herd lives near Hürmetçi village, an area rich in wetlands and greenery that gives them ample room to run wild.
Every afternoon, local cowboys round up the herd to run for guided photography tours. This tourism business actively helps protect the horses and preserve their land, with some operators even donating portions of their profits to conservation efforts. Strict rules remain in place to keep tourists at a safe distance so the herd doesn't get stressed.
This successful, tourism-based conservation model is a solid example of how economic interests and wildlife preservation can work together rather than against each other to protect a historic species.