Admire the tall and ride the small; a very athletic 3 year old Traditional Nokota stallion, Xenicus, after a great ride into the awesome yet rather undiscovered (much like Nokotas themselves) Spring Valley Park. Photo by Dave Zeigler, April 2007.

The Nokota is a very distinctive and exceptionally rare breed of wild horse developed on and for the northern Great Plains. These horses, due to competing land uses and National Park Service policies, no longer exist as a viable population in the wild, and currently only approximately 300 fully foundation individuals exist. The vast majority of Nokota horses live on the Kuntz Ranch in North Dakota , as the Kuntz brothers have dedicated more than two decades and all they have to saving this breed from extinction. Their efforts, combined with those of an ever-increasing cadre of Nokota supporters, have led to a number of great successes, including convincing the North Dakota state government to name the Nokota the honorary state equine, capturing spots in various media from ABC World News to Horse Illustrated magazine, and the formation of the Nokota Horse Conservancy, which now makes the Nokota horse's survival even more certain.

Because of the their development and evolution largely in response to local natural pressures, in addition to the human selection that has created most breeds, the Nokota horses are extraordinarily unique. They display a wide variety of colorations, many uncommon, from roan to dun, are incredibly durable, agile, and surefooted, have an affinity for jumping, sport superior stamina, and are exceptionally social. These rugged historical horses are also currently experiencing a surge of interest as their numbers slowly increase and they are discovered by more and more equine enthusiasts. This web site was created to facilitate this spread into Pennsylvania and the surrounding area by introducing a small band that has been transplanted from North Dakota to rural York County , in the south central part of the state, as a small sampling of the breed. But like many Nokota owners, the Ziegler's love showing off their horses, so don't please don't hesitate to follow your curiosity far beyond this website and go see some Nokotas in person!