Co-founder and President of Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates
By Arielle Windham
Empowered by Ladyboss Lifestyle
Dickinson-area Transplant Finds Passion and Purpose on the Prairie
When Chris Kman moved to Dickinson in 2016, she had no idea the impact this decision would make on the trajectory of her life. Inspired by the rugged beauty of the Badlands and the wild horses that call the region home, Kman decided to forge her own trail as an entrepreneur and wildlife advocate.
Wild for Horses
Go West, Woman
Kman, an Illinois native, came to the region on a two-year contract with Walmart to comanage the Dickinson store. Within six months, though, she had fallen in love with the beauty and uniqueness of the Badlands. She and her husband spent as much time as possible in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, exploring and getting to know the local wildlife—especially the herds of wild horses.
“When we had days off, we were in the park really, truly enjoying the moment,” Kman said. “In Illinois, it felt like work, work, work. When you weren’t working, you were thinking about work. But here, it felt like I had a work-life balance.”
Her Facebook page, Chasing Horses, started as a way to share her favorite photos from the park with friends and family back in Illinois. Kman had no photography background and wasn’t necessarily a digital native, so she was surprised when the page began to amass a significant following.
Followers started asking for prints, calendars, and other merchandise with Kman’s images. Almost overnight, Kman found herself evolving from social sensation to entrepreneur. “Today we have over 100,000 followers,” Kman said. “It blows my mind.”
Lean In
Rather than buck the path life seemed to be laying before her, Kman decided to dig in her heels. Walmart wanted to relocate her to Fargo, but she had found a home and a passion in Dickinson. She left corporate America and opened Chasing Horses, a brick-and-mortar business in the heart of Medora, in 2019.
Getting up and running was a bit of a bumpy road, but soon Kman and her husband hit their stride as a hybrid business. The store was open year-round for those visiting the Medora area to catch up on the latest horse news, shop for local souvenirs, or book a guided tour to get close—but not too close—to the park’s wild horses. A robust online presence supplemented revenue streams during slower seasons and connected Chasing Horses with horse enthusiasts around the world.
Without realizing it, Kman had placed herself at the head of the park’s herd.
Call to Action
Kman had built a life and a business around the park’s wild horses. But a storm was brewing that threatened not only her livelihood but the animals she loved.
The National Parks Service, which oversees Theodore Roosevelt National Park, had been using birth control, sterilization, and culling to manage the size of the park’s herd. In late 2022, the Park Service released a plan that would eliminate the herd altogether as part of an environmental review. This was an enormous blow to Kman and other horse advocates.
“People started asking me, ‘What can we do?’,” said Kman. “I remember thinking, there’s nothing we can do. I’m just a regular person. So, I’m sitting there waiting for somebody else to step up and nobody’s coming. And I realized, I’m the one I’m waiting for.”
Passion turned to purpose. Engaging her friends, family, and online community of horse lovers, Kman began lobbying to protect the wild horses as part of Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates. She and the rest of the organization’s small board worked tirelessly to secure state and federal support to maintain a genetically viable herd in the park. The story of our wild horses spread as far as the Wall Street Journal and the London Times, until finally, in April of this year, Senator Hoeven announced that the Park Service would abandon its plan to remove the horses as part of the environmental review process.
“I’m honored that people put their trust in me and were willing to work so hard with me to save the horses,” said Kman. “Last year we engaged with over 800,000 people online. The year before it was only 72,000, so that’s how much our organization grew. People were looking to us as a leader in fighting for the horses.”
Still in the Saddle
With the April announcement, the Medora herd is safe for the moment, but not out of the woods yet. Kman and the rest of the CHWHA board continue to fight for federal protection for the horses. They are working with local, state, and federal organizations to secure a bright future for the horses—and the people who love them.
“America was built on the back of a horse,” said Kman. “They are such an important part of the history of this region. I can’t imagine the park without them.”
Catch up with the latest wild horse news by stopping by the Chasing Horses gift shop in Medora or online at chwha.org.
Chasing Horses
chwha.org
chasinghorses.com
[email protected]
Facebook | /ChasingHorsesND
701-623-4773
312 Pacific Ave, Medora, ND 58645