DNA testing says they are and conservation efforts should be initiated, according to a report published today by American Press of Lake Charles, LA.
The horses live in the Kisatchie National Forest and are not federally protected.
The Fort Polk Army base overlaps some of the territory and in 2015 the order was given to get rid of them.
The Pegasus Equine Guardian Association says the horse have roamed the area for centuries and have reverted to a wild state, especially through their offspring who have never known anything other than wild.
RELATED: Fort Polk Herd Dwindles.