Feeding Wild Horses . . . Don't!
The basic concept is, "No Feed. No Approach."
"No Feed." Feeding the wild horses can be harmful, often causing painful colic, and may result in death. Apples and carrots kill wild horses. Wild horses cannot eat any food that is not from their natural habitat.
Certainly, we admire and photograph them as they are such magnificent animals, but DO NOT FEED, as it is illegal both on the Federal and State level. If you feel that a horse or several horses are in distress, then you should call the proper authorities who then will come out and take care of them.
"No Approach." Wild horses should be skittish of humans. By approaching too close and feeding them, they lose their fear of humans. This makes them hang around built-up areas looking for handouts where there is more traffic causing them being hit by cars. The general rule is to stay 50-feet from them.
If while approaching, the horse starts to back up, so should you. This should tell you that it feels threatened. Remember, these are wild animals and when they feel that they are being threatened they may bite or injure you in other ways.
You've come to the mountains or the shores for a few days and you think that you're helping the animals by giving them a treat, but in reality you, most often, cause them to suffer excruciating pain for several days and if they cannot overcome this trauma . . . they die.
And when they become dependent on humans for their food and you go back home after your visit, who then will feed them?