First, a note: Based on more research and enlightening commentary posted by some of my readers (e.g. Downpuppy), I’ve learned that the issue of whether free-roaming, untamed horses (to use a neutral term) are invasive or native to this country, whether these horses should be called wild or feral, and whether they should even be “managed”, is very contentious. Those terms carry a surprising amount of political and social baggage, sharing space with the science. 
I must admit that Mark’s reactions yesterday (and today) may not be simply based on an assumed ignorance (I might claim that for me). Mark’s reactions could be based on understanding and accepting the untamed horse as a reintroduced native species, rather than an invasive one. Hence, his shock. So I must disavow most of my snarky commentary from yesterday (which I otherwise liked) and hope Rivera does a good job dealing with the complex issues surrounding these horses, at least within the limits of an adventure comic strip story! But for now, it’s on to today’s strip:

So we have yet another day of Mark emoting over his horse friends. One thing I don’t get is why Mark thinks he has to write negatively about them, unless Rivera has not yet reported all of his conversation with Bill Ellis. From what I’ve read, Ellis should want Mark to put a positive spin on the horses.

Art Dept. The repeated arrangement of Mark (more or less) on the left side looking (more or less) to the right helps visualize Mark’s singular train of thought across the four panels. The coloring of panels 1 and 4 acts as pendants to the different coloring of panels 2 and 3, the latter being designed that way to emphasize Mark’s imagining of the horses in his memories. In short, I believe today’s strip is well-designed.  

Rivera’s art follows a more conventional mode of representation, save for Mark’s fingers, which seem as if they don’t have real bones in them. Otherwise, this should be good enough to satisfy all but the more diehard Trailheads. I do hope the story holds up, as well.