WILD HORSES 
       AN AMERICAN ICON & SYMBOL OF THE AMERICAN SPIRIT ARE AT RISK. 


If you have come to the Equine Gift Boutique, you are possibly a horse owner or perhaps only a horse lover. You may be aware of the problem facing our free roaming wild horses in the western state. If not please become informed. It is a critical situation. 

Wild horses are symbols of the west, one of the few things left from our western history. Mustangs have long symbolized freedom, individualism and the free spirit of America. They reflect our values of toughness, survival and family. However, if current policies continue wild horse will become extinct on our public lands just as the buffalo, native cultures and other icons in our history. They are seen as  a National Treasure much as our National Parks.

As a historian and horses lover,  I am deeply distresses about the current situation.. And while I do not want to preach to the choir, I do believe it should be of concern for all horse folks and horse lovers. Even those who are just tax payers ought to be angry about the current failed management programs and dare I say double talk by the government.

Much can and has been said about the management of our wild horses that roam the western states. Information on  the internet sites is changing and updating daily now. Once Mustangs numbered in the millions, now their numbers are less than 30,000 according to the BLM and less if the horse counts by other  observers are used. They are spread out over  millions of public land. Originally  areas were designated as Herd Management Areas where mustangs were allowed to roam. Gradually the BLM has eliminated most of these and removed all the horses. Since 2001, the BLM has removed more than 90,000 wild horses off their federally protected land. More than 24 million acres have been withdrawn from wild horse and burro use despite the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act.

In 1971, public outcry over their treatment resulted in  the Free Roaming Horse and Burro Bill, passed by unanimous vote in both the Senate and House. While wild horses were protected by this bill, it  has been modified and watered down over the years as other competing interests want to rid the west of wild horse and use the public land for their own interests. In 2004 Senator Burns slipped  an ammendment into the federal appropriation bill that allowed their sale to foreign countries for slaughter. ( Do the math here. 90,000 captured since 2001 and only 42,000 in feed lots? Where are the others)

Now we have 42,000  wild horses in government feed lots and  less than 25,000  running free Captured horses are separated by sex and all males are gelded. Family groups are of course disbanded. Much like the human enternment camps during world war II.  The costs are staggering. I realize there must be a balance but there are better ways to control the numbers. 

 If this continues these iconic western symbols will be gone, While we must be reasonable about the numbers roaming, I am having a hard time understanding why 425 + - horses in an area the size of  Rhode Island is too many. Why are 1400+ horses removed for lack of feed and 2500+ beef  brought in the next day under the  "welfare" grazing program. Grazing fees do not pay for the program. It is well documented that taxpayers  highly subsidize the grazing program. The damage cattle and sheep do to the range and watering areas must be repaired at our expense. Only 3% of our beef comes from this pool of beef grazed on our public lands. Horses on the other hand are better stewards of the land. As browsers:, they do not stay around the water holes, but rather wander up to 50 miles a day, fertilizing and spreading seeds as they go. 


While we are told the horses are starving and must be rounded up for their protection, the pictures show  mostly fat healthy horses.  Pictures of the ranges by ecologists also show plenty of feed. So the real question is WHY is the government so set on getting rid of the wild horses?  Some facts suggest energy interest want the horses gone. Before a big corporation begins extraction on public land, (leased out by the BLM), an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is made. If wild horses are in the area; advocates will want to protect the wild horse environment. This would be problematic for the extractive industry land acquisition. If wild horses remain on the range then the public will want to visit the area. Energy and mineral industries don't want the public to see any violations of safety and environmental codes, especially when they want to green wash their industries 

A lot to digest. Please go to the www.thecloudfoundation.org to get updates and information on the problem. There are links there to other  legitimate sites there. But mostly become proactive.


Thanks

Libby Bricker