Breaking News: BLM’s Wild Horse Advisory Board Just Voted To Kill All 44,000 Captive Wild Horses I

a reply to: redhorse

Bravo!!!



If anybody is really interested in learning more for themselves there is a pretty decent book on Google.

The Wild Horse Dilemma: Conflicts and Controversies of the Atlantic Coast Herds

a reply to: Shamrock6

sadly, and precisely.
Horses and mules are not easy unless one has the space, time and understanding to keep them.
Letting them "be free" means letting a lot of them starve, fight for dominance, and die.

Animal husbandry is not easy or fun a lot of the time.

a reply to: saadad

QUICK THREAD DERAIL:
don't get me started on bee genocide.
A wild swarm of honeybees has taken up residence in the siding of our house. They are wonderful.
They have killed every wasp and hornet, every big ant in their area. They ignore humans, they enjoy the company of the dogs and chickens. I have never had so many cucumbers-they are crazy pollinators.

I am convinced that big companies want the bees dead. Seeing how efficiently these bees kill a nest of carpenter ants, I am sure pesticide companies want bees gone.

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

These horses aren't just Mustangs. They are the same line of horses that came from the Spanish conquistadors. This is an ongoing fight in Nevada and I was involved with it when I lived there. I hate the BLM. They are just gigantic asses.

originally posted by: ATSmediaPRO
I'll assume you and every else is also very upset about the 10+ Billion animals slaughtered every year in the US.... Right?

Farm Animal Statistics: Slaughter Totals

The reality is 44,000 for the entire western US is not that much...

Totally different....like apples and oranges.

I am upset at the deplorable living conditions for livestock on these meat factories.
But, I am not a vegetarian...and neither I nor the dogs I have had eat horses.

Chicken, duck, geest, cattle, hogs...they are raised for food.
These horses are not.

originally posted by: katfish
a reply to: tetra50

thank you. I have been a "horse person" from birth.
Every one of my relatives have or had horses/equines.

Am equine therapy stable is 1/2 mile from my house and I know how absolutely wonderful equines can be with humans dealing with illness/injury/trauma.
And my great grandfather was killed by one of his horses-he hit it and it smothered him against a barn wall.
Horses are a complex problem.
I wish there was a solution.

Exactly, and I certainly understand all the points that redhorse has made. I don't think closing the slaughterhouses, though, caused the bottom to fall out of the horse industry. What's happened to the farming industry, changing weather patterns, and the rising price of land, feed, hay and the general economic situation all play a part in this, as well. I never advocated for or against slaughter houses. And I have done my part, personally, certainly in sacrificing to rescue many times, and in risking life and limb to fix dangerous horses, that without fixing would likely have been either shot or left in a pasture to starve. Nor have I ever been a part of any breeding operation.

It is an extremely complex issue, and I join you in wishing for a solution.

Thanks for brining thus to people attention. It's an outrage that BLM is becoming overbearing like most government agencies. I knew it would not help things when they "won" the wildlife refuge standoff against the militia members. They need to know their place. Mark my words, it won't be long before they militarize them like our police force.
I don't understand he need to kill 44k horses to put in a pipeline. Why does one require the other?

So, a couple of general comments here, directed at no one in particular, but rather at some emerging themes in this thread. Some background first though; I grew up with wild horses ranging free in the high deserts of Wyoming, and I've participated in some of the wild horse roundups sponsored by the BLM in that area. In fact, a large number of the total wild horse population comes from this region (they're moved to Colorado because Colorado is more animal sensitive, but they come from Wyoming). And, as many here may already know, I am also a cattle rancher (and we OWN all our land, and don't lease from BLM). Consequently, I'm pretty familiar with this issue, and as one poster correctly pointed out; it's not that easy to untangle. However, here are a couple of general observations about some of the comments in this thread...

Wild Horse repurposing - "Some" wild horses do in fact descend from domesticated horses and can be adopted out and trained to be decent horses. The key word here is "some". The vast majority of wild horses which are rounded up are not from domesticated horse lines, and / or are WAY too wild to ever be trained. And sorry, but some of them are dumber than a bag of hammers from in-breeding and bad genetics (something which is impossible to undo). These last horses are not only a nuisance, they're downright DANGEROUS to people, other horses/livestock and even themselves. So, in order to understand the 'big picture' you have to look at all of the animals, not just a select few.

Horses tamed the west - No, actually horses did not! Well heeled historians would like to have you believe this, and have written the history books accordingly, but keep in mind the types of people who write books. No slight intended here, but generally the people who wrote the books about the old west were the ones most likely to frown on anything but a horse. And, much of this is a direct result of Europe's love affair with horses and their identification with affluence.

The fact of the matter is, the West was actually settled more with mules and oxen than it was with horses. It wasn't horses who hauled the settlers west across the Oregon trail in the great wagon trains during the mid to late 1800's...it was mules (and to a lesser extent oxen). Mules in particular, and their value, have been sorely overlooked by historians. Yeah, the dusty gunslinger, hand rolled cigar in his mouth and faded poncho loses a bit of the romance when he rides into town on a mule, instead of a horse, but that's the reality.

The point here is; we need to be clear and factual about what is happening with the wild horse round ups. We cannot make excuses for these animals based on biased history. They are not unlike any other wild animal, and should be treated accordingly. If we, people, want them around then we should find a place for them to co-exist and allow them to be who they are. If they become overpopulated and destructive to their environment then they need to be culled down to manageable levels. I won't mince words (because I just don't), "cull" means kill. Call it murder if you like, but that's a bit over the top IMHO. And, on the subject of culling, if this is the decision, as long as regulations ensure it is done humanely then people shouldn't get excited about what the carcasses are used for (food, dog food, glue, etc.)...they're dead.

Not taking a side really, rather just trying to remove some emotion and inject some balance to the discussion.

Thanks.

I hear horse meat is very tasty....you know that is what will happen to them btw

I haven't even seen any posts or articles about this. This is truly evil. Another case of "I'm human and paper rules everything I do."

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

How is any human ok with this. Whoever is in charge there regarding this, needs their heads testing.

Let them free.

originally posted by: saadad
a reply to: Shamrock6

LOL, too bad they didn't raise for 15% right?

And you expect from this kind of thinking they will care about some horses?

Kindly refrain from attempting to twist what I said. Pointing out that defense spending has decreased is by no means wishing it had increased.

Lulz.

It's hard to say things like this in a place like this, but sometimes the truth is just that.

I've sat on a mountain top in the Wind River range, atop a horse, when lightning struck all around me. I was thrown, and the horses ran...who came back out of the trees below? The Mules, most skiddish animals of all, but they came back. "Do you need help?...you've always took care of us, and we're here for you. We're afraid just like you. C'mon, lets go."

a reply to: tetra50

I will take any suggestion you have. I join with you.

As for horse slaughter, well, in the Beverly Cleary children's books, Henry Huggins' dog Ribsy ate horse meat they got from the butcher. It was done. I just don't think people today can deal with horse slaughter.

I think there are just too many animals. And I do rescue. Got a rescue dog here as I type. In the past, we did not have the Internet to alert us that another puppy mill was closed. Until very recently (in my opinion) animals were bred, lived and died and no one knew the difference. If you culled a puppy, who knew? If you shot a lame horse, who knew?

But now we do know. And lots of people are upset about it. But real solutions are tough.

I thank you for the very real risks you take to help equines. Life and limb, indeed.

a reply to: tetra50

Well said.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Many many blessings on your head for pointing up the mule and oxen as the animals who tamed the West!
We are actually getting housing together to adopt 2 donkey from rescue. This is a good equine rescue and they stick with you for years to help you with understanding the donks (and the donks understanding you.) I am a sucker for longears. And my cousin, a horse person, married a mule man. So they will help us as well.

I jumped in on the BLM thing since I had been following it for years. Everything you say is true. We have been out in Wyoming recently, we have seen the BLM lands and the animals. I have spent many hours listening to adopters, to ranchers, to farmers, and to rescues. I have been to the Mustang Makeovers and am friends with those who adopt and work to make these equines "healthy". THANK YOU for telling the truth.


By the way, most dog rescues "cull" bad dogs as well.

a reply to: katfish

And, THANK YOU! Thank you, for speaking the truth!

At heart, I am the biggest animal lover of all, but we all have to look at the larger picture.

Thank you.

I realize the Act protecting these horses refers to them as "wild", but are they really wild, or are they feral? Serious question. In zoology I had a fascination with ice age equines, but apparently those died out 10K years ago or so? Are the horses introduced, or were they here pre european contact? This question has always perplexed me, and I've never really gotten straight answer from BLM or WHB advocates. It seems to me if we decide they're wild, then we let nature take it's course, and if they are not wild, well, other options exist I guess, which would require an act of Congress? Thanks for posting, this issue has always interested me. ==a reply to: DontTreadOnMe
Edits had, They're, wild,

why couldn't they say ..

Calling the world calling the World ,

get your free Wild Horses here!!

44,000 + needs to go! Adoption Fees exempted

Adopt a horse
www.blm.gov...


and they should have a less restriction ! in the requirements!
seeing they are going to kill them anyhow!! WTF!!

Restrictions
www.blm.gov...

They should be glad the horses are going to be saved ..



Wouldn't that make more Sense,
instead of just Voting to Kill them !

as a former Horse owner , this really sickens me too!



let them roam !

Well So Much for this LAW

An Act Of Congress
"Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; (and) that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people ..."
(Public Law 92-195, December 15, 1971)

but what this really is a Threat to Congress

I Personally highly doubt they would kill ALL! 44,000 Horses around the States ..

I dont see it Happening..

it there was an Actual threat ...

The MEDIA would Jump right on it ...

There would be a Stand off , a Battle , a protest..

a reply to: redhorse

I thought Horses could feed themselves?

They could before we came along to take care of them anyway.