U.S. West faces crisis of too many wild horses

Japan Times ^ | 09/01/2013 | Washington Post

[TexGrill]

WASHINGTON – The U.S. West is on the verge of a serious horse crisis, says a new paper in Science, which argues that the wild horse population is growing so fast that the government could soon be unable to manage the herds.

There are currently some 33,000 wild horses roaming freely on public lands in the western United States, descendants of horses brought by Spanish conquistadors. Under a 1971 law, the Bureau of Land Management is supposed to protect these horses and make sure their numbers don’t get out of hand so they are not destroying the ecosystem or dying of starvation.

But that is easier said than done, and BLM has long struggled to bring the horse population down to the mandated level of 23,622. There are, after all, only a few thousand people willing to adopt horses each year. And Congress has largely restricted the slaughter of healthy horses.

So, in recent years, BLM has been rounding up excess horses and shipping them off to long-term “retirement” facilities — mainly private ranches in Kansas and Oklahoma. The problem is that this is hugely expensive. There are now 45,000 horses in these facilities, and BLM’s horse budget has soared from $19.8 million in 2000 to $74.9 million in 2012. Lately, Congress has started reining in spending. BLM has announced that it will remove fewer horses from public lands. At the same time, the wild horses keep breeding, with unmanaged herds able to triple in size in just six to eight years.

Put it all together, and it is a looming disaster.

[TexGrill]

Time for more horsemeat?

[nvscanman]

Lets see......20 million or more buffalo roamed wild and
that’s not considered bad. 33K horses run amok and the
it’s a catastrophe. Sorry but the main reason for the
never ending push to round up and exterminate wild horses
is they compete with ranchers for grazing on public lands.

The horses don’t create $$$ but the cattle who essentially
graze for free do. Follow the money. That will always lead
you to the true agenda behind things.

[Lera]

There is a big difference between horses grazing on land and cows and buffalo . You can have a heck of a lot more cattle grazing the same land than horse for the simple reason that horses DESTROY the grass by pulling up the roots .

There is a simple cheap solution to an overpopulation of wild horses .... it’s called hunting permits . No different than issuing hunting permits for deer.

Oh and I say this as someone who really likes horses and keeps them.

[B4Ranch]

MORON CONGRESS was doing what was demanded by horse lovers. You know the ones who couldn’t tolerate the thought of the meat being used for dog food or the homeless.

26 posted on Tuesday, December 02, 2008 9:18:23 AM by B4Ranch

[Vince Ferrer]

There is a big difference between horses grazing on land and cows and buffalo . You can have a heck of a lot more cattle grazing the same land than horse for the simple reason that horses DESTROY the grass by pulling up the roots .

The buffalo were located in a grassland. These horses are in a desert, with very little grass available.

[fr_freak]

It’s all good. When we have our planned Zimbabwe-style crash, and it’s $100,000 for a hot dog, those horses won’t last a week.

[Nepeta]

A lot of those horses probably aren't wild.

People are turning loose animals they can no longer afford to feed. I've heard stories that this is even happening in Kentucky, and that there are "wild" horses in the Appalachian mountains.

[Dusty Road]

The Buffalo roamed as they pleased the horses don’t have that option, their restricted by fences. The amount of forage within that restricted area limits their population.

[Dusty Road]

The horses don’t create $$$ but the cattle who essentially
graze for free do. Follow the money. That will always lead
you to the true agenda behind things.

---

For free? So what is the per acre leasing fee for BLM land?

[DuncanWaring]

Apparently some “invasive species” are less invasive than others.

[Vermont Lt]

Not for nuthin, but horses are an invasive species to this environment. They are not indigenous to this continent. Why are they protected?

If we were talking about something little girls did not love, they would have been shot years ago.

[Lera]

The buffalo were located in a grassland. These horses are in a desert, with very little grass available

All the more reason to issue hunting permits to cull the herd.

[R. Scott]

There are, after all, only a few thousand people willing to adopt horses each year.

Some time ago I had a conversation with a horseman about this. One of the big problems is the BLM rules, one that stands out is the requirement to have an approved corral with a 6’ fence. A fenced in pasture won’t do it.

[elcid1970]

And if girls did not love horses, the American menu would include horsemeat. They’re no further up the food chain that our source of steaks, are they?

[jimjohn]

Being the Big Picture/Down the Road guy that I am, has anyone considered the value of those horse someday for say... transportation?

All it takes is one big EMF blast.

Until then, dust off the old Homestead act, giving folks land for farming, then come up with a equine menu. That would control the population, keep the little ponies around, and keep the feds’ noses out of it.

And full disclosure: use to own 4 horses, and yeah, they can get expensive.

[Flick Lives]

And if girls did not love horses, the American menu would include horsemeat. They’re no further up the food chain that our source of steaks, are they?

"I'd like the 8oz 'Trigger', cooked very rare, baked potato, and ranch dressing on the salad, thanks."

[elcid1970]

“Just how rare do you want your `Trigger’ steak, sir?”

“Rare so when I stick a fork in, it goes “NEIGHHHH!!” & tries to gallop off the platter!”

;^)

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Under a 1971 law, the Bureau of Land Management is supposed to protect these horses and make sure their numbers don’t get out of hand so they are not destroying the ecosystem or dying of starvation. ****

You can thank WILD HORSE ANNIE for this back in the late 1960s. I remember seeing an article about her in LIFE mag back arond 1970-71.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velma_Bronn_Johnston

[Georgia Girl 2]

“You can have a heck of a lot more cattle grazing the same land than horse for the simple reason that horses DESTROY the grass by pulling up the roots .”

I always heard it was sheep that pulled the grass up by the roots. Is that true?

[Lera]

I always heard it was sheep that pulled the grass up by the roots. Is that true?

I have never kept sheep so not positive about about how destructive they are but I think they just clip the grass to the roots . A horse though is really bad about spot grazing even in a large pasture with plenty to eat they will sit and nibble on something they like and keep pulling and pulling till they pull those roots out of the ground (they are especially destructive on wet grass )