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I'm NOT a wacko peta type.

These horses are an integral part of our American heritage.

They may be just a 'dumb horse' to some. But then again, there was the issue of a 'dumb bird/bald eagle' to some.
And like any OTHER of GOD'S creatures, they have NO VOICE, unless WE speak up for them.

BLM talks about their 'aging horses'. But YET, if 'you' were to talk to the horse pros, you'd find that the horses are not considered 'contest worthy' UNLESS they are 10-12 y.o.!(barrel-racers...dressage...etc) AND, if you want a horse that is kid-safe/bomb-proof, you look for a horse that is 10 y.o. or OVER.

I HOPE there are enough horsey/pet-minded FReepers who will speak up for these magnificant animals that are so near and dear to the Lord's heart.

Maybe Ford can pony up some dough while advertising their new Mustang. It should be a worthy effort to buy the auctioned wild horses and put them to better protected pastures.

I don’t see a lot of difference between tree huggers and animal huggers. Come on people, either man thins both of them humanely or Mother Nature does it. Your choice. But just remember, Mother Nature is a real b**ch.

I have spent many hours driving and flying over extremely remote areas of Eastern Oregon, Eastern California, and Nevada. The horses are over grazing the land and there is not enough water for all of the other animals. Horses drive other animals away from the water holes and turn the water holes into dust bowls. It isn’t pretty and it isn’t Disney. Seeing dead horses around dried up water holes doesn’t make my day.

These horses descend from those brought here by the Conquistadors, and are what remains of the original horses ridden by the Indians, cavalry, and cowboys. It is an inspiring sight to see them running wild on the range. They can do without water for much longer than any other horse. Truly amazing, and a national treasure.

As someone who has a ranch in wild horse country, I have to say that this is long overdue. They have been protected to the point of absurdity, are a chronic problem for many, many people, and these horses are not generally able to be domesticated -- you pretty much have to kill them if you are going to do something about them. These are not the same critters as the domesticated horses that everyone knows and loves. This isn't a PETA issue, but one of people who have an irrational emotional attachment to destructive animals who do not have to bear the burden of their legislatively unfettered existence. The current policy is every bit as bad and immoral as all the ones environmentalist whackos normally support, and for all the same reasons.

I like and use horses, but I don't have any type of irrational attachment to wild horses either. Of course, I also eat horse sashimi when I'm in Japan (great with beer), so while I would feel bad about killing a good domesticated horse I own, it doesn't extend to an irrational attachment to anything that looks horse-like. The wild horse herds need to be thinned, even more than they already unintentionally are by the grotesque "management" of the herds by the BLM.

This seems ridiculous. The BLM owns so much land in the United States, what few wild mustangs remain should have millions of acres to themselves. I think I just read the federal government owns 70% of all land in the state of Oregon alone.

I personally saw a wild herd in Idaho some years ago.

Someone is making a profit off this slaughter plan.

This movie may be what started "save the wild horse" movement of the last decade or two.

Film info found here; http://www.filmsite.org/misf.html

The Misfits (1961) is a poignant drama about the death of the old West, from director John Huston and screenwriter Arthur Miller (who was briefly married to star Marilyn Monroe from 1956-1960 and experienced a disintegrating marriage during the film's production). It is best known for being the final, haunting, fully-completed film for two major screen legends: 59 year old Clark Gable and 35 year old Marilyn Monroe.

The minor classic film concerns an ex-stripper and recent divorcee Roslyn Taber (Marilyn Monroe) in Reno, Nevada. Through her landlady Isabelle Steers (Thelma Ritter), she is introduced to aging, washed-out cowboy Gay Langland (Clark Gable) and soon the two fall in love. Langland, a rugged individualist, plans to go after a herd of wild horses. He teams up with an ex-mechanic Guido (Eli Wallach) and worn-out rodeo rider Perce Howland (Montgomery Clift) to roundup these "misfit" horses for a dog food company.

Roslyn is ultimately shocked to learn that the horses will be slaughtered and made into dog food. She hysterically attempts to persuade Langland to call off the roundup. When he refuses, she successfully appeals to Perce to release the horses that have already been captured. This infuriates Langland, who recaptures the leader of the horses after a rough struggle. Proving that he is the boss, he then decides to let the horses free. The roundup ends up as a financial failure, but from the ordeal, Roslyn and Langland make a new start together.

In the final scene, Roslyn asks Langland:

Roslyn: How do you find your way back in the dark?
Langland: Just head for that big star straight on. The highway's under it - it'll take us right home.