Border Patrol agents turn to horses to catch illegals

Tucson Citizen ^ | May 7, 2004 | GABRIELA RICO

[gitmo]

Any chance this will improve the borders?

[Riley]

I wonder how they keep them from getting injured running into Cholla in the dark?

(Cholla [pronounced 'choy-a']is a brushy looking cactus-type of plant that looks like a bough of pine needles but feels like hypodermic needles. Nasty stuff.)

[em2vn]

Do it right. Use mules. The mules are smarter and more sure footed than horses.

[Gator113]

"Any chance this will improve the borders?"

With an AR and the ability to call in air support, it might help quite a bit with the borders. It would also be very fun duty!!! If I were 10 years younger, I would already be there!

[gitmo]

We had a bush in Cuba that had tiny thorns the size and color of blond hairs. If you brushed against the bush, it would cover you with these tiny thorns that burned like the dickens. And if you were fair-skinned (like me), you couldn't tell the thorns from the hairs on your skin.

I never heard what these things were called though.

[King Prout]

any idea if they need some horses?

I have a great passofino mare and can easily breed her up to an outstanding QH stud - the progeny should come out CHOICE for the work they are doing.

[gitmo]

Wouldn't Morgans have more stamina?

[AnAmericanMother]

Morgans don't take the heat like QHs.

Must be their Vermont background . . .

I'd want a QH-mustang cross myself for that kind of work. My big TBred is too hard to climb on and off of.

[gitmo]

My dad had a Morgan-QH cross when we lived in Cuba. That was one awesome horse.

[Don Corleone]

Morgans have always been the "horse of choice" out here. The army loved them for their courage and endurance. I've ridden them along the border many times in years past when it was safe and beautiful to be up on a fine horse. Now its no longer safe..at least along the Sasabe border. I never travel south of Tucson without going armed! Tag line notwithstanding!

[nathanbedford]

Ages ago I posted on this story.

First, Black Jack Pershing was not able to chase down the bad guys and his boys were well mounted and had mules and jennys.

Second, for God s sake use the technology available like drones and eyes in the sky.

Third, we lack not innovation to stop the flood, but will

[King Prout]

yes, as a rule of thumb (though of course level of training of the individual horse makes a bigger impact) but perhaps not as nimble on broken terrain.

Burr (my mare) can move at a wierd and absurdly comfortable ground-eating "one foot" gait the whole day long. Jimmy (the prospective stud) is so strong it is almost scary. Burr is just shy of true horse stature, Jimmy is a bit bigger. Both are tough as nails and extremely willing and trainable animals with excellent head and body configuration, physiques, stress-tolerances, and general health.

Their progeny *ought* to turn out splendidly, though they'd be valueless on the horse-trading circuit, as Burr has no "lineage". Horse trading is a lunatic business - more value is given to a horse's bloodline than to that same horse's inherent quality as a working mount. Consequently, I will only breed Burr if I know beforehand that her kids will go to good owners who will keep 'em and make good use of 'em.

OTOH, if I knew for a fact they'd do some good on the border, I'd be willing to DONATE them free-of-charge.

Patriotic duty, and all that.

[Marine Inspector]

Ping.

[Marine Inspector]

Any chance this will improve the borders?

No.

[King Prout]

and too fragile.
they have bred most of the non-speed characteristics out of that line.

[tertiary01]

My best endurance horse was an Appy. She had tough feet, could go all day, hot or cold, but she sure was ugly!!

[elbucko]

I wonder how they keep them from getting injured running into Cholla in the dark?

Horses see considerably better than humans do in the dark. A good rider, even at a lope, will let the horse pick the trail.

[elbucko]

Any chance this will improve the borders?

No.

I agree, but for different reasons. The people making the decisions that affect their utility will be ignorant about horses. Horses would be very effective in border patrol if run by horse people. But some white man, over 50yrs, 250lbs and gray, working for the government in an air conditioned office will ruin it. Unless their retirement depended on the horse patrol doing well.

BTW, I fit 3 categories of the above.

[Riley]

This is an educational forum. Smart horses. :-)

Give the next one you see some ear-scratchies and a sugar cube for me.

[elbucko]

She had tough feet, could go all day, hot or cold, but she sure was ugly!!

Respectfully, I disagree. Some horses are prettier than others, but to me, a healthy horse is never ugly. Only the sick ones in need of care and those past hope or dead.