Here we go again; in spite of the latest polls showing that 80% of Americans are opposed to the slaughtering of thousands of wild horses and burros, Trump seems to know best when it comes to wildlife and wildland preservation. Yes, the number of wild horses is big and yes the wild horse population is growing at a rapid rate. There are currently 46,000 horses and burros that have been rounded up and held in captivity; there’s another estimated 67,000 in the wild. The cost to the BLM is about 50 million annually for care, sheltering and feeding the animals. The BLM is upping their funding request to 66 million. It isn’t clear if the revenues from adoption fees are calculated into the net cost of wild horse managment.
Why are these animals being rounded up in the first place? Claims made by cattle rancher state that the horses and burros are overgrazing and destroying the BLM lands that the cattleman lease to graze their cows. There are others that claim that the scarcity of food is driving the horses toward highways endangering both horses and drivers. Ruel landowners are also reporting that these herds are poaching private property in search of food. Sounds like reasonable concerns to me. I have personally witnessed feral horses moving from drought-ravaged meadows toward major highways in search of food. We probably do have an overpopulation problem. But again, horses only have a couple of predators, draught is one of them. Draught whether we like it or not helps keep the Mustang population down.
The question for me is there a humane way to deal with the problem? Apparently, the answer to that question is yes. Not only is there a more humane way to deal with rapidly increasing horse population but the solution is also more economically sound than rounding up horses and burros with expensive helicopters. Helicopter roundups are not only expensive to operate but they’re cruel. Horses in their terror are often injured by stumbling in a large herd being stampeded with no escape from being maimed or trampled to death.
In a National Academy of Sciences review of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Management program found that a birth control vaccine was the safest, most effective and economical way to control the wild horse and burro population. By vaccinating a predetermined number of mares in a herd every year the birth rate would decline, keeping the population in check with their environment. The vaccination prevents pregnancy for about a year. Another advantage to birth control vaccination is the ability to increase or decrease the number of mares being vaccinated depending on the health of the herd. In spite of the National Academy of Sciences recommendation, the BLM has only used the birth control method in a token manner and instead opting for costly and cruel helicopter roundups.
I recently visited the Palomino Valley Wild Horse and Burro facility. It seemed the horses were cared for with plenty of food and water and the horses were routinely cycled from one corral to another for cleaning and maintenance. Some corral had shade and windbreak structures. From all appearances, the horses looked healthy. Horses are being broke for riding and adoptions are held on a regular basis.
I spend quite a bit of time photographing a large herd in eastern California and I must admit it is hard to see these beautiful animals in captivity. I found some comfort that the animals at the Palomino Valley Wild Horse and Burro Center looked well fed and cared for.
These questions and policy decisions are never easy and always controversial. But this one seems easy to me, there is a humane option to control the wild horse and burro population. It is disturbing that Trump so quickly penned off on slaughtering tens of thousands of horse. I hate to be a naysayer but it sounds like big cattle business has something to do with his decision making.
The wild horse is a part of our American heritage. I for one would like to know that they will be running wild in the west for generations to come.
If you’re a Mustang lover like I am, take a minute to view some of my photographs of these wild beauties. These horses live in a large beautiful meadow that was purchased by a conservancy group to ensure that development of the area would not displace them from this bountiful wildlife range. In one of the images if you look close, in the distance you will see a small group of pronghorn antelope. It’s not usually to see the pronghorn or a lone coyote grazing amongst the Mustangs.
Treas Photography Wild Horses Check ’em out