In western states, there is much federal land. It can be leased for cattle, mining or oil drilling. Wild horses can over populate the range and about their only predator is a mountain lion and they prefer young foals-easier to kill than a fully grown wild horse. Over population leads to starvation. So rounding up wild horses and selling them is bad? I suppose starving is better?
This is a beautiful story and this herd can now run free at her sanctuary. But what is not said is more than likely the colts must be sold to keep from over populating the available land/grass. I’m sure that she is extremely picky on who buys the colts. Most sanctuaries and rescues have contracts that a buyer must honor. Personally because of their stringent rules, I would never buy a horse from a rescue or sanctuary. If I pay for it, it is mine to do with as I want. Not so with a rescue horse. They often want to come inspect the horse and most contracts have the right to seize the animal if it is not up to their standards. No way I would ever do that.
Much easier to go buy a horse out of a kill pen. It’s chancy, you don’t know what you are getting, but it’s about the same at a rescue.
I am for horse slaughter here in the US. The bleeding hearts were able to close it down in the US, so now horses have a long ride to Mexico or Canada. I suppose the idiots think that is better?
Bottom line is, there is an over supply of horses and not enough buyers. When I go to auctions, there is always fully grown horses that their owners have done nothing with. All of a sudden that cute foal has grown up and will kick the crap out of them and will not submit and ride them around. No training. They sell cheap to kill buyers. There are usually old or injured horses, they also sell to kill buyers. Then begins the long trip across the country to get to the border where slaughter is legal. The bleeding hearts didn’t stop it, they made it worse. Why don’t they go to auctions and buy them up? Why? Because it costs money and lots of it to feed a horse. They do not put their money where their mouth is.
With inflation on the rise, feed costs are rising. Fertilizer costs (think hay and grass) have tripled. Fuel for the tractors to cut, rake and bale that hay, has also tripled. A round bale of hay cost me $65 last year. I expect that to double or triple this year.
With food prices going to the moon, families will be hard pressed to just feed themselves. Horses will start hitting the auctions soon and probably a flood of them come fall when people can’t afford hay.
We’ll, this turned out to be me on my soap box. Didn’t mean for it to turn out this way, but it is reality. Reality is seldom the pretty picture painted by rescues.
I’m very happy for this woman and her band of wild horses. Somebody has to feed them and I bet it isn’t her. Heart tugging videos brings in the cash donations for her to continue. Not a bad job, she gets to hang out with wild horses and somebody else pays for it. She’s brilliant.
