The Mustang~spirit of the west

[ninnymary]

At the risk of being called a "bleeding heart", I must say those horses in the videos are beautiful.

Mary

 

[valley ranch]

Well, good morning,

Horses can be fenced in or out of anything. There is so much open land out here not used for anything else. We have helped gather money to fence along Hyways, so they won't be hit by cars.
During dry years a government agency says: " Not enough water or maybe food, we have take the mustangs."
That's bull, if there not enough water of food, that is he wild horses problem.

Many were gathered and sold as feral at the Fallon, Nevada Action to be transported to Mexico for Slaughter.

Some want the gathered at government cost so private companies can make money.
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We do need to stop the BLM from taking the horses off the land and putting them in special places and feeding them, the Mustang has done well without help on land that is not used for anything else for many years before there was a BLM. We do not need to feed the wild horses! Mustangs can live and thrive on Cheat grass an nibble the native thorn. They, the BLM, can manage the rabbit or the Kangaroo Rat.

The BLM should use the Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program to allow American People who would like and Horse or Burro to adopt them OR stop pretending and close the adoption centers and stop rounding up our Horses.

Stop Feeding the Horses! I mean the government should stop feeding the horses.

There are signs in the mountain areas "DON'T FEED THE BEAR!"

New signs "STOP FEEDING THE WILD HORSES!"

Stop feeding the Horses or stop complaining about it, and leave them alone, More people love them than those who have this crazy hate for one of the Lords beautiful creatures.

 

[valley ranch]

 

[valley ranch]

There was a lady who helped to relive some of the pain and suffering of horses and burros. She was known as Wild Horse Annie.

http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/wild-horse-annie-act

 

[valley ranch]

More images













Velma Bronn Johnston
Velma Bronn Johnston, also known as Wild Horse Annie.
She led a campaign to stop the eradication of mustangs and free-roaming burros from public lands.

Born: March 5, 1912, Nevada
Died: June 27, 1977, Reno, NV

 

[bobm]

If one puts ONE horse on One acre of fertile land with adequate rainfall or irrigation and planted with pasture grasses, palatable feed will last a month or two. Put ONE horse on ONE acre of open range dry semi desert / desert land and it will be devoid of vegetation in one to two weeks. Not only eaten but anything that is not eaten is trampled and barren ground remains. ( I own 20 acres of semi desert land in Cal. with only 8" of rain / year and NO irrigation so the carying capacity for my ranch is 1 horse per year ( or ONE COW / 40 acres ) according to our County Extention Office. I have to buy 30 tons of grain and 110 TONs of alfalfa per year to keep 7 mares with their foals in good condition. I sell all of the foals starting at birth and most are sold by weaning at 6 months of age.) Most of the West is similar or quite a bit less productive to my ranch in carying capacity. So the ,BLM was charged with removing the overgrazing pressure by rounding up the feral horses , round up excess horses and feeding them then offer them for adoption to the public for $25 per head. Sadly there are VERY FEW takers ( horses are a money loosing money pit for at least the last 20 years and more so in today's economy ) Horses do what horses do so they reproduce and the holding pens are overflowing. Cost of feeding them is skyrocketing. Just what is the BLM to do as Valley and kohorts don't want to foot the bill to feed and house these feral horses. He has 2 ranches , so why is he NOT stepping up to the plate and buying these feral horses for $25 each that he professes to love and feed and house them himself ?

 

[valley ranch]

There is no truth in what you've taken the time to type.

The high desert which covers much of this country is bush, in bumper years, lush grasses and plants that grow as they are being eaten, in dryer years the woodier plants and cheat grasses under them are eaten.
There are miles and miles of land, anyone who is here can see that.

We would like to get a Mustang for our oldest daughter. It isn't as easy as one might think, we had much trouble when we tried last time. The price is supposed to be $125 a proper trailer to transport and vet visits and vet conformation after 1 year to the BLM, not a problem. We are going to try stick it out and rescue one, to start.

There are people who have been able to rescue several and some many. I'm thinking maybe the Wild Horse preservation league. can help.

Your disregard for the lives of these animals is no different that many, who would go out of their way to impede any help they might get. Some even invent stories of thieving bands of marauding horses. I'll bet you've seen them, maybe Holding up a gas station or obducting a child maybe? But most are untrue and are do different then those told about people.

Maybe your competitive nature just needs to appose and win an argument against someone you've chosen to dislike, it would be cruel to hurt an animal because you might not like one who does.

Have a good day, be calm, be thankful and don't go out of your way to cause injury to the helpless.

 

[Beekissed]

Since when are these wild horses confining themselves to one acre per horse? I'd say they will move to new range when they deplete the range they are on, so what's the problem? Same as any other animal out there, when food is scarce, their numbers go down. When food is plentiful, their numbers increase. Still don't see a problem.

I agree with not feeding them....that's like hitting oneself in the head and then complaining when your head hurts.

Much the same attitude is going on across the country with feral cat programs....they feed them, which keeps them from competing for hunting territory. Then they neuter the toms, which also keeps them from doing the natural thing of killing their competition for mates and hunting territory. It's all needless.

When their numbers grow too much for the food supply, they will die of starvation or disease or the females will absorb litters until food is plentiful. Just like wild populations of animals do.

 

[thistlebloom]

I am reluctant to wade into this mess...

I think there is a lot of misinformation flying around on this thread. Accusations and insults from the OP and uneducated opinions from well meaning but uninformed people because these animals are beautiful horses, not feral hogs, (which would make a whole different emotional impact and discussion).

I am surprised by this, but I'm agreeing with Bob. Haha. His numbers can't be refuted just because you don't like them.

Wild horses are no better or worse than any domesticated horse. There is no spiritual superiority or higher quality just because they live on the range and run around being photographed with flying manes and tails.

We manage deer, elk, moose and buffalo (and more) by allowing them to be hunted and used for food. If not for the management of wild animals, all wild animals, they can populate exponentially and create an environment that is damaging to themselves. I don't think they will ever be hunted as a wild deer is though. Way too much Disneyfication and emotional baggage there.
So how do you manage them?

I'm not educated on the BLM practices, but would not be surprised at corruption, and don't put a stamp of approval on what they do, but I have no alternative answers to the management question either. I know there is a sterilization program, but that's tremendously expensive also.

I am dismayed by the attitude of the OP. Calling people liars and other names is not the way to engage in a logical mature discussion.

I'm not a hater.
I love horses mules and donkeys,
have been familiar with Wild Horse Annie since myearly school days,
was friends with an old gal nearly 40 years ago who was in a political position campaigning for wild horses and burros.
So you see, I'm not a newcomer to the subject.


edited for clarity

 

[valley ranch]

Greetings thistlebloom, I know you're right, truth is I haven't had good dealings with these two gent. But, guess that could be as much because of me as them. But, We've been trying to buy horses and been given the run around. What his face saying in his post "Valley not stepping up to the plate" Got my dander thistlebloom, friends of yours or not, their a bit snotty.
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Regarding the BLM, they, while making it hard, at least in the dealings I've seen to purchase horses, to make sure they're treated well and kept healthy, out of one side of their mouth and out the other side they sell great numbers for slaughter. Glad to hear you know a bit about the wild horses. Please permit me to show some of their back door stuff.



They sell to a known meat seller, horses for 10 a head without any vet check or red tape or give a damn how he hauls them and when found out claim~well, if you've time have a look at this:

https://www.propublica.org/article/...to-wild-horses-tom-davis-bought-from-the-govt

All the Missing Horses: What Happened to the Wild Horses Tom Davis Bought From the Gov’t?

A lone mustang who escaped the helicopters watches a Bureau of Land Management roundup in the Stone Cabin Valley in Nevada during the winter of 2012. (Dave Philipps)

The captured horses are put up for adoption. Almost anyone can have one for as little as $125 as long as they sign a contract promising not to sell it to slaughter.