[Alagirl]

Likely because it concerns "wild" horses and it could be another reason used to get rid of them.

hmm, the wild horses are non-native feral animals
the area is arid, and well, there are too many of them (like deers in other areas)

so we round up a couple of herds, omg how mean, and preserve some habitat for the native species.

BLM does not need an excuse.
They have enough reason. What they need now is an outlet for the ones they already have.

[nasalberry]

... Non native invasive species are not usually enabled, but rather eradicated, because in the end, they do not belong, and are harmful to the wildlife that DOES belong. Horses are not natural “wildlife” they are feral animals introduced by man.
...

Non-indigenous HUMANS are a "non-native" species to this land as well - look at the disasters they've created.

[JGHIRETIRE]

I think it's a little more than a "couple" herds........

hmm, the wild horses are non-native feral animals
the area is arid, and well, there are too many of them (like deers in other areas)

so we round up a couple of herds, omg how mean, and preserve some habitat for the native species.

BLM does not need an excuse.
They have enough reason. What they need now is an outlet for the ones they already have.

[Alagirl]

I think it's a little more than a "couple" herds........

and the point is?

[JGHIRETIRE]

Sorry I don't think the BLM wants to preserve a damn thing.

hmm, the wild horses are non-native feral animals
the area is arid, and well, there are too many of them (like deers in other areas)

so we round up a couple of herds, omg how mean, and preserve some habitat for the native species.

BLM does not need an excuse.
They have enough reason. What they need now is an outlet for the ones they already have.

[SmartAlex]

Non-indigenous HUMANS are a "non-native" species to this land as well - look at the disasters they've created.

^^LIKE^^

In fact, I think I'll go back across the pond before I cause any further trouble here. See Ya!

[Alagirl]

^^LIKE^^

In fact, I think I'll go back across the pond before I cause any further trouble here. See Ya!

LOL

Humans were there before the horses were, by a few thousand years....

[nasalberry]

Humans were there before the horses were, by a few thousand years....

WRONG!
Equus originated in NA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang_horse#History

Just sayin'.

[SmartAlex]

That's what she said. Humans originated over there. Horses originated over here.

[nasalberry]

That's what she said. Humans originated over there. Horses originated over here.

I'm confused. She-who said that?

[SmartAlex]

Humans were there before the horses were, by a few thousand years....

Alagirl said it. "there" being across the pond.
Thus establishing that horses began in North America and Humans began in ... well, what is it? East Africa?

Anyway. Tra la la la la. This thread has totally derailed. I guess I'm not done causing trouble over here. Off to lunch.

[JGHIRETIRE]

Should we start singing that song?? Over here, over there?? Isn't that a Marine song??? Ok it's Friday............

[MLD]

I mean more along the lined of why is this news? People hit large mammals with their car and have serious accidents every single day.

Most people don't live around wild horses. Many people live around deer. Around here, the wild horses make the news a lot. After all, Reno is a city were there is an annual expo held ... The Western States Wild Horse and Burro Expo. One of the local prisons in Carson City has a program where inmates saddle train the wild horses and then they are sold at an auction held at the prison. At the last auction this past October, the highest bid went to a pinto for $3500.00. Love them or hate them, the wild horses are part of living in northern Nevada.


This story has been talked about around here a lot over the past couple of days. I had client's call me to talk about how sad they thought this was.

[MLD]

I think it's a little more than a "couple" herds........

There is thought to be over 37,000 wild horses in the western states. There are over 47,000 wild horses that have already been captured by the BLM and are being held in pastures across the west. These are horses they are NOT trying to adopt out. The BLM will capture mares, inject them with a contraceptive and release them back to the wild.

[JGHIRETIRE]

There are many many spins on the actual number left wild - BLM says one thing - others say something else. Unless I actually went and counted I don't know who to believe on that - likely somewhere between what BLM and the Cloud Foundation say for instance.
The BLM seems to almost always be rounding some up somewhere. If they are giving them contraceptives and releasing them, why is there such a need to round up so many???
I don't really know why they are holding so many in "pastures" as you say. What the heck is the point of that??

There is thought to be over 37,000 wild horses in the western states. There are over 47,000 wild horses that have already been captured by the BLM and are being held in pastures across the west. These are horses they are NOT trying to adopt out. The BLM will capture mares, inject them with a contraceptive and release them back to the wild.

[Alagirl]

There are many many spins on the actual number left wild - BLM says one thing - others say something else. Unless I actually went and counted I don't know who to believe on that - likely somewhere between what BLM and the Cloud Foundation say for instance.
The BLM seems to almost always be rounding some up somewhere. If they are giving them contraceptives and releasing them, why is there such a need to round up so many???
I don't really know why they are holding so many in "pastures" as you say. What the heck is the point of that??

There is no point in holding them in pastures - which are as far as I understand feedlots....to the tune of estimated 30k heads, that is money that should be going toward restoring and preserving the range, not feeding shaggy horses.

Some studies suggest that it alters the herd dynamic when the horses do not conceive.

And yeah, the West in in a drought, you have heard that, right. That is why the horses are being constantly rounded up. Sort a few out to adopt out....

But the nutters won't let any meaningful management of the herds happen.

With only a few hundred a year being adopted, some never get training....the ones in the lots are being cared for, they don't die any time soon...

What can you do: you can't just kill them, the public outcry would be huge, can't leave them out, they and the rest of the habitat would die of starvation, not to mention that the frail arid ecosystem would take forever to recover, if ever....

So 2 horses got killed in an accident...like thousands of deer every year, and possums, racoons, coyotes and whatnot.

[SmartAlex]

You could set out to erradicate all the established herds and in a few decades you would have a whole new population of feral horses with brand new bloodlines.

[Alagirl]

You could set out to erradicate all the established herds and in a few decades you would have a whole new population of feral horses with brand new bloodlines.