Comments on: Wild Horse Roundups: Why are they conducted?

By: S Raziano

S Raziano — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:12:58 +0000

I think we need to let the mustangs run wild…. they dont need to be caught. if we keep bringin them in there wont be anymore mustangs!! they will die out. We need to protect them for they r some livin memory of what the promise of america use to be and could be agian!!!!

By: S Roark

S Roark — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:39:30 +0000

The BLM is a political extension of local and Washington politicians. As such, only writing to and refusing to vote for the politicians that have control of these Federal Lands, make decisions about the wild horses, and side with the cattle and sheep herders, will have an impact on the wild horses. Most ranchers have little compassion for wild horses over their own livelihood, just look at the struggle with the wolves. Nothing but the power of the polls moves politicians. You have one vote, use it.

By: Barbara Gentry

Barbara Gentry — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:02:54 +0000

This is frightening…how would you feel if some agency came into your home and decided to kill off a few of your family members because you had too many off springs??? Animals are a living being and have the right to live, this is what’s wrong with our society today, is people like this that think thay are God and can make a life and death decision. Well, an old saying comes to my mind that YOU need to REMEMBER..WHAT GOES AROUND….COMES AROUND!!!

By: Barbara

Barbara — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:20:52 +0000

Feral is a discrimatory term that is used to justify the riddance of an animal or plant that is not wanted. Do a little research and you will find that the horse is a re-introduced native originately from this continent. The massive amounts of cows grazing on our Public Lands for almost nothing are either Herefords or Angus. By their names, guess where they came from! For that matter unless you met the Mayflower you are probably non-native—does that make you feral?

By: Janet

Janet — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 02:15:49 +0000

Rebuttal for Leisyka. Your comment makes me fearful that you would be the 1st in line to shoot the “feral” horses. Get real. So, as long as horses are born on a ranch, etc, they are OK? Pls go out to the homeless shelters or onto the streets where a mother just gave birth to her homeless child. I guess I would say the baby is feral. Do you shoot the homeless? My guess says you are from a NW state. Montana, etc. These states take animals for granted. Just shoot em’ and that will take away the problem. Try living on the other coast where, yes, we may be over populated, but I guarantee we take better care of our wild animals. Why? We take care of God’s children-man or foal. Your opinion on life is frightening. What do you care for?

By: roxy

roxy — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:17:54 +0000

Regarding the BLM managed Pryor Mountain wild horses, there is NO DAMAGE, NO LACK OF FORAGE FOR WILDLIFE, WHERE THE SAME 500 YEAR OLD GENETIC BLOOD LINE HAS EXISTED SINCE LEWIS AND CLARK. The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge is managed by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, not BLM.

According to the Sheldon web page they will be managing population numbers through this year until further comprehensive planning is completed in 2010. In 2007 and in 2008, according to their web page, they released this – quote: “Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on Horse and Burro Management at Sheldon National Wildlife”, then all of a sudden, massive roundups were declared necesaary.

Horses and burros will be removed to 1977 and 1980 numbers and contraception would be reviewed and used if appropriate. On the Sheldon web page what I see in the before photo is a lot of green grass and very little dead bush – the steam seems to be flowing nicely, therfor I do not see what they call “riparian damage”. What I see in the after picture is a lot of dead tall brush -range fire fuel.

The refuge falls unter 1931 Executive Order, apparently not the 1971 wild horse and burro program, and indicates that horses and burros are not native to Sheldon (?) are, in large part, released FROM ranchers just 100 years ago, mixing with a few feral horses on the range at that time.

The next photo shows vegitation NOT DECIMATED or TRASHED, but at a nice GREEN height of 4 cm, instead of the patch of 35 cm, which will die, and will become range fire fuel. Hats off to Sheldon: The roundups are conducted during “NON FOALING SEASON” ending in May, unlike BLM – see Lame Foal at Pryor end of summer roundups Labor Day weekend, 2009 at thecloudfoundation.org.

Sheldon quote: “We also realize the difficulty in finding adoptive homes for older horses, so we are assessing the viability of using contraceptive techniques that would allow unadoptable animals to live out their lives on the refuge while lowering the reproductive rate of the herd.” Again, unlike BLM, who has removed the beloved Conquistador, Grumpy Gruell and several other 10 to 20 year old horses to live where, under what conditions?

By: Leisyka

Leisyka — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:59:34 +0000

These horses are FERAL and they do not belong in this desert landscape. Cows have a limited grazing season – horses are there tearing up fragile riparian areas and competing with native wildlife (antelope & deer) year round. There is no natural predator for these feral horses – they need to be hunted just like all non livestock animals on the range. Feral horse advocates need to do their homework and visit their public lands trashed by feral horses year round. Try visiting the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge where cows have been removed for 15 years and see the damage caused by feral horses to fragile springs and streams. We need a Feral horse hunting season to rid the range of these animals that simple do not belong.

By: susan

susan — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:05:53 +0000

http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/
please read

By: roxy

roxy — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:58:36 +0000

Keep calling and e-mailing!!! Join The Cloud Foundation Blog for up to minute information on the removals. I’ve never been so sickened – report is that in a taped inteview of Don Glenn is that BLM, who promised all of these horses would be adopted, has changed their minds – some are to be sold without limitation (Burns Act) = slaughter! These may be horses you have come to love from the series and Foundation.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:36:57 +0000

The public need to ask for an assessment of the land conditions by an independent party and find out what 35 million dollars can do to preserve the land so there is plenty of feed for all. That is the budget stated by Abbey on The Today Show. Then you can let the Wild Horses be what they were born to be…Wild and Free to live out their lives as their creator intended.