Preserving One of America’s Beautiful Creatures

The Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 was enacted due to the public outcry in the 1950's and 1960's because of the slaughter of wild horses. These animals were considered pests and were killed in large numbers. They were usually shot and left to die. The Act called for the protection of these animals from public agencies one of them the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Throughout the years the government has done everything but protect these majestic free-spirited creatures.

These animals are rounded-up through the chase of helicopters and four wheelers and then trapped in holding pens. They are held in facilities for the purpose of adoption (with no guarantees) and to be sold to slaughter houses. Of those that are adopted, there is no proper adoption screening. In the chase, animals fall from exhaustion only to be trampled by the running herd. Others succumb to illness because of the stress or because they are too weak or old to survive the roundup. There is also the trauma of the separation from the herd, existing bonds are broken. Some foals are often left behind to fend for themselves. Some animals are kept in holding pens for years. On the good side is the action of closing down in 2007 of the 3 slaughter houses in the US (2 in Texas and 1 in Illinois).

Herd Management Areas or HMAs are areas designated for the wild horses, but they are killed by the very BLM (who is supposed to protect them) when they step out of the HMAs. Being that they not a fenced off areas, the horses have no knowledge that they are trespassing this invisible line. The government claims that they damage the environment but in reality what they mean is that the horses eat the dirt-cheap grass that cattle feed on in public lands. The BLM obviously has favored the cattle ranchers succumbing to their pressure.

Considerable education is necessary (especially for the lawmakers) on the management of wild horses, in order to reach a co-existing plan for the horses and cattle-ranchers. We have already taken large amounts of their land in favor of livestock. Many sanctuaries use non-hormonal contraception in mares. The government can adopt this procedure also, in an effort to control their so-called overpopulation and stop the so-called destruction of habitat that they impose. I say so-called because there is scientific evidence that states otherwise.

Euthanasia should not be an option to control their numbers. At this rate, wild horses will be extinct only to be remembered by its close relative the domestic horse.