Michele Sullivan wrote on July 30, 2008 02:34 PM: I’ve been following the never ending story of how the Bureau of Land Management has been mismanaging the federal land in our state.

The old argument with rounding up the wild horses and burros is that they compete with the cattle and sheep ranchers for the limited water and food supplies in northern Nevada so it was necessary for the round ups to save them!

But over the last several years an agency called the Southern Nevada Water Authority has been buying up private ranches who have held large Federal Grazing Permits in Nevada, specifically 56,379 (AUMs), animal units per month. [One horse per AUM, and there are approximately 27,000 horses being held in pens].

As the Southern Nevada Water Authority continues to buy up private ranches, the cattle and sheep are being removed and therefore continue to retire the grazing permits of these ranches; couldn’t these federal lands that were allocated for cattle and sheep now be used by the wild horses?

Couldn’t some of the horses be released back into the wild? If the cattle and sheep were gazing on this land then why can’t the horses?

Granted if the Southern Nevada Water Authority drains every drop of water from Northern Nevada, then all the wildlife as well as the people will be fighting for their lives. But we can give the horses and burros a fighting chance at survival and don’t they deserve that!

jen wrote on July 22, 2008 07:44 AM: Wild Bill, yes, mustangs CAN be "tamed", or more precisely gentled and broken to ride. I have seen it and participated in it many times myself, living about 30 miles from one of the BLM horse corrals. I personally know of 2 mustangs from the Nevada range who were captured around the age of 4 years. They were gelded, gentled and put in training. Within 2 years they were both well-trained, solid members of our local search and rescue team. If they were "wild", there's no way they could be part of this group. Mustangs are actually great for stuff like this because they are strong, sure footed, and have great endurance. But I would never put an unexperienced rider on ANY horse that was not bomb proof. Sorry Gladys, but I think your ideas are a little too romantic for mustangs in general.

But how about this idea... they could let people pay to become part of the roundup themselves! They could even pre-pick their horse. I bet there's plenty of rich folks who would pay for that priviledge. And then they could film it for a TV reality show and make enough bucks to support the rest. :o)

As for population control, that is something that is somewhat in place already. When the BLM brings the horses in, they all get vet checks. Some are sorted for sale/adoption and others are turned back out due to age and other factors. Many of the stallions are gelded before being turned loose again to help with the population, but they can't get all of them. And of course one stud can cover many mares.

Forrest, I never had it, but I hear it was excellent!

Thanks Joe wrote on July 21, 2008 10:46 PM: Thanks Joe

Make That To-Go, Tim wrote on July 21, 2008 10:10 PM: Tim (who never graduated high-school but still posts here): the "turtles" (sic, actually tortoises) are native.

The horses are feral.

Tim's Homework (know what that means, tim?). For "tim" (who still hasn't located his CAPS key after many months posting here) here is your homework:
research, then compare and contrast the terms "turtle" and "tortoise." Post here again and show us what you have learned.

Then, compare and contrast the terms "wild" and "feral."

Tim who, as always, the consummate ignoramus, simply does not even know what he does not know, and still listens to AM radio for most of his information, and grandiosely enlightens the rest of us (actually educated people) here with the new, AM radio "facts" he has discovered.

Tim: yes, that's to go. And I would like fries with that.

tim wrote on July 21, 2008 07:05 PM: they can give sanctuaries to turtles,fence off acres of land all over nv.,but they all the sudden say that they can't do it for horses.what a bunch of bull.if they are all starving to death,why are there so many?blm.is in it for the money,plain and simple,useless bureau of gov.hacks.they give buffalo sanctuaries don't they?something is very wrong with this,ten bucks say they sell the horses for euro-trash dinners.

ET wrote on July 21, 2008 06:49 PM: Jack ,the GOV, once decided too kill all the Indians and would pay you $$ for a ear,the Gov was wrong then.Man has no business controlling the Desert,he cannot control his cities .More Horses = more Cougars, Eagles,etc,Man is here for a short stay, and must leave the environment alone.

Forrest Gump wrote on July 21, 2008 05:51 PM: I once ate Buffalo meat and alligator sausage. It was good, but I did not like it as much as beef. I don't know that i would eat Donkey though

casinocon wrote on July 21, 2008 04:38 PM: They have a program where inmates tame wild horses in California I think. Someone rode a beautiful mustang (you can tell by the neck tattoo/brand) in the Helldorado parade this year. Yes, each horse has a distinct personality and some are harder to tame than others, but many become wonderful pleasure horses. One of the Military units (the Army?) exclusively uses Mustangs in their color guard. Obviously birth control is important for the horses on the range -- don't let these horses be killed. Watch the movie "the Misfits" and you will be moved by Marilyn Monroe's performance and her love of wild things and life in general.

Wild Bill wrote on July 21, 2008 04:08 PM: Gladys
These horses are impossible to tame.
In Australia they are used in big game hunts. They are skinned and stuffed and used as statues for front drives and garden art. It is a huge source of income for the Australian government. With Nevadas budget deficit we could make millions of dollars by opening them up to big game hunting. It seems more humane than letting them starve in the wild.

Gladys wrote on July 21, 2008 04:03 PM: I don't know how a horse could be more expensive than a car, all they eat in their enviroment now is a little bit of grass. I also think that the Police would be the best option for the magnificent animals. The police are strong and could tame them so that they could be used downtown. I don't think that these horses should be used for things like little kid rides. Another option would be to use them for trail rides at Red Rock. I have lots of friends that would pay money to ride on these horses in the wild, and if they were in the wild they would probably continue to be tame in their own enviroment.

My husband and I went to Mexico a couple of years ago had our phototaken with a zebra in Tijauna. We could put the horses on Fremont street and people could dress in western clothes and have their pictures by the horses.

These are just some of the many wonderful ideas that I have come up with, certainly their are others who can come up with creative ideas to save our native horses.

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