Budget Cuts = Changes to the BLM Wild Horse Program

According to the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) the current $2 million budget cut anticipated by the Bureau of Land Management has required the BLM to make “extensive changes to its wild horse program, including reducing the number of wild horses removed from the range for at least the next two years, increasing adoptions, significantly expanding the use of fertility control to maintain herd levels, and improving its care and handling procedures to enhance the humane treatment of the animals.”

To the ASPCA this is a step, “The ASPCA will be watching closely to ensure the BLM lives up to its new promises,” said Matt Bershadker, senior vice president of ASPCA Anti-Cruelty, “we are encouraged that the BLM is taking the necessary steps to correct its inhumane and fiscally irresponsible policies before these iconic horses are completely eradicated…and we look forward to greater transparency in all aspects of the BLM’s wild horse program.”

According to Dianne Nelson of Wild Horse Sanctuary in Shingletown California, the wild horse program showed “ineptitude from the beginning.” Maintaining that in the early ‘80’s UC Davis had perfected a vaccine to prevent mares from foaling for two years, yet it had not been utilized until recently.  Dianne noted that “the manpower and cost of round ups” exceed the cost of implementing a vaccine program.

Currently managing 300+ wild horses at her horse sanctuary Dianne pointed out that only half of the horses she manages were from BLM, the remaining were from other government agencies and their ‘wild horse management’ efforts. She has wild horses from the Department of Fish and Game and from the Forest Service, stating that if one agency reduces its wild horse management efforts the other agencies “have co-operative agreements …(resulting in) different atrocities perpetuated by different agencies.”  Dianne noted that wild horses are even located on DOD land at Naval Weapons Centers.

While articles pitting the cattle ranchers against the protectors of wild horses seem abundant, a representative with the California Cattleman’s Association stated that cattle ranchers lease land from BLM to graze, intimating that it is BLM’s responsibility to manage their lands and make sure there is enough feed for all animals within that area's eco system prior to leasing the land. Neither Dianne nor the Cattleman’s association had negative words for the other. The cattlemen recognize the need to preserve the heritage and the beauty of the native animals and the wild horse protectors recognize the cattleman’s need to provide for their families, creating a loose alliance between the two entities, placing the responsibility of maintaining the wild horse population humanely and in a fiscally sound manner directly into BLM hands.

In 1971 the Wild Horse and Free Roaming Burro Act that passed read: To require the protection, management, and control of wild free-roaming horses and burros on public lands which was later amended by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act in 1976 and the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 calling for the horses to be managed “in a manner that is designed to achieve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance on the public lands.” It mandates periodic inventory and identification of public rangeland conditions.

For more information on the Wild Horse Sanctuary visit Wild Horse Sanctuary

By, Charity Maness

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Photo courtesy Wild Horse Sanctuary.

ASPCA Information from ASCPCA website.