No doubt a picture paints a thousand words - but there is so
much more to the wild horse population and round ups than the majority of the
media is covering. And it includes laws that we wrote hundreds of years ago -
the land grant act, and the wild horse act - both have set regulations.
Ranchers have to follow theirs to a T. BLM is trying to follow theirs - but
activists with deep pockets are tying BLM's hands. The horses have virtually no
predators but the laws are still there. BLM is now fighting legal battles with
landowners, because of the laws; and horse lovers (I prefer to call them
activists - because I am a huge horse lover), because they have lots of money
given to them by those who really don’t see both sides. The just see the
beautiful pictures.
Like these....
Not these...
We have a growing problem - and it is not the roundups.
They are the least of the problems. The checkerboard roundup in WY was one of
the first landowner lawsuits and I'm guessing there are lots more to come as
they pool their money. They will win. There are laws that protect grazing, as
they should - the same ones that started 4-H, land grant colleges, extension,
and the public lands system. Currently, there are over double the amount of
allotted horses roaming on public lands - set by law. In 71, there were ~ 26k
horses, now there are close to 50k.
If you’ve ever owned a horse, you know what it costs to feed
a horse - imagine what it is costing BLM to feed the 47k horses in holding
facilities - or should I say "what it costs the taxpayer." The
activists blame grazing, but since 71, BLM grazing has actually declined by
35%. I don't have the answer, but I do know that most of the
"propaganda" that hits the news does not cover both sides...just the
emotional, beautiful, free, roaming horse side (and that they are). We need a
better solution than the emotional side of "stop the roundups." The
roundups are going to happen! And they need to. For a number of reasons,
including the horse herds health! And the whole idea that the helicopters are
not humane – seriously – I have yet to meet a rancher, dude ranch, even small
acreage horse owner – that hasn’t used a motorized vehicle to corral a horse
that doesn’t want to be caught.
Not all of the horses are truly wild, since slaughter was
cut off in the U.S., city horse owners or small acreage owners, after they find
out how much a horse really costs or lose their job, and then can't afford it,
and take them up and "set them free." Hay at 12 - 15 bucks for a
small square, all winter, ads up fast. I am pro slaughter - American slaughter.
I’ve heard rumors that some ranchers are turning them out, but I have a hard
time believing that, as any true rancher knows the havoc the growing wild horse
population is creating. While I wouldn't
want to take my horse to one, I do respect other people’s rights to their own
beliefs – and I believe in treating all animals humanely. They are animals, and
some countries eat them. Who are we do judge that. We eat beef - some countries
don't. The horses getting hauled to Mexico are facing a much worse fate than
anything they would ever face here, in the travel alone - we at least know our
regulations and can set/monitor/control them.
Why do we let activists lead us down roads with pictures and half truths? I get it, the pictures are huge. But seriously, take a picture of your dog tomorrow, zoom in, real close, and make sure he's laying on the floor, and then picture the ads. Then throw in some sad background music for good measures. Does he fit in? And then add a few misleading words to the picture - poor starving puppy - and post it on FB, with a "send money please". You might just hit the lottery! Like the activists do! If we could only control our emotions until we know the entire story!
Poor, sad, abused pit bull...
Let’s take HSUS for example. I have a Pit Bull that has the
saddest look when she’s begging, but right now, she’s lying on my leather couch
with her tummy full of dog food slathered in bacon grease. HSUS could use her
tomorrow in one of their “save the poor dog” commercials. I have an older mare
that we’ve had in the family for over 20 years. She’s got to be 30 now. If a
non-horse owner saw her, they would probably turn me in for starving her – but she’s
not starving – she’s old. Like a senior in the old folks home.
It is so important to learn the facts, all of them, before you pile on!
It is so important to learn the facts, all of them, before you pile on!
