Wild Horses
by Zola Ryan
DURING THE 1950’S AND 60’S A GRASS ROOTS CAMPAIGN HELPED CREATE THE WILD FREE ROAMING HORSE AND BURRO ACT.
TODAY THE BLM MANAGES THOSE HORSES. THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT DETERMINES HOW MANY HORSES THE LAND CAN SUPPORT WITHOUT DAMAGING THE RESOURCES OR RISKING STARVATION FOR THE HORSES.
THE CHALLENGE IS MAINTAINING THE HERDS AT THE APPROPRIATE SIZE.
THE HORSES HAVE ESSENTIALLY NO PREDATORS AND THEIR POPULATION GROWS AT THE RATE OF EIGHTEEN PERCENT EVERY YEAR. THEY DOUBLE THEIR POPULATION IN FIVE YEARS. UNFORTUNATELY FOR OUR RANGELANDS THAT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. THEY EAT THEMSELVES OUT OF A HAPPY HOME.
THE OPTION THE BLM HAS IS TO GATHER THEM AND ADOPT THEM OUT.
BUT GATHERING THE HORSES IS EXPENSIVE, KEEPING THEM IS EXPENSIVE, AND THERE ARE MORE HORSES THAN FOSTER PARENTS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, MANAGING WILD HORSES ISN’T EASY. THE PUBLIC MIGHT BE HAPPY TO SEE SO MANY HORSES, BUT THE FOLKS WHO HAVE TO MANAGE THEIR POPULATION HAVE A VERY BIG PROBLEM. FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, I’M ZOLA RYAN.