WHAT THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT DOESNT WANT YOU TO KNOW. Did you know that as late as the early 1900s there were over 2 Million Wild and Free Roaming Mustangs in the Western United States? True...They roamed 11 western states, parts of Mexico and British Columbia. There were as many wild and free mustangs at one time as there were buffalo in the 1700s and we all know what happened to them. First some background information. In 1971 the Federal Government passed the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. This stated that these horses could no longer be rounded up by motorized vehicles, sold or traded in anyway and it gave the Bureau of Land Management regulatory powers over these beautiful creatures. In 1971 there were still over 650,000 wild and free mustangs roaming the west. Today the Bureau of Land Management estimates that there are 33,000 left and by their own accounts that is too many wild mustangs utilizing the land and the number needs to be reduced to approximately 20,000 mustangs. ONLY 33,000 LEFT FROM 2 MILLION IN 1900. ONLY 33,000 LEFT OF 650,000 IN 1971 AND THATS STILL TOO MANY ACCORDING TO THE BLM. WHAT IS A WILD MUSTANG? The mustang was a free roaming horse brought to the Florida and California by the Spanish. While there is controversy as to whether a mustang has ever been an indigenous animal in North America or even if its technically considered wild, the Bureau of Land Management maintains them as wildlife and they are protected by the government. Obviously how they Manage these wild horses and why there are so few left is the question. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) protects all federal public land and the resources associated with that land. However, the key words there are Public and Resources. Resources could mean water, minerals, trees, and yes wildlife i.e. mustangs. Public is just that, YOUR LAND, YOUR RESOURCES, YOURS, NOT THEIRS! So what changed from 1900 and again in 1971. In the 1900s the BLM began to strictly regulate public lands but most important was the Water found on those lands. Why the water and not the land? Simple, ranching and the cost of beef. While it is true that the mustangs and all wildlife have seen a reduction in habitat, it isnt true that the reduction in habit for mustangs was significant as they already were living in some very rugged and remote terrain which most people wouldnt live in anyway. Think of the Donner Party, and you get the idea. Massive amounts of snow and bitter cold in the winter followed by flooding in the spring and blistering heat in the summer in the high desert regions of California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah and Colorado. Today wild mustangs are found in Northern Nevada. So, if its not a loss of habitat the only thing left are 2 Major Factors, Ranching and the Drought. Ranchers utilize the BLM land for all their cattle to free graze on the very same land that the mustangs are using. That means with the lack of water and natural grasses to feed on are at a premium and so are the watering holes for drinking. Once the drought began and impacting the ranchers and their cattle the mustangs began to be rounded up and sold as dog food and chicken feed. Then in 1971 the ranchers couldnt round them up anymore so the BLM took over that job and they now call them Gatherings, not Roundups. Gatherings sound more politically correct, however its the same concept except now they use helicopters to round them up. BLM is to protect these horses, but unfortunately that hasnt always happened. Several 1,000 of these horses were adopted out in Colorado which later were sold and shipped to Mexico to a horse processing slaughter plant. Images of these BLM Gatherings are quite disturbing. Mares are separated from their fouls. Often times these horses are driven by helicopter for miles at a dead run. Young and old horses have been known to run for so long that their hoofs literally are worn off and they become lame and crippled. Once the Judas Horse leads them into the pins, they begin to fight for space and dominance which happened seldom in the wild since they had huge roaming areas and now they are confined to a pins the size of half a football field. Over the course of the last seven years the BLM has rounded up or Gathered as they prefer to call it over 65,000 mustangs. Out of that number its estimated that only 2,200 were ever adopted out to private parties. So what happens to the horses that the BLM rounds up? Damn good question. It costs them on average $7.00 a day to house and feed these horses which use to be wild on the range and the Earth and Mother Nature took care of them for FREE! NOW YOU ARE PAYING FOR THEM. YES, YOU AND ME AND EVERY OTHER TAX PAYERS IN THE UNITED STATES. All of this because of Beef? Yep! The bigger question is if the drought continues and water and feed becomes more scarce, will the BLM say that they made a mistake and 20,000 wild horses is now too many? Will the beef industry win out of the preservation of the horse that Won the West/ Think about it. These are the horses that Native Americans, Cowboys, Pony Express Riders, and Law Enforcement used. In the Old West stealing a mans horse was punishable by hanging from a rope until dead. Thats how prized and cherished a horse was, and that means these horses which is why even until 1900 there will still over 2 million of them roaming FREE! So how do you solve this problem and insure that the wild mustangs will remain wild and grow their numbers back to a more sustainable population for countless Americans to see? Heres the part youre not going to like. In drought impacted years reduce the head of cattle grazing on public lands. I know what youre thinking, hell no, now my tri tip, ribeye, or t-bone is going to cost $17.00 to $20.00 a pound instead of $8.00 - $12.00 a pound. I say its a small price to pay to preserve the Spirit of the West and see these majestic creatures running free and not locked up in a BLM holding pin sustaining injury, insanity and finally death. Its up to you, you can take action all on your own. Tell your friends and neighbors about the plight of the wild mustangs and explain to them what is happening to them. As of now, hardly anyone in the media is even bothering to cover this story of what is happening to our wild horses. I urge you to think about it. Beef can still be whats for dinner, it just may mean that until the drought ends you eat it less often. Thank you for your time and consideration and this New Years Brandi and I will be eating less beef and more chicken, pork and fish.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 01:04:20 +0000
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