The debate over roundups dates back decades, to the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act, which is a federal law that protects wild horses and burros and made it illegal for cowboys to round up the animals for sport or profit.
I found an article published in New York Times that discusses exactly what I am blogging about. Outside of Ravendale, California, more than 1,200 horses have been captured during the current roundup. Simone Netherlands, a wild horse advocate said, “They’re running at full speed for miles and miles for hours, with babies, little babies, and they don’t let up on them.” “They’re stressing them out to the max.”
The BLM says that the roundups are humane and that it must reduce the wild horse population to more sustainable levels, both for their health and for that of the other animals that live in the areas. “Some advocate groups would like us to leave the horses out there and let nature take its course,” said Bob Abbey, director of the BLM. “We don’t believe that’s a sound option.” Is the BLM right? Why keep rounding up so many if the demand for horses is low and the cost of feed is high? For example, in 2009, about 70% of the entire program’s $40.6 million budget was spent holding 34,500 horses and burros. Couldn’t this overwhelm the program? Is the BLM favoring livestock ranchers? The ranchers who pay the government for the right to graze and who can sell their animals? These questions may in fact be well…a fact. “We remove wild horses from the public lands so private livestock can graze, and then we ship the wild horses to private ranchers in the Midwest where we stockpile them and pay private ranchers.” This has been stated by the BLM.
“The method of capture is simple: horses are located from helicopters, which have been used in roundups since the mid-1970s, and pushed toward the trap site, essentially a funnel shaped by two netted walls that lead into a temporary corral. Once the herd runs into the funnel, Mr. Cattoor lets loose a Judas horse, which is trained to lead the rest into the trap, where — uncombed, unshod and often stomping and biting, they slowly settle into their new lives as kept animals. All of which is more humane than the old days,” said Mr. Cattoor from the BLM.
Regardless of the opinions of both sides, some wild mustangs do actually die during round ups, mostly from a combination of stress, heat, and dehydration. So why doesn’t the BLM make roundups safer?
"Nevada's Wild Horses and Burros." Las Vegas News, Weather, Traffic, Sports - KLAS-TV 8 News Now. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.
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