Eastbound on I-80, approaching Soda Springs, CA. A bit less moisture this year.
02/24/17
02/24/18
Month: February 2018
2018 Foals – Virginia Range
New colt spotted in Virginia City, see photo on St. Mary’s FB page.
DUI on a Horse
Man arrested for riding while intoxicated.
Tack suggests he was a skilled rider and had a great relationship with his horse.
What about immigration status?
Of the horse, you idiot. Guera.
Problems at the border might be greater than originally thought.
Mustang Monday
On the Pine Nut Mountains herd area, just south of the Pine Nut Mountains HMA.
Winter on the Virginia Range
Trailcam image from 02/18/18. Temperature 26 °F, elevation 6500 ft.
Horse Properties in Reno
Video from 2015. Probably not ideal, but you gotta smile.
Hear My Story
Inspired by Ian Tyson’s La Primera, a track on his 1999 album Lost Herd.
Are There Any Wild Horses in Nevada?
Yeah, roughly half of the horses under BLM administration are there.
Maps of HAs and HMAs in Nevada.
Not sure of the difference between herd areas and herd management areas? Go watch the presentation by John Ruhs at this post. Pay attention to the remarks beginning at 0:08:30.
Intruder Alert
Example of a band leader chasing away an unwanted visitor. Filmed on the Pine Nut Mountains herd area. Follow the action at the Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates FB page.
Colder Than a Well Digger’s…
Forecast for the Virginia Range, Tue 02/20/18, courtesy of Highland Ranches POA.
Better stock up on PZP in case the five degree temperatures don’t kill off enough of the youngsters and oldsters.
Mustang Monday
Multiple Use
Code word for ‘diversity’ on the range.
However, the goal is not variety of inhabitants. It’s about reducing the influence of certain ‘undesirable’ elements in the population.
You know, like straight white men. No, wait a minute…wild horses and burros.
Not that you hate horses and burros. Just the things they represent.
Family, freedom, self-reliance, mobility, autonomy, virility.
You’ll need some metrics to promote awareness of the ‘problem.’
Give them nice names, such as ‘appropriate management levels.’
Values can be assigned to the metrics by tables of random numbers or lightning bolts from Mt. Olympus. These numbers establish limits on the size of the population segments. If their size goes beyond the AMLs, corrective actions will be taken.
Other segments in the population have no limits. Especially if they were placed on the range from other ‘areas.’
You need to be more welcoming and inclusive.
P.S. Would like to see the folks over at Maggie’s Farm rethink their position on the subject.
More On Leak Repairs
Another example of repairs to underground PVC pipe. The leak was at a 2″ 45 degree elbow above the one you see in the photo. Only the soil held the pieces together.
As shown in the photo, you can join any two pieces of pipe with three elbows.
Virginia Range RFP Q&A
The first Q&A period closes on 02/19/18, see sections 5 and 6 in the RFP.
Given that most of the lands grazed by the VR horses are privately owned, why isn’t there a requirement for working with property owners on issues like liability and consent?
Related: Comments on RFP for VR Horses.
Save Those Old Water Buckets
They may not hold water but they’ll carry hay.
Your horses are not in stalls, right?
Happens Once in a While
Example of horses returned to the range after a roundup, at/near White Mountain HMA.
BLM Policies and Practices
Presentation by John Ruhs, State Director for BLM in Nevada, at the National Wild Horse and Burro Summit in August 2017. Thirty minutes in length but worth it.
Remarks from 0:01:30 to 0:03:09 reflect the BLM mission in the post-Obama era.
- Making America Safe through Energy Independence
- Making America Great Through Shared Conservation Stewardship
- Making America Safe – Restoring Our Sovereignty
- Getting America Back to Work
- Serving the American Family
Wild horses and burros fall under the ‘historic values’ category (0:02:17).
Conference sponsored by the National Horse & Burro Rangeland Management Coalition, which is not a WHB advocacy group.
The second presentation in the video focuses mostly on the burros in Arizona.
The final presentation deals with disease on the range.
Mustang Monday
On the Pryor Mountains.
What is a Judas Horse?
A trained horse released at the trap entrance to draw the wild ones into captivity.
In this video, from the 2015 Kiger gather, the JH appears at 12:16 behind some trees, just inside the temporary fence. He is released at 12:23, as the mustangs pass by, and they follow him into the trap.
Carrot in front, stick in the back.
What is a Gather?
BLM film from Calico Complex gather in 2010 (Nevada).
Processing of captured horses has been omitted.
Never get on the bus.
Western Horse Watchers Association 