Consider these data from Warm Springs HMA in southeast Oregon:
What can you infer from these figures, omitting the portion for wildlife?
- The AML is 202 (2,424 ÷ 12)
- Privately owned livestock receive 89% of the forage (19,392 ÷ (2,424 + 19,392))
- Wild horses receive 11% of the forage (2,424 ÷ (2,424 + 19,392))
- Livestock receive eight times more forage than horses (19,392 ÷ 2,424)
- The forage allocation for livestock would support 3,232 cow/calf pairs over a six month grazing season (19,392 ÷ 6)
- The forage allocation for livestock would support 1,616 wild horses (19,392 ÷ 12)
- The HMA can support 1,818 wild horses (202 + 1,616)
- The AML represents 11% of the carrying capacity of the HMA (202 ÷ 1,818)
You don’t have a horse problem at Warm Springs HMA, you have a ranching problem.
RELATED: Warm Springs Horses Get Short End of Stick.
Western Horse Watchers Association 