Yesterday’s post about wild horses denied a spot on their home range only considered areas currently designated for horses.
What about areas no longer designated? There are many of them, but let’s take a look at the Caliente Complex in eastern Nevada, which consists of nine former HMAs.
An estimated 39,920 AUMs per year have been diverted to privately owned livestock.
How do you determine the number of horses that the resource could support?
Horses graze twelve months per year, so divide the livestock AUMs by 12.
In this example, 3,327 horses have been denied a place on their home range.
That brings the total in yesterday’s post to 40,000, which accounts for 80% of the horses in off-range holding.
Contraceptives are not the answer. The problem is public-lands ranching.
Western Horse Watchers Association 