State legislators have proposed SB 385, a measure that would include wild horses in animal cruelty laws, spell out the disposition of seized animals and clarify that they are not livestock, which means they can’t be sold, slaughtered or dispatched like stray livestock.
The state Bureau of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Protection Voters of New Mexico support the bill, according to a report by the Carlsbad Current Argus, but the New Mexico Cattlegrowers and the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau oppose it.
The bill allows wild horses to be captured if they’re a physical threat, need veterinary care or the land has reached its carrying capacity.
The story did not indicate if carrying capacity referred to horses only or horses and livestock. Wildlife would likely be included in both cases.
Western Horse Watchers Association 