The advocate interviewed for a report earlier this week by the CBS affiliate in Denver said the government should be getting rid of the horses with fertility control instead of helicopters. Not a surprise but they chose to include it.
Inmates interviewed for a subsequent story, filmed at the off-range corrals in Cañon City, said the horses were better off there. They may not understand all the issues, but by presenting their opinion, the producers sent the same message: Off the range.
A follow-up report, filmed at the HMA after the roundup, to document the animals that filled the void, hasn’t materialized.
Why was public-lands ranching omitted from the analysis? Why not discuss the management priorities and resource allocations that put the interests of livestock operators far above those of the horses?
With a little more research, they could tell their viewers that the HMA can support many more wild horses, and that the roundup and darting program would be unnecessary if the ranchers were confined to their base properties and expected to pay market rates to feed their animals.
RELATED: Special Report on Roundup Alternatives Not So Special.
Western Horse Watchers Association 