The investigation currently centers around the outbreak of an influenza virus and the vaccine protocols intended to prevent it, as discussed in the following report by CBS News in Denver.
The government has not provided a satisfactory explanation for the high mortality rate in the West Douglas horses compared to other animals at the facility.
But nobody’s asking why they aren’t living on their home range.
The problem is the way our public lands are managed, especially in areas set aside for wild horses.
Most of the food and water have been assigned to privately owned cattle and sheep.
With few resources remaining for the horses, most of them end up in off-range holding.
A blog post dated April 27 by the BLM describes that as nirvana.
Privately owned land formerly used for cattle grazing has been repurposed for wild horses and public lands designated for the horses are now used for cattle grazing, with expenses covered by the taxpayers.
It’s absolutely nuts. The aim of the wild horse and burro program is to minimize its impact on the grazing program.
Confine the ranchers to their base properties and let them pay the going rate to feed their animals. They’ve been insulated from the realities of a free market, at least on the cost side, for too long.
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Western Horse Watchers Association 