A working group, chartered by Arizona State University, has created a blueprint for managing the 19,700 acre Heber Wild Horse Territory, according to a report that appeared today in the White Mountain Independent of Show Low, AZ.

The proposal, assembled by a diverse group of citizens under the guidance of professional facilitators, will be reviewed by the Forest Service.

A management plan was mandated in 2007 when the WHT was established.  The goal is to balance the needs of horses, livestock and wildlife relative to the available resources.

Approximately 300 wild horses live in the territory, for a population density of 15 animals per thousand acres.  That figure differs appreciably from the typical one animal per thousand acres on HMAs, many of which lie in the Great Basin.

The article did not indicate how many cattle are allowed in the WHT.

“There is also perception that ranchers don’t want any horses on the landscape because of alleged overgrazing from horses that impacts cattle forage abundance, water, etc.”

It’s not a perception, it’s the truth.

Things may turn out well for the horses if the stakeholders and regulatory agencies remember that’s it’s a HORSE TERRITORY not a cow territory.

RELATED: Conflict Between Livestock and Horses Plays Out at Heber WHT.

A wild horse trapped in an arroyo near Placitas, NM was rescued by volunteers who called in a backhoe to cut a ramp so the horse could climb out.  H/T JD Reynolds.

On Sand Wash Basin HMA.  H/T High Stakes Ranch.

They live on the east coast of Georgia, an area accessible only by ferry.  Their history is similar to the Banker Horses of North Carolina.  H/T Romina for the video.

Officials in Medora, ND are worried that the government shutdown may hurt their tourism-based economy, due to lack of services and possibly reduced hours at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  Refer to this syndicated report, which appeared yesterday in The Charlotte Observer.

The park, known for its prairie dogs, bison and wild horses, was created in 1947.

The horses you see today have no historical significance, they are only an exhibit.

The native horses were rounded up and sold 20+ years ago.  Some were purchased by Leo Kuntz and moved to his ranch near Linton, ND.  He called them ‘Nokotas.’

The descendants of these northern plains horses can be seen today at the Nokota Horse Conservancy in Linton.

RELATED: Story of the Nokota Horses.

Several wild horses were moved last week from the Ochoco National Forest (Big Summit WHT) to the Malheur National Forest (Murderer’s Creek WHT) and some public-lands ranchers caught the Forest Service doing it, according to a story that appeared today in the Capital Press of Salem, OR.

These people never want to see wild horses coming into their allotments, only going out.

“Wild horses are a contentious subject in the Malheur National Forest, where ranchers say the animals trample stream banks to the detriment of federally-protected fish, preventing cattle from being allowed to graze on affected allotments.”

The transfer may have been carried out to improve the genetic diversity of the Murderer’s Creek horses, a common practice in the Riddle Mountain and Kiger HMAs, where herd sizes are too small to maintain genetic viability.

An explanation of the incident is expected soon, according to the report.

BLM said today that twenty wild burros would be removed this week from private land west of the Hickison HMA in central Nevada.  Refer to this news release for details.

The 57,000 acre HMA has an AML of 45, for an aimed-at population density of 0.8 animals per thousand acres.  It’s about 20 miles east of Austin.

The land owner complained that the burros have been damaging fences and consuming privately owned hay.

The announcement did not indicate if the private land was a base property for livestock grazing.  The HMA and lands to the west are subject to grazing allotments.

Captured animals will be taken to the Palomino Valley Wild Horse and Burro Corrals north of Reno, where they will be checked by a veterinarian and prepared for adoption.

He may be gone but his horses live on.  Refer to this article in the December, 2018 issue of East Coast Equestrian.

RELATED: Story of the Nokota Horses.

Gather operations concluded on 12/16/18, with 996 ‘excess’ horses removed from the HMA, according to a news release posted today.  No horses were returned to the range and 228 were allowed to remain.

Twenty deaths were reported (2.0%).  Details appear at the bottom of this page.

The 575,000 acre HMA is subject to permitted livestock grazing.

The pre-gather population density was 2.1 horses per thousand acres.

The agency entrusted with the care of the horses claims they’re overpopulated when their density reaches two or three animals per thousand acres, then turns around and allows the public-lands ranchers to place roughly eight cow/calf pairs per thousand acres on grazing allotments in Nevada.  In many cases, it’s the same land.

The post-gather population density of 0.4 animals per thousand acres means the Silver King HMA now looks like a horse-free zone.

RELATED: Silver King Update, Livestock Grazing in Nevada.