Author: Western Horse Watchers

BLM Urged to Fight Caliente Legal Action

The BLM should not back away from its plan to remove over 1700 wild horses from the Caliente HA Complex, according to an opinion piece that appeared today in the Mesquite Local News.

Plaintiffs consider wild horses to be “…more important than the livelihoods of ranchers who graze 4,500 head of cattle and sheep in the area.”  That the animals were placed on lands set aside by Congress for wild horses and burros seems to have been overlooked by the writer.

The editorial contains several elements from the wild horse narrative and lays most of the blame for rangeland degradation at the feet of the horses.

Herd areas, like herd management areas, include lands where horses and burros were found when the WHB Act was signed into law (go to the 8:30 mark in this video).  Over the years BLM has argued that herd areas don’t have the resources to sustain horses and burros.  If that’s true, why are they planning a gather in the Caliente complex?  There’s nothing to remove.

And if the land is too harsh for horses and burros, it must be unfit for cattle and sheep?

If the land is suitable for cattle and sheep, it’s suitable for horses and burros, who take priority over the livestock because of the WHB Act.

RELATED: Lawsuit: BLM Can’t Remove Horses in Favor of Livestock.

Cedar Mountain Gather Ordered Due to Lack of Water

BLM plans to remove 250 horses from the Cedar Mountain HMA in western Utah, according to a news release dated 07/11/18.  A start date for the gather was not provided.  Capture will be effected by water traps.  Public observation not allowed.

Animals removed from the range will be taken to the Wild Horse Facility in Delta, UT, where they will be prepared for adoption.

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The HMA covers 411,636 acres and has an AML of 390, for a target population density of 0.95 horses per thousand acres.  Pretty much in line with the national average.  The news release did not indicate whether livestock were present on these lands.  It also stated that the HMA encompassed 197,275 acres.

Gather stats can be found at this page.

New Stock Tank

An advantage of using 15-gallon buckets for water is they can be easily dumped, rinsed and refilled.  A disadvantage is the horses can easily put their feet inside, splash out half the water and flip the things over.  Which happens frequently in summer.  That’s what horses do.  But having no water when temperatures are over 90 degrees is unacceptable.

One way to avoid the problem is to add a 100-gallon stock tank.  The drain has a 1-1/4″ pipe thread, which accepts a 1-1/4″ x 3/4″ bushing for installing a valve.  The rim is high enough to deter contamination from dirty feet.  You can always set it on a pallet or cinder blocks for extra protection.

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When full, the tank weighs over 800 pounds, which means it’s not going anywhere until you drain it.  The tank supplements but does not replace the 15-gallon buckets.  You can be away for a day or two and not have to worry about water, assuming you have someone who can help with feeding and cleaning.

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If you elevate the tank a few inches you can connect a garden hose to the valve and direct the old water to a suitable spot.  Or you can just let it go to the ground so your horses can play in it.

The size and weight of the empty tank put it in the ‘luggable’ category.  You’ll still need to clean it two to three times a week.  Price was about $125 at the local feed store.

Mysterious Illness Affecting Wild Horses on Big Island

A neurological condition of unknown origin has afflicted several wild horses in Waipio Valley, resulting in some deaths, according to a report dated 07/10/18 from Hawaii News Now.

Locals are worried the disease could spread to domestic horses.

The illness may be related to a toxin in spoiled feed.  Blood samples have been collected and tests are in progress.  H/T Kellyerin Claybaugh of Aramat Equine Services.

Nature’s Hoof Cleaning

Found this in one of the corrals on 07/06/18.  It’s the compressed material flung out of a horse’s foot as he moves.  The first photo shows the outer surface that faces the ground.  The second photo shows the inner surface that contacts the hoof.  Note the rocks and other debris that were pulled out.

In one of his earlier videos, Rick Gore used the example of an overflowing water trough to keep mud in the pasture.  He explains the vacuum effect of mud as well as the flinging of dried mud in this video.

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