Story by Cathy Scott as it appears in Horseback Magazine
“Today, one horse or burro lives on roughly 1,600 football fields…”
AWHA Eco-Tour group (foreground, Ginger Kathrens and Terry Fitch) ~ photo by R.T. Fitch
LAS VEGAS, (Horseback) – On a recent Friday, a van headed up a rural road in the center of a herd management area toward Southern Nevada’s Wheeler Pass. When a young red-and-white horse was spotted on the right, the driver stopped the van so everyone could step out and take a closer look.
The horse wasn’t alone. Soon, a red horse approached and stopped just short of the onlookers.
For many on the trek to Wheeler Pass, it was an extraordinary view and undeniable evidence that wild horses are fending on their own with no help from humans. As the van continued up the rural road toward the tiny town of Cold Creek, at the base of the Spring Mountains, nine wild horse bands were seen at both a distance and at close range grazing on the desert floor.
Once the van arrived at three ponds near Cold Creek, the VIPs gathered near the largest pond where the family bands of wild horses make their way across desert scrub and Joshua trees several times a day to drink from and play in the water.
After a 20-minute wait, a band of about 15 horses, including two or three foals, trotted when they approached the water’s edge. A black stallion pranced and splashed as he made his way across the length of the pond. Another bowed down and submerged all but his head and neck.
By all counts, 300 horses and roughly 500 wild burros live on this land north of Mt. Charleston just 45 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. “They have water at low elevations and they have feed,” said Arlene Gawne, who helped organize the outing to Wheeler Pass for attendees of the recent International Equine Conference for a trip to the field.
As the van slowly traveled down the hill back to Las Vegas, a band of horses was on a hillside, far from the road, grazing. This particular management area, one of the last in Southern Nevada, is a mix of desert and mountain habitats located on the northeastern flanks of the Spring Mountains. There, the herd lives in harmony among people, deer and elk.
For those on the field trip, the sight of these animals living well was not lost on them. A New Yorker on the tour said she had always hoped to see wild horses in their native habitat. And Virginia resident Jo-Claire Corcoran described the scene as “remarkable.”
If you want to see these wild horses living off the land in the high desert, as they have done since before people inhabited Southern Nevada, you’ll have to hurry. They may very well become creatures of the past if the federal government has its way.
Today, one horse or burro lives on roughly 1,600 football fields, yet the Bureau of Land Management’s plan to commandeer helicopter round-ups of these horses and burros, proposed to take place in 2012 and 2013, will leave just one horse or burro per 10,000 acres. That means the horses roaming free will be moved to short or long term holding and held indefinitely, with their fates unknown.
Gawne, however, says there is a possible ray of hope. The Spring Mountain Alliance – a volunteer non-profit group of concerned citizens, businesses and professionals — has proposed to the BLM a 3-year hold be put on its wild horse and burro removals in the Spring Mountains so the alliance can develop programs, at little or no cost to the government, including: wild horse and burrow tours on public lands that would boost Las Vegas tourism; contraceptives for old and young mares and jennies on the range’ and adding fences and viewing hides to protect ecologically sensitive areas. The alliance is a branch of America’s Wild Horse Alliance
Rhea Little has observed the horses for years. “Seeing these animals run free is natural,” said Little, a wild horse advocate who lives in Cold Creek, which lies at the edge of the Wheeler Pass Herd Management Area. “They’re not hurting anyone.”
Most of all, another Cold Creek resident said, “The horses are happy.”
If you’d like to help, join the Spring Mountain Alliance: SpringMountainAlliance.org, 702-216-2920.
Cathy Scott is the bestselling author of The Millionaire’s Wife and Pawprints of Katrina, and is a close friend of Horseback Magazine
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Categories: Horse News, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Hopes that the BLM accepts the Spring Mountain Alliance’s proposal. It would be a “win, win,” for all!!
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I hope that the three-year holding plan is successful.
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Ditto to Jane’s comment.
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Who is the America’s Wild Horse Alliance? Please give some details of these groups? I hope your plans work. Every HMA needs local involvement.
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Mar, could it be the same as the Equine Welfare Alliance? It is mentioned in the article just below this one. I don’t know for sure, but now will have to look into it.
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ECHO …”Every HMA needs its local involvement.”
And may I also suggest that all of us pick an HMA and study it – there’s lots of info online – and many people post photos – read current and past RMP and EAs – closely follow the supposed populations numbers for the HMA – watch for upcoming energy proposals – help the rest of us with our EA comments – file IBLA complaints/stays when the BLM ignores your valid comments in their decisions – find out how many AUMs go to livestock vs. WH&B on your HMA – who owns the water rights on the HMA – who owns the grazing rights on the HMA – how many miles of fences are criss-crossing inside the HMA and how that effects the genetic health of the herd – ask the field office for the previous post-gather reports – visit the holding facilities where they are taken – visit and support the sanctuaries where wild ones from the HMA now live – file FOIAs about where our previously captured WH&B are “today” – and then share this information with the rest of us – and most importantly GO to the HMA and get to know the wild ones “personally” if you possibly can … before it is too late.
(my soapbox for the morning … LOL)
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Grandmagregg, That is a good idea. Pretty involved I might say but maybe worth the effort. Where would we go to share this info with everyone? I have more questions running around in my head but will stay with these until I find out what others feel about doing this and what place we could share at.
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Jerry-
If you build it, they will come.
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The La Brea Tar Pits:
File:Equus occidentalis.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F…
The LaBrea
Tar Pits were first recognized as a fossil site in
1875. However, scientists did not systematically excavate the area until 1901.
By comparing Rancho La Brea’s fossil specimens with their nearest living
relatives, paleontologists have a greater understanding of the climate,
vegetation, and animal life in the area during the Ice Age. Perhaps the most
impressive fossil bones recovered belong to such large extinct mammals as the
imperial mammoth and the saber-toothed cat. Paleontologists have even found the
remains of the WESTERN HORSE and the camel, which originated in North America, migrated
to other parts of the world, and became extinct in North America at the end of
the Ice Age.
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We really can’t just hope BLM accepts the proposal. We need to hold their feet to the fire.
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I live in Northern Nevada and what I’m suggesting is that after this year and having the conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, if the BLM and the State of Nevada continues to capture wild horses and burros at the rate they are, and also continues to put up fences wherever they want to (as they are doing out where I live surrounded by public and state land), that next year the conference should NOT be held anywhere in Nevada so that the conference attendees money is NOT flowing into Nevada’s coffers……we need to smack Nevada in the wallet in terms of NOT collecting tourism and business dollars until they “see the light” and do what they are supposed to do and that is NOT capturing and killing our wild horses (and I was the person bidding on behalf of the rescues that managed to buy all 23 of the State of Nevada Virginia Range horses that were auctioned off at the Fallon, Nevada kill sale where the sale owner “shill bid” and ran the prices up over triple of what they should have been…..corrupt, illegal and vile, but so far, the State of Nevada isn’t doing anything about the illegal activities), and managing them as they are supposed to by at least federal law on the BLM wild horses and burros, and work with rescues by the State of Nevada…..
Money rules in this State, so until Nevada straightens up, animal lovers and horse lovers should NOT spend ANY of their money here until the BLM and the State cooperates and does what is in the best interests of OUR wild horses, and that is primarily manage them in the wild and tell coporations “no” regarding taking over all our State and public land and fencing it off for their own purposes.
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Louie,
I don’t know about that particular site, but Equus occidentals and Equus lambei were the two last horse species on this continent, according to paleontological records. However, it appears that Equus lambei and Equus caballus (the modern horse) may have indeed been one in the same. Furthermore, the mitrochoncrial DNA of Equus caballus as found in the perms-frost of Stephens Village, Yukon region, Alaska indicates that horses lived in North American at least three thousand years longer than indicated by fossil evidence alone. Mitochondrial (of the mother) DNA is usually more spread out and easier to find that say a single tooth, or a bone. There can be very little question that the horse evolved here In North America, as is did in other parts of the world for relatively short periods of time. The most affravating piece of this is all the horse ancestor fossils excavated from the Great Basin area in the West. Whenever I see where Interior and its agencies are trying to keep the feral monomer alive, and that the honorable Mr. Secretary himself claims that horses don’t belong in the West (as if he suddenly received several promotions to a Diefic pay grade, it just boggles my mind that he in 2012, the Information Age where it appears a school boy in Austrailia is better able to put together scientific evidence than the manager of the US Department of the Interior can. Yes, Inspector General Mary Kendall was absolutely correct when she warned Secretary Salazar on April 28, 2010, that his failure to have any policies of scientific integrity in place for Interior or in any of his agencies other than USGS, causes the scientific community to regard Interior’s “science” as highly suspect and yes, these failures have led to wide-spread cynicism among members of the public.
The only explanation for continuing to use science that has been discredited by a body of scientists that Congress hired to review policies and management strategies for more than 30 years such as the 20-22% reproduction that was determned to be flawed in the 1982 National Academy of Science Executive Report is nothing short of willful arrogance. These big bullies whose salaries we pay, have decided that, by gum, this is my story and I am sticking to it. They are kind of like the two-timing husband who tells his wife he was at work until 2:00 a.m., when, little does he know, she and the private detective she hired were parked in front of Mrs. Agogoes from 9:00 p.m. until 1:15 a.m. She has already turned the digital disk over to her attorney. The trouble for us is that our President doesn’t give a rip about what happens to our wild horses and burros or whether we sell adulterated meat to third world countries.
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I was on this tour that day. Just as an aside when driving home I stopped up there again to see the horses. And I saw both these two. The chestnut is so sweet. The paint is a little shy, like he just isn’t too sure.
But I’d love to tell you about the MAGIC I experienced. For a moment I want you to shut your eyes and pretend you are sitting at the edge of a waterfall. The water is making gentle splashing sounds. Now I want you to open your eyes and see horses standing belly deep in water. Don’t forget to listen for the splashing sounds. While you are a part of this moment you see horses splashing themselves first with one leg then with the other. The horses don’t “speak”. By this I mean you don’t hear them snort, whinny, or a neigh. All communication I silent.
And for those few moments you are a part of the band. Your place is too watch, listen, learn and observe. The horses let you in because something told them that you would take their message and tell others about the MAGIC.
Feel the MAGIC. Remember the awe you felt when those horses stepped over that edge and appeared. Remember the sacredness of the MAGIC. How it just felt so right. The peacefulness and how your spirit felt renewed. This is the MAGIC. Remember how the MAGIC felt when that little one went down to get soaking wet. The MAGIC that made you want to weep for the beauty, and your spirit to sing for because of the MAGIC.
The MAGIC that made it alright to just watch not to “touch” but yet be a witness to the MAGIC that we experienced together that day.
And now when the moment has come to separate from the band we are filled with that sense of MAGIC. We saw what they saw, felt what they felt and now we need to share with it all who will listen. It was MAGIC.
I hope in some small way my words here will convey what I experienced and that it help you “see, feel and hear” it.
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Dear Margaret, Thank You for your awesome report of your day with the Mustangs , I am so envious , I have but to close my eyes for a moment , and the Magic of the Mustangs is there, I have had this Magic in my soul since the first time I saw them on the Desert in las Vegas 25 yrs ago !!!!! I have been to Mt Charleston several times also stayed in the Chalet Hotel up there , my daughter was married up there !!!!!! The Wild Mustangs always give their Magic I am in awe of them …………………………. There is no question, They belong here with us……….Always !!!!!
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Laura,
The BLM cannot keep rounding up wild horses and burros at the rate they have in the past three years because there are not enough equids left. They have been gathering them at a rate of close to 15,000 per year for almost 45,000-50,000 horses a year. The only way they can keep gathering horses is if the ranchers release some of their privately owned horses under the pretense that these horses are actually wild.
Why don’t Nevadans form their own SuperPac and only support those candidates that agree to honor the provisions of the 1971 Act? It seems that Nevadans have more control over the wild horse and burro issues than all the other advocates in the 40 states put together. It seems that historically the BLM lets the BLM Nevada take the lead over matters pertaining to wild horses and burros. That might be because of the Falen factor.
it seems like the next step would be to recall Senator Reid for the good of the country and for Nevada. After all, he may well be one of the most three most powerful men in the world. If he wanted Nevada’s wild horses and burros to be treated as the great national treasure that they are rather that the abandoned mines that he hopes will bring him treasure, by golly these horses would be protected. Citizens of Nevada must decide what they want. Despite Senator Reid’sposition as President of the Senate, Nevada doesn’t seem to be benefitting from his leadership.
Nevada is known all over the world because of Vegas. It is also known as a desert, so it does seem a little bit questionable for Senator Reid to recruit industry and energy that rely so heavily on water that neither Nevada nor the rest of the West has an abundance of. if he is successful in getting an underground pipeline to bring water to Vegas from California, but what happens when California runs out of water. Millions of gallons of water required to run mines. How is it that the good Senator Reid fails to realize that Nevada’s remaining unpolluted drinking water is far more valuable than gold. We can all live without gold, but nothing lives without water.
I saw that Danny Tarkanien is running for the House and is leading slightly in the district where he is running. Does anyone know what his stand is on wild horses and burros or horse slaughter? It is hard to believe that there are that many ranchers in Nevada? He seemed to have a lot of support in Nevada before the Tea Party got behind Sharon Angle. Senator Reid can blame the House all he wants, but anyone who is tracking legislation such as ROAM in 2009 or many other bills knows better than to believe that it is the House is blocking serious legislation. We haven’t passed a budget since 2008 under the previous administration and that is the responsibility of Senator Reid. I do not wish him ill; but he has abused him power and put laws in practice by going around Congress rather than through it because he knew he could not get them passed such as the Burns Act. Senator Reid knew that the Senate would never pass a law allowing our national icons to be slaughtered.
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Nevada is literally owned by the ranching industry, the mining industry, developers, etc, who are behind the capturing of all the wild horses, so there is no way to form any kind of super pac here with power players. And it doesn’t matter at what rate they capture wild horses and burros, the fact is that it is an eradication and that means capturing them all ASAP before we stop them and before we get horse slaughter banned entirely so that the whole bunch of wild horses in holding can be sent to slaughter to really make them disappear for good.
I’ve been interacting with the BLM for over 20 years now, and while I used to think the actual employees of the office staff and wranglers at the adoption center were O.K. but kept their mouths shut because they didn’t want to lose their jobs by saying anything negative about the BLM, I don’t feel that way anymore (and haven’t for more than 10 years)…..I know at some point, job or no job, if I really believed that the captures were wrong, I would speak up in spite of the fact I may be out a job. I don’t really believe anymore that its all about keeping a good job…..I think its a pervasive mindset of if you say it and/or hear it (“it” meanng there are too many wild horses, or they are skinny and there isn’t enough water either, or any number of other excuses for capturing) than it must be true.
The rescues are doing as much as they can here, and I was happy to see the Virginia Range wild horse rescue last Wednesday at the kill sale in Fallon seem to bring many of the rescues together with a common goal instead of arguing all the time, but it is difficult when many of the officials in this state come from ranching or mining familes and they are the ones making the decisions against the wild horses…..kinda like the Old West and “good ol boy” towns….its changing, but changing slowly, so I’m hoping with the continued exposure of whats going on to the general public, we will rally more and more support before its too late.
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It really comes down to a matter of MIGHT makes RIGHT. Criminals don’t care about science or laws or ethics. For this to stop, it’s going to take the Force of the American People. That’s why it is so important to get this out ASAP and KEEP getting it out.
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