Information supplied by Willis Lamm
A Win/Win for Residents and Wild Horses
Virginia Range Horse
RENO – We had a great turnout for WHPL’s fencing project Saturday. The volunteers, Terry the landscaper and a few folks from the homeowners association got nearly 1,800 feet of new fencing installed. It was an all day activity.
The next challenge will be to acquire a 24 ft. cattle guard that meets county specifications to place across the entrance to River Park. Once the cattle guard is installed, another short run of fence to the river will be installed and some substandard fencing between the river walk and the back of the subdivision will need replacing. The horse advocates will be responsible for hunting down the cattle guard. Materials for the fencing will be provided by the homeowners association.
The ultimate objective is to preserve horse access to the river, to the cottonwood grove and to the reserved open space while preventing them from getting onto US-50 and into residential areas. Cooperation between all of the various entities is making this project both possible and affordable. Finding a cattle guard will be key to preventing the horses from simply following the fence line and getting past the fence at the River Park driveway.
Editor’s note: “Ensure that the Cattle Guard is a “Wild Horse Annie Cattle Guard” designed to keep horse hooves from getting caught.”
Related Articles
- Exclusive Photos: Reno Residents Riled Over NV AG Dept Wild Horse Cruelty (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Nevada Wild Horse Advocates Take Steps to Protect Virginia Range Herd (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Nevada Wild Horses could be Destined to Slaughter in Days (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Advocates decry BLM’s wild horse roundups at meeting in SLC (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Advocates Protest Wild Horse Removal Near Reno Nevada (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Probe under way into fate of 1700 wild horses – BLM (horsetalk.co.nz)
- Nevada Ag Dept Wild Horse Roundup Sparks Debate in Reno (rtfitchauthor.com)
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Good news!!
LikeLike
It is great to hear the groups are coming together especially the homeowners association stepping up to the plate with materials. Of course the volunteers are to be commended for taking time out of their weekend to make this project possible. You guys rock!
LikeLike
This is good news.But will the BLM just find another reason to round them up?
LikeLike
Buy the steel and find a welder Give him/her the pattern and have him/her weld it up. Surely this can be done for a minimal cost. Anything equine is generally priced higher so someone who works for a body shop, a camper trailer sales, a semi truck repair shop, a welding shop or a local farmer may be able to come up with the cattle guard you need. My friends came out of steel mills so we had all kinds of ways to get things done…oh and a trade school may be of some help. We used to use them too or a prison but you have to jump through hoops with them. Just a thought..
LikeLike
I got 5,000′ of drilling pipe and 15,000′ of sucker rod donated to our rescue from two local gas drillers. They even delivered! Another company sent an auger truck (the driver donated his time). It took me three days to connect with the right people, but I was over the moon when it came together … 🙂
LikeLike
This is a great example of people coming together and doing something constructive instead of waiting for the gov’t. to step in. Hoping these horses will be able to stay safely on this piece of land.
LikeLike
Terri Russell, these wild horses are free roaming on private property and do not fall under the “management” of the BLM they fall under the Nevada Dept of Agriculture. Just as bad if not worse than the BLM.
LikeLike
If possible, the people in this community may wish to try to get an agreement with the state of NV to protect these horses. I think that horses who are valued by the members of the community and seen as enhancements to the property have a much better chance that those herds that are isolated or in some way competing with a commodity. Nevada is sitting on an ocean or oail and water, so people are going to need to be very proactive to protect their land and water.
LikeLike
What is the website where the Drummond Cattle company earned over $2 million last year or rounding up thehorses.?
LikeLike
Wonderful Awesome News!!!!!!!
LikeLike
What pleasant article to read. This is what needs to happen everwhere. Citizens taking charge and getting the job done that elected officials choose to ignore. I applaud your community for banding together to preserve a safe environment for you and the wildlife, co-existing without trauma and death to animals. Helping Hidden Valley Horses Fund is a great way for people like me, far from your state, but wanting to help. Donate to them, they’re doing great work.
LikeLike
This is wonderful news, RT and I’m so happy there are people working together for the good of our equines. I applaud them for their generosity and kindness. Any help needed out of the state, please let us know. Nice story. (-: Thank you.
LikeLike
Wonderful project came together and will save horses in the wild! Way to go Willis and company and all the locals who helped!!
And that is one BEAUTIFUL stallion!! VEry unique coloration!! A wild one worth saving in the wild!!
LikeLike
Amazing job by done amazing people. From my home in upstate New York and from the hearts of my horses I thank you fro coming together and making this possible. Again…just Thank You.
LikeLike
WAY TO GO! The Editor’s note can’t be expressed enough…PLEASE be certain that any cattle guards are WILD HORSE ANNIE cattle guards.
LikeLike
Something else that might be effective on roadways:
http://strieter-lite.com/testimonials.html
The wildlife warning roadside reflector system is a proven, cost effective concept that is here today and works very well. Roadside reflectors are a safety device that significantly reduces car-deer accidents preventing personal injury, the great trauma involved in this type of accident, and vehicular damage, as well as reducing the number of deer killed and injured. There is no other known approach that has proven to be effective in significantly reducing car-deer accidents.
The Strieter-Lite reflectors qualify under several federal matching fund programs that could serve to reduce State/Local funding requirements. The Federal Highway Administration’s Federal Surface Transportation Funds/Hazard Elimination Fund provided 80% Federal funding matched by 20% State/Local funding. The Transportation Equity Act (TEA-21) includes a special category that the reflectors fully comply with “projects to reduce vehicle-caused wildlife mortality while maintaining habitat connectivity.”
LikeLike
This is the kind of thing the ranchers should have done over the years. They could have helped to protect the mustangs from being rounded up instead by putting out stock tanks for water and salt blocks which would have helped all the wildlife from deer to elk But their brains simply are not wired like that greed gets in the way.. A little cooperation goes a long way to solve a problem.
LikeLike
How great this is – people actually getting together & doing something for the good of the horses.
And what a looker that stallion is!
LikeLike
If these remaining ranchers are smart, they will start to do everything they can to keep wild horses on the land. If they continue to push out the horses, they will find they will be next. I can drive five minutes from my house and see cattle and horses grazing in a fenced pasture with shade trees, ponds, abundant grasses and both species are healthy. This same density (which isn’t all that great—20-30 cows plus 10-15 horses on about 50 acresor less keeps the pasture healthy and productive. While the BLM says that horses eat more forage than cows, they neglect the fact that horses will eat rougher, less nutrient dense forage, that often gets dry and creates the underbrush that kindles wild fires. It is time that man took care of these animals. They have been partners to mankind for centuries; we must not destroy what God has given us.
LikeLike
Awesome group doing this to protect our horses. Kudos to all who have been involved in this project. It is a beginning. We need to do more of this. Homeowners associations can have an impact on saving wildlife. It will take more people to get involved and love animals, saving them is our responsibility. Thank you to all who love our wild horses. We love you and invite more advocates to participate in building fences or helping to put in a water device for the horses. Start schools on a project like this. High schools and young people should get extra credit for helping in projects like this. Horses love to roam and we must protect them from crossing roads for sure.
If we can grow more shrubs and food for them in the wild they can exist off the land. They must have water sources as well.
LikeLike
FYI – I just got this email from the Nevada Governor (just a canned letter but it seems that the animal abuse in Nevada is “nobody’s fault”? grrrrrrrrrrrr):
“Thank you for taking the time to write the Governor’s Office. We appreciate your comments concerning the Virginia Range horses. Our office is continuously looking for ways to improve service to our constituents, and your correspondence allows us to better serve you and the other citizens of Nevada.
I would like to refer you to Ed Foster our Regional Manager at the Department of Agriculture, who will be able to assist you. You can reach him at: (775) 353-3711 or efoster@agri.nv.gov
The Governor’s Office welcomes information from constituents and we truly value your input on issues of concern to you. Thank you again for contacting our office, and please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Best regards,
Office of Governor Sandoval”
LikeLike