Slaughter of wild horses

[Smokerman]

Just heard on the news that the US is considering the capturing and slaughter of wild horses.
Activists fear this will cause their extinction.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wild-hors...rnment-proposes-regulations/story?id=52538898

 

[thailer]

"There's three things that wild horses need: food, water and obviously space," said Lisa Reid, a BLM spokesperson. "As you can see we do have millions of acres out here, but not every acre is producing viable forage for the horses. So you know just as with any type of species they have to be managed just so that they don't become ... overpopulated and diseased."

You'd think something as simple as planting some alfalfa in areas where it isn't growing naturally could create more space for the horses at a small price.

the yellowstone national park long ago removed wolves from the park and shortly over time, the animals the wolves preyed upon birthed a overwhelming population that ate everything. once the park reintroduced them, the balance came back. it said the horses don't have any wild predators which is probably the wolves which ranchers want removed because they kill livestock. i bet something like that caused the horse population to grow.

 

[JVonChron]

the US gubbermint is already killing them indirectly. they auction horses and people buy them and take them to Mexico to get processed...apparently there is quite a demand for the meat

 

[Midnight Tokar]

"There's three things that wild horses need: food, water and obviously space," said Lisa Reid, a BLM spokesperson. "As you can see we do have millions of acres out here, but not every acre is producing viable forage for the horses. So you know just as with any type of species they have to be managed just so that they don't become ... overpopulated and diseased."

You'd think something as simple as planting some alfalfa in areas where it isn't growing naturally could create more space for the horses at a small price.

the yellowstone national park long ago removed wolves from the park and shortly over time, the animals the wolves preyed upon birthed a overwhelming population that ate everything. once the park reintroduced them, the balance came back. it said the horses don't have any wild predators which is probably the wolves which ranchers want removed because they kill livestock. i bet something like that caused the horse population to grow.

Don't know about the wolves but cougars kill quite a few wild horses.

 

[armedoldhippy]

nothing new, been done on and off. some ranchers kill them because they compete with cattle for forage & water. they are not native, an introduced species that needs managing, not exterminating. nobody really equates spanish ponies with starlings, pigeons, or rats. THOSE need exterminating. probably not feasible though...

 

[Green Squall]

the US gubbermint is already killing them indirectly. they auction horses and people buy them and take them to Mexico to get processed...apparently there is quite a demand for the meat

I think their sent to Canada as well.
----
I've always been fascinated with the wild horses of Sable Island. Its a tiny island, if you can even call it that, more than 100 miles of the coast of Nova Scotia.
https://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc2/the-feed/sable-island-national-park-in-nova-scotia

 

[armedoldhippy]

the wild ponies on Chincoteague and Assateague islands are by far more pure strains of the spanish ponies. those out west have every breed of horse you can think of mixed in.