The Cloud Foundation and American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, along with veterinarians and congressmen agree that spaying is a poor option for controlling the number of free roaming Mustangs in the American West. They very much object to the Bureau of Land Management for proposing that it is. And, say these individuals and organizations, the BLM is ignoring the First Amendment Rights of citizens by forbidding access of the public and press to what are being called horrific experiments.
The proposed experiment in wild horse population control includes the use of a procedure called ovariectomy. I’ve described briefly what this procedure is in Should You Spay Your Mare From Breeding. While not repeating details here, it is a risky, invasive surgery that is only performed on our domestic horses when there is a problem with the horse’s ovaries. It is rarely done as a means to prevent unwanted foals. It’s not a complicated surgery, but it does present a danger to the mare if the horse is not cared for properly after the procedure. This is why the many people believe it is a very poor way of approaching population management.
Following an ovariectomy, mares need time to heal. They must be prevented from lying down for a day or two after. Because the procedure is done internally, there is no way to tell if an infection is setting in without close monitoring. In a stable, a mare may be tied for a period following the procedure. But in the wild, it would be impossible to immobilize mares safely. Ultimately, the BLM will not be doing the operation on one, two or even half a dozen mares. Mass sterilization may include dozens of horses. Other dangers that require monitoring to remediate is the possibility of internal bleeding and the escape of intestine through the surgical incision. Our own horses will certainly get pain relief and antibiotics. But, this may not happen with wild horses.
At any given time on the range, a mare could be in foal. It’s estimated that up to 75% of the mares subject to the ovariectomy may be in foal at the time of the procedure. Many will lose their foals as a result.
Not only could this procedure damage or endanger a horse physically, but mentally as well. Ovaries produce hormones, and their removal will affect the mare's behavior. This, say advocates, fundamentally changes the wild behavior of horses on the range.
In mid-August wild horse advocates launched a lawsuit against the BLM, citing that First Amendment rights will be infringed upon as the government department plans to deny media and public access while conducting their experiments on two hundred horses in Oregon. Part of the justification for the experiments was to test the social acceptability of the procedure.
The BLM has tried many different methods of population control, and all have met with some resistance from wild horse rights advocates. With so many that are socially unacceptable, impractical, or ineffective you almost can’t blame them for experimenting with a different method. But given the risks involved to the horses, and the potential for backlash from the advocacy community, you really have to wonder if this was the best they could come up with.
Why wouldn't they just geld stallions instead??? Seems less invasive and less risky, as well as less time consuming. You could round up entire bachelor bands and in one fell swoop severely limit the breed's capabilities to expand.
Why wouldn't they just geld stallions instead??? Seems less invasive and less risky, as well as less time consuming. You could round up entire bachelor bands and in one fell swoop severely limit the breed's capabilities to expand.
In the year 1492, horses returned to the Americas after an absence of several thousand years. These horses arrived in the holds of the first ships to cross the Atlantic Ocean from Europe. Today, there are still feral herds roaming ...
Once again, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is coming under criticism for mismanaging Mustang herds, this time, in western Utah. On drought ravaged lands, Mustangs are being blamed for a shortage of grazing. However, proponent ...
The Cloud Foundation and American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, along with veterinarians and congressmen agree that spaying is a poor option for controlling the number of free roaming Mustangs in the American West. They very m ...
There is good news, at least temporarily, for those who are against the culling of wild horses in the American west. Last July, the House Appropriations Committee voted to remove from Interior Department budget passages outlining ...
In an effort to control the population of wild horses and buros in the U.S. midwest, the federal government is offering an incentive to anyone who adopts a wild horse or burro. The Adoption Incentive Program allows adoptees of wil ...
Animal rights activists are angered after the U.S. Forest Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that looks after the national forests and grasslands, began the roundup of about 1000 wild horses. The horses are be ...
A controversial bill is headed to the US senate. Those who approve of the measures set out in the bill, which includes sterilizing mares, say it will effectively control the size of the wild horse herds, ensure the humane treatmen ...
Wild horses and burros continue to be available to the public with a $1000 incentive. The horses and burros, removed from public land by the BLM, are being offered for adoption and the incentive should help new owners with the cos ...
Approximately 250 feral horses graze the floodplains of the Salt River and areas in the Tonto National Forest in Arizona. Once they were in danger of disappearing. But, a dedicated group of local advocates called Salt River Wild H ...
In Defense of Animals is petitioning to halt the sterilization program being planned by the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon that will brutally reduce the herd size and cause harm to horses in the Oregon’s Big Summit wild horse herd ...
During a peaceful protest that turned ugly in London, UK a police horse bolted after being pelted with debris by violent demonstrators. Flares, bottles and sticks flew as the crowd was pushed back by mounted police officers. One o ...
You might remember a story from early last winter about twenty horses in Eastern Kentucky that were shot and killed. The few survivors were taken to Kentucky Humane Society’s Willow Hope Farm to regain their health and eventually ...
Beach-goers to the Outer Banks are being asked to stay clear of the wild horses that live there after a photo of a woman appearing to pat a wild horse has surfaced. This is not an isolated incident as tourists visit the well known ...
Some horses eat anything and will eat everything from anchovies to zucchini. And some are extremely picky and act like you’ve poisoned them if you put anything but hay and grain in front of their noses. Have you ever tried a taste ...
Jim Gaffigan pokes fun at the Triple Crown, from the costumes and pageantry, to owners, jockeys and trainers. He then takes a humorous trek through the horse world, exploring horse breeds, horse people, horseshoes, riding and the ...
We are halfway through 2020 and so far it’s been quite a year. IRL, there has been a lot going on. But on Ponybox, records continue to be broken and new horses are vying for the top rank and highest jumps. Horses tend to go throug ...
Covid-19 is taking its toll on so many businesses and individuals. One rescue stable in British Columbia, Canada, fears that they are running out of time to save 30 horses and ponies, many of which could be sent to slaughter. The ...
By 
MOD 
