‘The Wild Horse Is Us’

Newsweek Web Exclusive

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  • Posted By: twistedangel2719 @ 07/02/2008 2:32:57 PM

    why are we assuming that we have to leave the horses out west? Wild horses roamed free all over the united states at one point. Why not move them from the western states? There are open areas all over. Why not have auctions all over the US states instead of just in a few places out west? No wonder theres a problem with getting people to adopt. It's hard to go to Oregon or Colorado to do it has anyone ever considered that? Selling some in Canada or Mexico? Killing them is just taking the easy way out. According to the article it was because of range space. Moving them and/or having more auctions in different places would take care of that and give more people an option to adopt the horses.

  • Posted By: montana1990 @ 07/02/2008 1:11:46 PM

    This is for all of you that did not think the horse is native to North America... Make sure you research your history before you post...
    1. PRE-HISTORY OF THE HORSE:
    The evolution and development of North American eco-systems definitely included horses! 25,000 year old frozen remains of horses identical to today's wild horses have been found in the Arctic Tundra.

    Horses are generally believed to have become extinct in their land of origin about 8000 - 10,000 years ago - probably at the hands of the first human immigrants (if it ever could be proved that even one tiny pocket of original horses remained, it would make legal protections for this species so much easier - but so far, there is no such evidence).

    North America was the original home of the horse species. They evolved here, and thrived here for millions of years. The plant and animal communities of North American ecology evolved with horses playing an integral role. About 8,000 - 10,000 years ago (coinciding with Human settlement) they became extinct i the land of their origin, although luckily by that time they had migrated to Asia, where they spread into Europe and North Africa.

    It was long believed that the pre-extinction American horse was a more primitive form and not the true horse of today. But that changed in September of 1993, when some placer miners in the Yukon uncovered a horse and paleontologists were called in. Initially, nobody thought too much about the well preserved, brownish red horse in the permafrost layer.

    It didn't look different from any other horse that had died and been buried in the mud. Even the stomach contents were still in the gut, and the flaxen mane hung over the neck of the hide covered skeleton. Scientists might have been looking at a near carbon copy of some of the smaller wild horses in the West. Analysis revealed it was about 25,000 years old! proving that the horse is a true native species.

    • Posted By: kwhorseluver @ 07/02/2008 1:17:29 PM

      but then they went extinct! and they certainly did not range in the same numbers! they had more preditors. and the cave people hunted them... oh ic.. your suggesting that we open a hunting season for them? good idea! i'll for sure put my application in next year!

      • Posted By: wildlifebio84 @ 07/02/2008 1:36:46 PM

        Seems were are the few that actually know our stuff and can truly comment on the origin of the Equus genus here in N. America. KUDOS!!

        • Posted By: inourtraxs @ 07/02/2008 2:32:26 PM

          To wildlifebio84 and montana1990, THANK YOU for knowlegable information. People should really check their facts before commenting. I never have or will wish the euthanizing of our "wild horses" , and our Federal Goverment shoud stick to what they know best.....just what do they know??? The leasees of these lands want the horses gone, so the land can be used for grazing, oil and mineral rights, etc., greed, greed, greed! The way of the wild animan...so goes the way of man. If we do not heal our planet and take care of it first, there will be no bison, elk, wolves, mustangs, whales, penguins, polar bears, owls, eagles, humans. What's next, euthanizing the elderly, the disabled, mentally challanged people of our socitey??? I know there will be a lot of "whoo's" there, but think about it.

  • Posted By: wingangel @ 07/02/2008 2:31:57 PM

    REPLACE the heartless people on the Bureau of Land Management. God put horses on this earth - they are beautiful and I have always loved horses and other animals as well. Please don't let them kill the horses. THEY ARE OUR HERITAGE!!!!!

  • Posted By: gwuollet @ 07/02/2008 2:31:43 PM

    Man should stop meddling with nature. The ranchers' overuse (and largely free, or at little expense) of National lands have come at the expense of other indigenous species; horses, wolves, buffaloe to name a few. I say leave the horses be, and let nature sort this out. God knows that the bureaucrats have done a lousy job.

  • Posted By: libertysmith @ 07/02/2008 2:31:35 PM

    Free the Mustangs!

  • Posted By: amaretto @ 07/02/2008 2:31:02 PM

    the first thing that came to my mind when i read the title ..... you have got to be kidding me....i think the government has lost it's mind....... let's see kill animals or find a solution that will keep them alive....hmmm that's a tough one....

  • Posted By: mmg_2008@live.com @ 07/02/2008 2:30:58 PM

    This should not even be a question. 27,000 horses compared to 2 million. Who is the idiot that would even consider killing these precious animals, our government? LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!!! Give them to farms, give them to riding stables. use them for thearpy!!!!! Shame on whom ever wants to get rid of these beautiful animals.

  • Posted By: esveaswanson@hotmail.com @ 07/02/2008 12:47:04 PM

    "Expense of managing wild horses"...Really? How ironic! How much does it cost to "manage" wild birds? Is it part of our culture to destory what we cannot control? Haven't we as a people learned anything from our history? Tell me who I can write to. Please.

    • Posted By: kwhorseluver @ 07/02/2008 12:54:02 PM

      it's necessary to controll noxtious weeds so they dont' take over the natural habitat. horses were introduced to this country and are in no part native to this ecosystem! the horses risk deer populations, sage grouse populations, and cuckar hatches! they're over populated! some are nice, too many are dangerous.

      • Posted By: chick76 @ 07/02/2008 1:20:47 PM

        Considering that horses have been part of the natural habitat for about 500 years I think you need to get over it.

        • Posted By: kwhorseluver @ 07/02/2008 2:29:05 PM

          they were in check by ranchers and other preditors for 4/5ths of those 500 years!

  • Posted By: DT155 @ 07/02/2008 2:27:53 PM

    Wild horses did not survive the ice age in America. They were introduced by the Spanish.

  • Posted By: kwhorseluver @ 07/02/2008 12:43:29 PM

    "A century ago, there were around 2 million wild horses roaming the West." there were 2 million horses roaming the west. but they weren't wild. ranchers raised the horses for slaughter, calvery remounts, and as their own cow horses. it was before the taylor grazing act so however much land you needed to raise livestock was yours for the taking. the western ranchers also chose to raise the horses for meat rather than cattle because the horses were able to browse and feed up in the rims where it was rocky. cattle prosper less rugged terrian. Wild horses are a drain on this country's taxes! i enjoy seeing band of horses while i'm out riding my own horse, but america's love of the wild horse is hurting the breed and the environment that they live in. Many of the horse heards are inbred, and their off spring are less than appealing. the blm should limit the number of wild horses and with the money they save, put a few registered AQHA mares into the bands. that would make the horses more adoptable.

    • Posted By: hsineexas @ 07/02/2008 12:54:07 PM

      You are despicable, there is definitely something wrong with you. Many of these horses originated from prime ranching stock, so how are a few AQHA mares going to help? By making them pretty and better for you to look at? AND as an owner of registered AQHA horses myself, I can guarantee that there is just as much inbreeding going on within the breed as there are in the mustangs. Just take a look at HYPP, just one among many diseases created by inbreeding quarter horses for muscle. You should be ashamed that you call yourself horseluver.

      • Posted By: kwhorseluver @ 07/02/2008 2:27:42 PM

        have you seen the mustang. they have jug heads, they're small they're unhealthy looking. yes quartes are inbread but they do it to keep a geen in the lineage. you own a quarter horse.. y don't you own a mustang?!

  • Posted By: hunterjustice @ 07/02/2008 2:27:38 PM

    Absolutely NOT!!! What will they euthanize next, the few remaining cowboys??

  • Posted By: gwuollet @ 07/02/2008 2:27:30 PM

    Man's continued meddling with nature has wrought more harm than good. Ranchers' overuse (and largely at little cost to them) of National land for grazing their herds have come at the expense of horses, wolves, buffalo, and other indigenous animals. I say let the horses be, and let nature sort this out, because bureaucrats are a lousy alternative.

  • Posted By: DT155 @ 07/02/2008 2:26:58 PM

    Wild horses did not survive the ice age in America. They were introduced by the Spanish.

  • Posted By: baber10@hotmail.com @ 07/02/2008 2:26:41 PM

    The Government and people need to stop getting involved with everything. The Earth/Nature/Environment has a cycle that it goes through and if people would stop messing with everything it would continue it's cycles. There is no reason that these beautiful animals or any animals should have to be euthanized. They will populate and then they will die down...cycle. America needs to quit playing God all the time.

  • Posted By: popmanifesto @ 07/02/2008 2:26:33 PM


    Posted By: cbs29824@hotmail.com @ 07/02/2008 2:13:47 PM

    Comment: They are not native to the country they inhabit.
    _________________________________________________

    Neither are any of us, with a few exceptions. If we managed ourselves a little better, we wouldn't have to "manage" (capture and/or kill) our wildlife. If this country of obese people would cut down on Big Macs and Whoppers by 10% or 20%, we could greatly lessen the terrible environmental impact of the meat industry. But it's easier to remain greedy and gluttonous and b*tch about the consequences instead of adjusting our lifestyle a little. What ever happened to the idea of making small sacrifices for the good of your country? Nobody gives a d*mn about anyone but themselves anymore.

  • Posted By: zevbear @ 07/02/2008 2:25:20 PM

    The absurdity and incompetence of government. How many millions of acres do we have in the west? Leave them alone.

  • Posted By: samtoi @ 07/02/2008 1:16:29 PM

    The wild horse as pure Americana is a pure myth. The horse did not survive the ice age in America!!!Don't they have fact checkers at Newsweek? The horse was brought to America by the Spanish starting in the 15th century. The so called wild horses are feral decendants of domestic stock They ARE NOT a native species that needs to be perserved.Yes, I am a horse lover, I own and love 6 of them. My neighbors have adopted mustangs and given them good homes. I am all for that, but there aren't enough people that can afford to do that.Overpopulation of horses can decimate range land.It's time to take off the rose colored glasses.Do the people that are up in arms over this own horses themselves?

    • Posted By: blackwolf @ 07/02/2008 2:24:59 PM

      I am very against the killing of any horses, and yes I do own 3 of these fine Mustangs that came from Nevada. If I had more space I would take in many more, but thanks to the idiots that run this country most of us can't even afford to buy more land. I live in VA and this is horse country. By destroying the natural predators such as wolves and mountain lions the greedy ranchers have screwed up the natural way of control. So now lets kill the horses. Every time we kill off any line of animals we take one step closer to destroying ourselves. Hopefully if the fools do this they will be the victims of they're own ignorance.

  • Posted By: bettydd423 @ 07/02/2008 2:24:54 PM

    Yet another Bush Administration screwup! Can you tell I'm a diehard Democractic? I cannot believe I'm even reading about euthanizing one of America's symbols? I hope the American public wakes up about this and all the other issues that are plaguing this country -- gas prices, Iraq war, etc., etc.

  • Posted By: pusscat @ 07/02/2008 2:24:15 PM

    who's pocket ISN'T the White House in?
    The money is there- it's just being spent on REALLY stupid things and providing for the 'White House crew' retirement.
    Let's round THEM up and euthanize them.

  • Posted By: billypotter@hotmail.com @ 07/02/2008 1:49:41 PM

    What a crock of horse crap. Fatten up the ones in corrals and sell them to the slaughter house. They kill them humanely. They would probably bring about $300 ea. Do the math. $300 x 30,000 = $9 million. Cut the budget by $9 million next year. billy

    • Posted By: lavinia217 @ 07/02/2008 2:23:30 PM

      Billy,

      Perhaps you would care to enlighten the rest of us yahoos as to where horses are slaughtered humanely? As far as I know, there are no slaughter houses in the US which slaughter horses. It is my understanding that horses are shipped off to slaughter houses elsewhere (the ones in Mexico are especially bad -- how about being stabbed repeatedly in the neck as a method of slaughter?), where slaughter methods are not near as humane as you think them to be. Of course, I may be wrong . . .but I bet you 9,000,000.00 I'm not.

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