Community | November 17, 2008 | 57 comments

U.S. to kill wild horses as upkeep costs rise?

source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/11/081114-mustang-killings.html?source=rss

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bedeboop
Thousands of wild mustangs kept in U.S. government holding pens may have to be killed as costs escalate for their upkeep, according to a new federal report released this week.

The report, issued by the Government Accountability Office—the watchdog agency for the U.S. Congress—examined long-term options for successfully managing unadoptable horses.

About 30,000 animals removed from western rangelands are currently being cared for by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)'s Wild Horse and Burro Program.

This year, with adoptions dwindling and hay prices rising, holding costs are expected to exceed U.S. $27 million, or about 74 percent of the program's budget.

This level of funding is not enough to control wild populations while keeping older, unadopted animals alive, BLM officials said.

(Related: "Horses Suffer, Owners Struggle With Soaring Feed Prices" [September 8, 2008].)

The report comes at a critical time: A decision regarding the fate of thousands of mustangs is expected on Monday when BLM's National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board meets in Reno, Nevada.
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57 comments // U.S. to kill wild horses as upkeep costs rise?

  • Jayface89
    • 0
      Jayface89  
    • Image

    • It's not just the US. It's over here as well.
      *sigh* We're gonna ruin everything.
      I don't mind if we consume oursleves to death, but leave the horses alone!!!

    • 3 years ago
  • arcticspirit
  • bedeboop
  • bedeboop
  • chucker
    • 0
      chucker  

    • The government puts us in the hole everyday! Don't take it out on the beautiful horses!!!! Have u ever watched wild hores? IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, SPIRITUAL EXPERIANCE!!!!

    • 3 years ago
  • barbara3d
    • 0
      barbara3d  

    • again with the killing. I am shocked with some of the comments people have written. I truly believe if you dont care about animals and their spirts and souls, you dont have either yourself.

      It is ridiculous to think it costs that much to feed them. What the hell are they getting/

      Any way, if anyone knows how we can get a petition started to find them homes, I bet it could be done. Horses are so regal, loyal and loving.And to see them run and play in the wild is awesome. I pray they dont have to die even "if they are illegal immigrants from Spain). That is the most ignorant comment I have ever heard.

    • 3 years ago
  • idealist
    • 0
      idealist  

    • i beleive they should not be killed yet government owned, this way we can open up a carrage exspress like the old days. it will rival the rey hound and be an attraction!!

    • 3 years ago
  • Day2Day1nSociety
  • myowndesignjf
    • 0
      myowndesignjf  

    • Kind of sounds like they wasted their money in the first place...why keep wild animals penned and cared for...doesn't that eliminate the whole concept of 'wild'? And now they want to kill them just because they're tired of trying to care for them.

      *sigh*

    • 3 years ago
  • outerbanksmom
    • 0
      outerbanksmom  

    • Wow, this is frightening. I live in the Outer Banks and there are several wild horses up north in Corolla Beach and to see them is amazing. Surely there has to be another way.

    • 3 years ago
  • jh64487
    • 0
      jh64487  

    • ah decision decisions, we're out of money to keep these things penned, should we just let'em go back into the wild?

      fuck that! it's time for alaska style unnecessary animal slaughter! TO THE HELICOPTERS!

    • 3 years ago
  • Kepano
    • 0
      Kepano  

    • This must be another Bush Administration Policy that insists that this is the only option to regulate these animals. What was the purpose of creating a division of government to manage and care for these horses, if they are just going to eliminate them because of increased cost and projections? Sounds like what they do with the American Armed Forces, indispensable? Once again America’s occupation of areas is causing the destruction of a species of life.

    • 3 years ago
  • giygas
    • 0
      giygas  

    • As someone who is personally responsible for almost thirty horses seven days a week, I cannot fathom how this can be acceptable. I sincerely doubt anyone that advocates killing these mustangs has ever experienced a relationship with horses. In short, all of them become family, even the horses you have not met before. How would you feel if someone told you that "the cost of keeping your family alive is too much, we will have to kill all of them"? In addition to the fact that they have been with us to build our cities, work our land, and fight our wars before mass produced automotives. We owe them. Possibly more than we can repay.

    • 3 years ago
  • barbara3d
    • 0
      barbara3d  
    • giygas:

      Thank you for the care of your horses. I have always loved them. I am a little afraid of them though, lol. I used to have a friend who owned two. I would hold some carrots or apples and they would charge towards me. I stood perfectly still as they gently took the food from my hands. You are so right. Horses have helped build America and many times been treated poorly. Except for the "cowboys" back in the day. They usually loved their horse better than any human and they were more loyal than a human.

    • 3 years ago
  • Neghie
  • justright
  • satanskidney
  • outerbanksmom
    • 0
      outerbanksmom  
    • satanskidney:

      The wild horses here on the East coast are kept confined...It's really not a "pen" they have those hoof traps or whatever. It's basically to keep them from getting into the population. I think this is what they mean.

    • 3 years ago
  • telekinesis
  • bedeboop
  • satanskidney
  • HolyCity2012
  • satanskidney
  • Chheang
    • 0
      Chheang  

    • I hope this makes the news tonight! So is that 27M / year? If so, wow, that's some cash. Then again, why are they fenced in? As I understand it, they're wild horses... hmmm... how about opening the gates?

    • 3 years ago
  • krush_productions
    • 0
      krush_productions  

    • I saw this a few months back and was infuriated. i have written emails to several officials and never had them returned. Do all the morons desire to be the only life on earth?

    • 3 years ago
  • Johniffer
    • 0
      Johniffer  

    • Oh dont kill the horses..let them go, they are WILD! And that would be free too. This is inhumane, and i hope it is not done. It would cost money to kill the horses, dispose of the bodies, and pay workers to finish the job. What a bad idea, and its not like the horses are going to be used..like when native americans kill an animal. Very immoral, i hate it!

    • 3 years ago
  • jacijacijaci
  • HolyCity2012
    • 0
      HolyCity2012  

    • Maybe Americans would want to grind them up and turn them into burgers, or dog food or even glue so school children can build arts & crafts.

      But we would have to feed them pears & apples first, so it would be humane.

    • 3 years ago
  • bedeboop
  • ximalim
    • 0
      ximalim  

    • "Oh sorry all you Californian jail dwellers, we can't afford to keep this prison operating, so if you could please run through this mine field that needs to be cleared"

    • 3 years ago
  • HolyCity2012
  • outerbanksmom
  • telekinesis
  • alicynx
    • 0
      alicynx  

    • What about sales...? Instead of killing them (which, btw, they're wild, why are we needing to care for them??) why not sell them off? Adoption isn't a proper term really, they aren't really pets. Sell them to breeders and horse enthusiasts - I'm positive there are plenty of them who are interested - and save the time and money associated with slaughter and disposal.
      Barring that, what's wrong with letting them go free? I mean, if they are wild, and even though they aren't indigenous they are fully capable of surviving in the wild expanses of North America, considering they have been doing just that for over 400 years, let em be wild. I'm sure in a sink-or-swim environment, they'll do far better than a bullet to the brain.

    • 3 years ago
  • HolyCity2012
  • alicynx
  • HolyCity2012
  • bmltv
  • HolyCity2012
  • dissimulator
  • barbara3d
    • 0
      barbara3d  
    • dissimulator:

      Proud, beautiful, soulful and strong. I am tearful at the thought of them being shot because we cant provide hay for them to eat. We have used these beautiful animals to race, ride, plow, carry. Now we need to take care of them. I am sure many would contribute if we could get the word out. Man is trampling through all lands and sea getting rid of whatever is in their way. It is disgusting and I am going to write letters of support to keep them alive.

    • 3 years ago
  • malathion
    • 0
      malathion  

    • take that $ and buy some land in some shit-hole part of ohio and move them there , and give the rest of the $ to whichever concerned citizens group yells the loudest , and let them try to prevent the horses from dying .

    • 3 years ago
  • jogglef
  • BDiamond
    • 0
      BDiamond  

    • You know horses are not native to this continent. Wild or not. They were brought here by Spanish Conquestadors in the 1500's. Overbreeding and poor livestock management created this problem, so as taxpayers it is kinda our responsibility to deal with the consequences ... sorry ... we as americans have the moral responsibility to shoulder this $27MM burden.

    • 3 years ago
  • samthesixth
  • animalia_libero
  • bedeboop
  • abbym0308
  • BFAM_RVS
    • 0
      BFAM_RVS  

    • We need to let these animals live...I am sure we have enough land and resources to allow them to live...If we can spread the horses across America, Canada and Mexico, we can spread out the costs for them, and ultimately, allow every single one of them to live....

    • 3 years ago
  • rajunk007
  • good_stuff
    • 0
      good_stuff  

    • hello... recession, food shortages... delicious horse meat. From my estimates, that is about 100,000 lbs of meat (and probably as much glue too).

      PS: If they need someone to shoot them, I'd be willing to take the challenge. I'm not the best shot, but I'm sure after a while I'd get the hang of it.

    • 3 years ago
  • giygas
    • 0
      giygas  
    • good_stuff:

      I am giving you the benefit of the doubt in assuming that you are joking.

      However this is ,hands down, one of the worst things I have ever heard anybody say in a very, very long time.

      I very much hope that, if serious, you think for a long time about those terrible words.

    • 3 years ago
  • barbara3d
  • k8_hj
  • Ayahuasca2012
  • bedeboop
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