Mustangs / wildhorserescue.org
Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue may be buying some more horses at auction today to save them from slaughter in Fallon, NV, Livestock exchange. Once again, these are wild horses roaming Nevada that don’t have the federal protection of wild horses they should because of bureaucratic technicalities. That means they can be be auctioned off without the promise not to sell them as horsemeat. The Bureau of Land Management is overwhelmed trying to strip wild horses off public lands to make way for cattle grazing.
Just in the past week 692 American horses were trucked to Mexico for slaughter, the USDA says. So far in 2010, the U.S. has sent 40,000 horses to Mexico, with 33,700 going straight to the butcher. That’s about 2,000 more than went last year by this time.
They describe the situation like this:
They are wild horses that are privately owned. The origin of the horses is unclear but is thought to be mustangs typical to the area of the Pyramid Lake, North Fernley, Nevada. The local killer buyers will be there in force. Most likely the older mares and stallions will be sold in lots of 10 or 12 or more. Buyers will have to buy the entire lot of horses.
Lifesavers is already caring for 450 horses, including 169 they bought in July at the Fallon, NV, auction house outbidding killer buyers to save the animals. They are still in Nevada at a private facility awaiting medical clearance and transport to their new home. Because the BLM called them “estrays,” the horses also lost their federal protection.
Lifesavers isn’t sure how many they’ll have to pick up at auction today. The sales price–roughly $200–is nothing compared to the long term care. A vet check costs about $100, horse shoes cost $100 and then from there it’s about $100 a month, the group estimates.
“A horse is a horse,” Lifesavers administrative assistant Angel says. “If they’re running free and they’re on public land, then you figure they sould be covered under the law.”
Lifesavers adopts some horses out to private homes and is working to get the horses enough land to let them roam. Right now 86 get to do just that on 160 acres at the Born to Be Wild Sanctuary in Twin Oaks, CA. The horses there are so wild you can’t touch them and right now there aren’t even tours, Angel says. Small, private tours may start once the group gets more land fenced in.
But, just 90 minutes from Los Angeles you can go see their main facility where 205 wild horses are cared for and made gentle enough to adopt.
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Where to go to see wild horses
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