I live in Nevada the state with approximately 50% of the wild horses in the U.S. and as far as Im concerned these animals are not welcome. They are a nonnative species descended from horses which either escaped from domesticated life or were released by their owners who no longer wanted or needed them. They are an unnecessary strain on the already severely strained water supplies available to long established native species of the West which are more deserving of the water as well as the scarce feed available for the same native wildlife.

Federal protection of wild horses (for all practical purposes an invasive species) is uncalled for but rather than just kill them and waste the meat it should be used to feed prisoners here in the U.S. or sold to whoever wants it. Years ago I had the occasion to eat horsemeat and its not bad at all.

Scotch makes a great point, especially in closing. I would have not thought there could be a reasonable argument against the protectionists, but there's one at the top of this thread.

I love the smell of intelligent commentary in the morning...it let's me know I'm still alive.

They are more energy efficient than ethanol though.

"They are more energy efficient than ethanol though."
SULLY

Great point. Gas costs $4.25 around here and they're talking about putting down horses.

Sad thing is that their is no longer a working slaughter house in the US that will do horses, prehaps one in Texas but pretty sure they closed this one down also. So we either ship them to Canada or to Mexico then ship the meat back. Im all for the removal of the horses which have been introduced in the recent times but the history of the wild mustang is long and complicated. Mustangs make great horses if given the chance.

They are more energy efficient than ethanol though

Maybe they could turn the horses into ethanol? :-)

I guess I just don't understand the emotional attachment people have to horses. We slaughter pigs, which are more intelligent than horses, by the millions. Yet, people are petitioning Congress to not allow us to export horses for slaughter (or do so in the US).

Americans also love dogs, but millions of them are put to sleep at shelters, and then either burned or dumped in landfills by the barrel-full.

I guess horses are pretty to look at but as was previously mentioned, they are an invasive species. I also feel bad about how they are treated by the racing industry but not allowing them to be slaughtered doesn't change that; it just denies somebody in the 3rd world of cheap meat.

"...they (wild horses) are an invasive species..."

The point could be well argued that humans are an invasive species, are more numerous than wild horses, and are far more destructive than a wild horse could ever be.

"I had the occasion to eat horsemeat and its not bad at all."

I hear tell that long pig can be mighty tasty also, though long pig can be a bit stringy.

What is it with this administration? They are killing everything out West! This year they killed bison in Yellowstone - turns out that the winter kill was more than expected and because of the large number of bison killed by the government, more ended up dead than desired. For years people had tried to re-introduce wolves to Yellowstone. The program was finally realized and now the government has authorized killing the very wolves they worked to bring back to the Yellowstone. The government has authorized killing wolves in Alaska by shooting them from helicopters. What IS it with this administration? Don't they get enough killing in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Give the welfare losers a sun gun and a knife and let them butcher their own meat. I can see it now, sipp'n their 40's, smoking crack and butchering horses. Paints a lovely picture.

The BLM has tried contraceptive programs on feral horses in Nevada, the small scale tests were successful, but large scale tests failed. The real issue is that the ranchers are complaining the horses are competing with thier cattle, for food and water. The BLM makes quiet a bit of $$$ through its cattle grazing leasing programs, always follow the money...

I agree with the adopt-a-horse program, and since we are feeding and housing the horses, programs like equine therapy for disabled children is very successful, both for the horse, and the child. The training would then make the horse more acceptable for the adoption program.

"The point could be well argued that humans are an invasive species, are more numerous than wild horses, and are far more destructive than a wild horse could ever be." - Zot

Agreed, and if you find any living on BLM land they should be removed.

Zot,

You are destructive and invasive to this planet. I think you should do you part to help protect the planet, do the right thing.

Americans also love dogs, but millions of them are put to sleep at shelters, and then either burned or dumped in landfills by the barrel-full.

Posted by katieberry at 2008-07-09 09:29 AM

I want to ship them to the starving North Koreans!

"I think you should do you part to help protect the planet, do the right thing."

Posted by 08r4ever

Euthanize you?

" a sun gun "

Fusion powered weapons.
Cool.

When horses overpopulate, can you imagine the incredible amount of methane and co2 generated? Kill them ALL and help reduce the carbon footprint! These damn animal rights activists want to increase global warming!

Hell...why not have a horse hunting season...after all.they are just moose with no antlers.
As i remember,horse is very tasty..and probably even moreso wild horse that has been eating wild fodder.
grok

Either that or sell them to dogfood companies after we kill'em.

How odd that the article gives the number of wild horses in the U.S. (33,000), explains that the "reason" we have to kill some of them is competition with livestock, yet fails to mention the number of cattle in these areas. No doubt the number is in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

And, if water for these horses is such a concern, how about cutting off water for lawns in one or two subdivisions or golf courses of Las Vegas.

Why are the republicans always wanting to kill the wild horses?

It was James Watt (Reagan's Sec of Interior) who wanted to destroy all the wild mustangs in the 80's and now Bush's admin wants to kill them too.

You have your war, you've got plenty of American civilian and soldiers blood on your hands and yet now you want to kill the horses?

I guess nothing can satiate the republican's need for death.

"And, if water for these horses is such a concern, how about cutting off water for lawns in one or two subdivisions or golf courses of Las Vegas."

Posted by BobSF_94117

Y'a know, I just don't see that "saved" water then making its way out into the desert for the horses to drink.

(Jaysus!! The bizarro comments you read here some times!!)

All I could think of when I saw this headline was that song by the Rolling Stones. It just popped into my head for some reason.

"Wild horses couldn't drag me away
Wild, wild horses, couldn't drag me away..."

I'll come back on this thread later when I can say something halfway intelligent.

If we don't have enough people in this country that want or need them then offer them world wide.

I think the cost of moving them would be worth the life of the horse to me.

"I think the cost of moving them would be worth the life of the horse to me."

Posted by Hard2Rock

How much can we put you down for?

Is this the same group crying over the wild horses being sold overseas a few months back? Instead of selling the meat to feed people just kill them off? Sounds like liberal thought process to me.

Federal protection of white people (for all practical purposes an invasive species) is uncalled for but rather than just kill them and waste the meat it should be used to feed prisoners here in the U.S. or sold to whoever wants it.

Posted by Gimme_a_Scotch at 2008-07-08 11:18 PM

The French love eating horses. Give the horses to the Frogs

Federal protection of white people...
Posted by bellaspapa

Yeah, because white people and horses are the same... Gimme a break, Bella.

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Good.