Not-so-wild horses

The news release below, originally from the Bureau of Land Management's Idaho office, was posted on My Equine Network. It is, unfortunately, a recurring problem in the West, one that may be getting worse as the economy makes keeping horses more difficult.

Earlier this year, we had a similar problem in Western Colorado. Someone apparently dumped two domestic horses in the area of the Little Bookcliffs Wild Horse herd. No great surprise, but they did poorly. They weren't accepted by the wild horses and they didn't know where to go in the relatively dry area for water or good grass. The BLM captured them, but I'm not sure what has happened to them since. I will check on it.

But it's a sad statement on supposed horse lovers when they abandon their ponies to what will likely be an anguished death in the wild.

Here's the story.

BLM to Impound Abandoned Idaho Horses

Marsing, ID – The Owyhee Field Office of the Boise District, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is posting a legal Notice to impound three abandoned horses located on public lands managed by BLM. The horses are in the Blackstock Springs Allotment located approximately 10 miles south of Marsing, Idaho and six miles north of the Oregon state line.

The BLM Law Enforcement Officers in coordination with the Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office and Idaho’s State Brand Inspector were unable to determine the ownership of these abandoned horses by either brand or marking. No one from the public has reported loss of any horses in this area, nor has anyone claimed these animals.

The Notice of Impoundment states that if the abandoned horses are not claimed within five days after publication and/or posting of the Notice the horses will be removed and taken to the BLM’s wild horse corrals located south of Boise.

Any person(s) wishing to make claim of the abandoned horses should contact Jake Vialpando, Owyhee Supervisory Rangeland Management Specialist at (208) 896-5916 or Buddy Green, Owyhee Field Manager at (208) 896-5913.

Source: www.blm.gov/id