Wild and Free

Northern California Wild Horses in Peril

I have always loved wild horses. They are icons of American beauty—symbols of strength, power, and freedom. For over a decade, I have been fortunate enough to spend time with these gentle giants, photographing them and sharing their beauty. I am also proud to partner with the American Wild Horse Campaign, an organization committed to providing legal support and awareness for wild horses and mustangs, which we support with 10% of our Simply Wild retail sales.

For years, wild horses have been protected on public lands; however, as their numbers grow, they must compete for resources with taxpayer-subsidized private livestock, creating a scarcity of water and vegetation in their habitat. As a result, many ranchers and conservationists desire the immediate removal of the majority of these horses. Although the Bureau of Land Management continuously monitors the situation and often removes horses from overcrowded rangelands, the U.S. Forest Service has gotten involved in the Devils Garden Wild Horse Territory. They seek to remove 1,000 horses in the Modoc National Forest near Alturas, California.

Despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans support the protection of wild horses on public lands, this “horse gather” is allowable under by the federal policy. For years, the Forest Service has followed the policies of the U.S. Department of the Interior, which strictly prohibits selling wild horses to slaughterhouses. However, the Forest Service is actually supervised by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which does not have a policy concerning the management of wild horses. Because of this, the U.S. Forest Service can sell these horses for as little as $1 without limitation, sending them to certain death at the hands of kill buyers. Although the sale of horses for slaughter for American consumption has been illegal for decades, American horses sold for slaughter are sent to plants in Canada and Mexico who produce horsemeat for human consumption overseas.

While there are real tensions between the wild horses, conservationists, and ranchers, there are many options to support the peaceful co-habitation of the protected horses and commercial livestock. For instance, the American Wild Horse Campaign has proposed alternative, humane solutions such as removing horses in incremental roundups limited to only those horses who are adoptable or can be placed into rescues or sanctuaries. Another humane option is implementing a comprehensive PZP fertility control program, which has been vetted by the National Academy of Sciences and is deemed to be safe, humane, sustainable, and implementable at no cost to taxpayers. These solutions could help maintain the wild horse population while promoting the peaceful co-existence of all living creatures on the protected lands.

Last week, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the American Wild Horse Campaign filed a lawsuit to block the U.S. Forest Service from capturing and selling these federally-protected horses, but they need our support. Consider making a donation to the AWHC or purchasing a print from our Simply Wild Series. Call or email the Modoc National Forest today and request they stop the roundup and promise not to sell the horses for slaughter. Follow the American Wild Horse Campaign on facebook and support their ongoing efforts, such as the October 24th rally and virtual sit-in. We must act now if we want to save these timeless symbols of American beauty.