Mustang Meg

There’s been some chatter about this again recently. Just wanted you all to get a heads up. This is my opinion piece to some of your questions about managing wild horses on the range and population ...

Opinion piece: Permanent sterilization? …. on wild horse herds which are to be managed as “close to natural as possible with the least amount of intervention”?

As said yesterday (when I shared a post about concern for another HMA in a different state), we kicked surgical sterilization in the cojones here in Oregon three times when attempted experimental surgical sterilization techniques were upon our wild mares. But hearing it come up elsewhere (see page American Wild Horse Conservation for more info).
Leaves one scratching their heads as it makes little sense in terms of cost, natural herd behaviors, and the all important ‘natural selection’. Important to note, in researching vet opinions when this first reared its ugly head— per overwhelming professional veterinary opinions/responses - healing is required in a sterile environment for a minimum of three weeks. On taxpayer dimes it makes little sense when there are alternatives- 3 decades of tried and true successful field studies utilizing PZP as effective population suppression techniques, via the naturally derived contraception lasting up to two years. Healthier for the animals as mares can rest their bodies from foaling, but genetic viability is not affected, as they once again can return to contributing to the gene pool. 

Unfortunately in years past we’ve learned that such experiments occurred on the range on a frontloader (ie Sheldon Wildlife Refuge), and right after the procedure the mares were released on the range with stallions fighting over them trying to claim/breed them- one can imagine the dramatic injury and infection no doubt some of the mares sustained… Of course there is also rolling in dust or wading through barious quality of waterholes, some muddy or some even utilized by livestock. Holding, vetting, feeding mares for weeks- no doubt expensive, not to mention the cost of the procedure, and I would imagine the comfort level of the mares themselves. Alternatively, capturing by bands, injecting the mares with safe PZP through chutes and then releasing them w their band makes much more sense. A Capture-Treat-Release program “on the range”. Saving taxpayer dollars not bringing truckloads of mustangs to short-term holding facilities.
*** Important to note that more recently, the permanent sterilization agent GonaCon described as a pesticide which hormonally works on and affects both mares and stallions has an alarm in advocates’ heads. Unfortunately, it’s quicker and easier for the agency to use which makes it that much more attractive, but sadly it has permanent effects, not only affecting genetic viability, but also behavioral implications. 
It has been recommended by wild horse protection organizations I’ve spoken to, for BLM to further study longterm effects before using on the public’s protected wild herds.

Beyond financial or logistical concerns, there are other important things to consider — sterilization procedures effect hormones, effecting wild horse, wild band, and wild herd behaviors …. changing everything wild horses are. We didn’t put BLM in charge of America’s wild horses to turn them into docile farm-like animals.
I have learned Nature is the most effective natural selector of the optimal wild horse. Sterilizing horses puts mere humans in charge like a breeding program, with their own skewed tastes of that makes “a nice-looking horse” likely inspired by fads or personal likes. Personally, I want to see what Nature designs- and as can be seen on many photographers’ wild horse images, those naturally occurring ‘wild designs’ are spectacular- not just by appearance, but for surviving the harsh west desert environments. If we select future mustangs, they are no longer truly wild horses. Perhaps a part of the agenda?
I don’t know, but anyway I shake this out and look at it, I don’t like it. Not after all these years that I’ve watched natural born wild horses, and the behaviors of an intricate and complex wild society.
*** There is no place for surgical or chemical permanent sterilization on our wild herds. 

Always be prepared and always vigilant. Before the next wild horse crisis or emergency, take a stand to Protect to Preserve our wild herds - never let the dust settle because we have to be their voice.

Want to know how you can help to protect to preserve our wild HMA herds of our 10 west states?
Keep writing lawmakers or your reps, and share pertinent information with your own netposse about the wild horse & b***o plight.
Also keep the contact information below saved to use at will.. because these people work for us.

There is no business for extreme measures on protected Herd Management Areas/HMAs - but because HMAs are not infinite lands, management is necessary, but natural is key- Protected and managed as natural as possible (per the 1971 WH&B Act). As said above there are alternatives tools for ‘in the wild management’ and that’s simply a two-year contraception. No permanent meddling with our protected wild herds through permanent and drastic tactics like surgical gelding of stallions or spaying of wild mares returned to the range (including chemical sterilization effecting both genders - pesticide agent known as GonaCon).
Hormones are the healthy herd catalyst, which keeps the wild in our mustangs and the rhythm of the herds in their complex society. Meddling through permanent and aggressive population control methods compromises genetics and also changes important natural behaviors of horse, band, and herd. We have fertility control options such as wild mare contraception (ie PZP which has been extensively researched and used successfully to suppress population growth across wildlife species including horses, over 3 decades) It is the least deadly, least invasive, least costly of all the alternatives.

Also, important to note in terms of wild horse and b***o management (looming in my head with yet another upcoming Steens gather coming up in August) — more transparency is needed surrounding gathers and any horses selected to be euthanized- unmistakable and clear documentation of concern and vet prognosis, including photos of why euthanization is or was considered in lieu of sanctuary, adoption, or other alternative placements for any wild, or special needs horses and b***os.

Every wild life is precious and loved by the people the world over, each rich with their own unique histories, and not to be “thrown away” without second thought like a wad of paper.

Change happens in DC- let them know it!

Remember, we are making a difference with each collective voice.

Keep the WILD in our WEST… and the WEST WILD! - Mustang Meg

Thank you for roaming wild with me on the ranges, and helping to work on keeping the "wild" in our west... and our west WILD! ~ Mustang Meg

MustangWILD
PO Box 785
Lebanon, OR 97355
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*This is not a real image, this is generated art I created out of my imagination for this article. Digitally Generated and Remastered AI Art by Sonya Spaziani aka Mustang Meg/MustangWild

Well lookey here… one of our Oregon Mustang Group photographers, Kathy Tellechea, was out on the Steens recently, and saw a unique looking stallion, but something seemed familiar.
She realized later that it was the grown stallion of a c**t we all thought was MIA.

In 2016 he was pinned the name GoldDust as he was GoldenGirl’s offspring. Now, 10 years later, 2026, when we all thought he was gone, Kathy found him again.
That’s why I say… we just never know.
Time tells the best stories. 

*Screenshot from Kathy’s post.
Tap on image to expand and read her full story.

Even in 2014 Yellowboy had blondies in his band, little dun c**ts Nitro and Caliber playing.

Frisky Foals
Two half brothers- Nitro and Caliber, who not only look like twins, but also look to be clones of the bandsire, YellowBoy, were having a marvelous time playing at the waterhole in the late afternoon.
They playfully bite at one another's legs, as you would see zebras do. Eventually, they learn to drop to their knees to protect their tendons in fights as adult stallions- for now they only know they are having a ball, but it's great practice for when they are serious stallions trying to win over a band of their own, or to protect one. They also display the leg-barring and dorsal stripe you would see in primitive horses. Their color is considered dun, but it has been referred to as yellow dun, peach dun, and apricot dun. Personally, they remind me of little apricots. :)
How do I tell them apart? Nitro (closer) has two front socks, while Caliber has just the opposite- two back socks. Nitro also has a "squigglier" blaze.

I loved the water reflecting on the horses that came down near the waterhole.

Nitro coming to a screeching halt near his dam and sire, Shiloh and Yellowboy... http://www.mustangwild.com/p130063524/h1df3e2bd

YellowBoy Band
July 2014/SE Oregon
*Please note that my images are shared here at a low resolution. To inquire about one of these photos at full resolution, please contact me here or [email protected] . You can also visit my MustangWild photography website www.mustangwild.com .
Thank you for helping me roam wild on the ranges, and helping me to work on keeping the "wild" in our west... and our west WILD