Wild Horses Get People's Attention

      Kim Miller argues that there have been too many unnecessary horse deaths.  Wild horse supporters blame the Bureau of Land Management for these deaths due to not handling the horses properly.  She claims that the lack of public awareness is one of the reasons not many people have stood up against the round ups.  Miller develops this claim by first investigating wild horse advocate groups, which include celebrities like Viggo Mortensen and Sheryl Crow.  The groups feel that the horses are being treated unfairly and inhumanely.  Miller informs us according to the Bureau of Land Management, there are an estimated 37,000 wild horses roaming on public land.  They feel that this number is 10,000 horses over the acceptable herd size.  Lastly, the author hopes that with additional public awareness, there will be more postponements of scheduled round ups.  Kim Miller’s purpose is to bring this issue to the public in order to save the last part of America’s wild west. This work is significant because it creates a public awareness of what the Bureau of Land Management is doing to these horses and that if we do not speak up against it, they will continue to reduce the wild population until they are extinct.

 

"Wild Horses Get Public's Attention." Practical Horseman 38.4 (2010): 85. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. Web. 10 Sept. 2012

The Mustang Mystique

Abigail Tucker argues that the round up of wild horses and mustangs is distasteful in the extreme.  She describes that when they round up the wild horses and mustangs, they use helicopters to get the horses running.  Then they release a “Judas horse” which is a tamed horse who runs in front of the herd.  The horse leads the wild horses into a corral and they close the gates.  Tucker develops this claim by first interviewing Melissa Farlow, a wild horse photographer, about her experiences around the wild horses.  She also spoke to Karen Sussman, president of the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros, who believes that the wild horses should be treated like wildlife instead of livestock.  Additional information was gained from Tom Gorey, spokesperson for the Bureau of Land Management, who tries to justify reducing herd sizes. Tucker lists statistics of how many horses are left out in the wild and how many are in long term and short term holding facilities.  Lastly, the author describes the difficulty of adopting the wild horses into good homes.  The adoption costs are low, but the cost to keep and maintain the horses is expensive.  Abigail Tucker’s purpose is to inform us of the wild horses and mustangs in order to help save them from becoming extinct.  This work is significant because it describes how many horses are still in the wild and what happens to the horses during and after the round up.

 

Tucker, Abigail. "The Mustang Mystique." Smithsonian 40.12 (2010): 68-73. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Sept. 2012.

 

Change of Scenery for America's Wild Horses

      Dee McVicker informs us that U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar plans to build seven new wild horse preserves which would be managed by the Bureau of Land Management.  Salazar describes that the preserves will be “an excellent opportunity to showcase these historic animals while boasting ecotourism for rural communities.”  She claims that wild horse advocates challenge his idea that the western range land will not be able to support the existing herds.  Ginger Kathrens feels that there are 33,000 horses at the most, compared to five to eight million head of cattle.  McVicker develops this information by first investigating Ken Salazar and finding out his proposals and ideas.  She also researched Ginger Kathrens and found her views.  McVicker discovered Salazar had a least one supporter.  Madeleine Pickens, a prominent wild horse activist, announced plans to establish a wild horse sanctuary for 30,000 horses.  Lastly, the author creates awareness that the Bureau of Land Management plans to remove 12,000 wild horses from the rangeland this year.  Dee McVicker’s purpose is to explore the options available for the unadoptable wild horses in order to urge readers to become more involved in the outcome of the wild horses future.  This work is significant because it illustrates the other options available for the wild horses besides crammed corrals or euthanization.

 

McVicker, Dee. "Change Of Scenery For America's Wild Horses?." Equus 388 (2010): 60-61. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. Web. 10 Sept. 2012.\