WHO LIVES, WHO DIES: Wild Horse Ecology: Lessons From the Fields

To view this video in a larger format, click here.

WHO LIVES, WHO DIES: Wild Horse Ecology: Lessons From The Field with Mary Ann Simonds

While most scientific studies focus on one aspect of something in minute detail, the science of ecology is holistic. It evaluates whole eco systems and their inter-dependent relationship with natural resources, and species. The natural world and its inhabitants have demonstrated great adaptability over eons of time. The wild horse and burro may be one of the most ancient mammals to have adapted to changing weather patterns and forage conditions through major catastrophic, evolutionary changes.

Horses and burros have survived across continents in moist rich grasslands, sandy islands, barren deserts and sub zero mountain ranges. They’ve morphed physically and behaviorally to survive varied environments as well as human breeding and domestication.

Mary Ann Simonds, an Equine Behaviorist and Ecologist comments on how lucky she was to be able to study and observe horses and burros in the wild. She warns, “Now we are losing horse culture as it exists in the wild. The wild horse hasn’t fit into anyone’s basket so has eluded scientific study. Misconceptions about their origin and their ability to be domesticated has tragically led them to be categorized as livestock by public land officials, ranchers, the horse industry and many environmental groups. “

Folks, who know horses well, are the first to vouch for the unique differences between one horse and the next. Most of the horses in the wild in this country now are what Ms. Simond’s refers to as hybrids. They are mixed breeds of Spanish barb (likely the horse with primitive markings that geneticists believe originated on this continent then returned with the Spaniards) then were cross bred with other domesticated breeds who were over time turned lose with wild horses. Wild herds can be historically traced to outlaws, famous cowboys, battles, cavalry, Indian ponies, ship wrecks, ranchers wanting to increase size and alter blood lines for future use or more profitable sales. Only the strongest have survived without human supplementation of food and water and ever-dwindling natural resources.

Our impact as humans is the real killer of natural resources. Land lawfully set aside for the horses has been parceled out for sale and leased for cattle grazing, oil and gas and mining and some for recreational use. Roads, pipelines, industrial and residential sprawl, fencing off water resources and draining water tables, have left behind toxic chemicals that impact rangeland productivity. Now the claim being made by the BLM and the NFS, the two organizations lawfully responsible to protect the wild horse and burro as free roaming animals, is that the range is in bad shape and cannot sustain wild horse and burro herds.

The long term, remarkable survival of these animals is largely due to highly evolved collective collaboration. In addition their genetic viability is based upon mating of the strongest as well as having enough numbers to ensure no inbreeding. The management policies of those in charge are manipulating and weakening the wild horses and burros ability to survive in nearly every possible way.

Our consumption of resources is part of this equation fueling some of the Government’s drastic mismanagement of public lands. We as citizens need to stay proactive in how our lands are managed and used by insisting on accountability. We need to also be accountable for what we as individuals can do to reduce our carbon footprint, and use ingenuity and personal resources, to help restore and preserve wild life, including wild horses and burros to their free roaming way of life.

We need to have more ecologists, and call upon experts like Mary Ann Simonds and Craig Downer for advice and strategies for future management policies. We need to insist on whole systems studies that observe the horses year round in various habitats. The horse and burro is accused of just about everything on the range including damaging riparian sites, like cattle do and they are held responsible for spreading weed seeds throughout the range. If groups worked together, to be sure there were adequate water sources for herds of horses, then they would minimally touch delicate riparian sites. All animals including the horse or burro will go to the most reliable watering source to drink. If delicate wetlands are all that’s available, they, not unlike us, will use it to survive.

If groups and individuals planted weed free native grass seeds throughout horse management areas, the horses would poop out and reseed that seed, not the less nutritious and non-appetizing weeds. What remains on the range after humans impact, is often cheat grass, rabbit brush, and all sorts of virulent weeds – not what the horse or burro prefers. To survive they’ve become browsers and will eat nearly whatever they can find.

Wild Horse Ecology and Behavior is nearly a non-existent field of study. I’ve researched and called a number of Universities to find out whom to speak to, only to hear the same story over and over again. No program exists, no one specializes in this study, but I’m told they do provide rangeland studies to the BLM, NFS, Division of Fish and Wildlife and National Park Service. These studies are not based on an eco-system approach and they go in with a pre-conceived classification for the wild horse as non-native, which automatically puts the horse at a disadvantage. If we’d take time to study these magnificent creatures in the wild, we would likely learn a lot about how to survive, collaborate and share resources ourselves as we face an era of dwindling resources on all fronts.

In this critical time for the wild horses and burros, here’s a list of Take Action Plans.

Contact your state senator at: http://energy.senate.gov/public/ Request they call for an investigation into the management and practices of public lands effective immediately. Ask that they.

1. Stop Round ups and gathers until long term sustainable strategies and healthy solutions for the horses are resolved.

2. Restore as much land as was set aside in 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act,

3. Provide a non - biased annual inventory of our wild horses and make public that information.

4. Provide a fair and thriving ecological balance for wild horses on our public lands.

5. Assist in establishing sanctuaries on private lands.

6. Develop a policy standard to assess the Appropriate Management Levels of wild horses on our public lands, utilizing wild horse ecologist’s expertise and whole system studies