wild horse rescue

["Jerry & Mary Fields" <fields@mesh.net>]

WILD HORSE RESCUE

Help us preserve the 'Last of the Wild Horses' in Northern New Mexico.  An
action is underway by the district ranger of the El Rito District of the
Carson National Forest to irradiate all but 12 or 14 of the wild horse
population living within the 54,866 acre La Jarita Mesa Wildhorse territory.
We need to educate and bring attention to an important issue taking place in
Northern New Mexico at this moment.  A recently discovered herd of wild
horses within the Carson National Forest have been positively identified as
descendants of the Spanish horses brought to the Americas by Juan de Onate
in
and around 1598.  Blood tests done by the University of Kentucky have
verified the 'Spanish Markers' found in some of these horses.  These horses
are in
danger of being removed to the point of extinction through mismanagement by
the El Rito Forest Service.  It is our belief that this action is in
conjunction with a few cattle 'permittees' who want to eliminate these
horses
to enable them to run more privately owned cattle n the 'legally designated
wild horse reserve.  Unless action is taken by the public immediately, the
district ranger of the El Rito Ranger District will proceed with his plan to
use water traps, feed traps, helicopters, tranquilizers, in order to remove
these horses from the wild.  These horses would be subject to being
destroyed
in the most 'humane and cost efficient manner possible'.  This is not
acceptable!  At question here is the right of these horses to exist in an
already designated 'Wildhorse Territory".  By the all accounts, the herd of
wild horses on the Jarita Mesa Wildhorse Territory may actually number
between 40 and 100 horses.  These horses share the land with elk, deer, and
permitted cattle.  The elk and deer are legally hunted.  Unfortunately,
there
have been numerous stories of people finding horses from this herd shot
dead,
some left as bear bait.  Suspicion falls on the ranchers in the area who
believe the land belongs to them.  Truth is the land belongs to the American
people and the horses have a right to be there.

The world is full of willing people.  Some willing to work, the rest willing
to let them.

These La Jarita Mustangs represent one more place where the past is kept
alive in the present. We should honor these horses as part of our history as
the U.S.  government intended.  This land has been put aside by our
government for these wild horses to be free to roam within.  At the moment
there is a single District ranger who wants to change the fate of these
animals by declaring them a danger to the vegetation in the area and
professes a need to remove them.  Private interest seems be playing a part
in
his decision.  Well, now it is time for some Public Interest.  At present
the
El Rito District Ranger plans to begin reducing the existing herd of wild
and
free roaming horses commencing initial capture in 2001.  There are
alternative ways of dealing with the situation that must be discussed,
reviewed, and approved by the people of New Mexico.  Please participate.  We
need your help.  In conjunction with the 'Wild Horse and Burro Freedom
Alliance' we have requested specific information from District Ranger Kurt
L.
Winchester pertaining to the relationship
between the wild horse herd, the cattle grazing, the vegetation and all
existing management plans. There has been no response to date from a June
20th request.  The Alliance is a coalition of 16 organizations with a
combined membership of over 9 million members dedicated to the preservation
of wild, free roaming horses and burros on our public land.  We must now
take
action to prevent this proposed action from beginning in 2001.  Beginning
with letters and calls to:  Bruce Babbit, Secretary of the Interior,
interior@aol.com, Pete Domenici, U.S. Senator,
senator_domenici@domenici.senate.gov; Chris and Mike Dodge, H.O.R.S.E.
Rescue
& Sanctuary, http://www.horse-rescue.org, kjrancher@aol.com