Nevada and Wild Horse Advocates Clash Over Estrays
The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) has recently issued a statement regarding its gather of wild horses from the Virginia Range in South Reno. This action has sparked controversy among wild horse advocates, who argue that it jeopardizes a 2013 agreement aimed at eliminating such gathers.
The NDA reports that approximately 2,000 horses, known as “estrays” due to their descent from domestic horses released by owners and wild horses, inhabit the Virginia Range. This private rangeland is surrounded by four major highways. To prevent these horses from wandering onto highways and risking collisions, the NDA gathers some of them and sells them at auction.
Critics, including wild horse advocates, express concern that these auctions could lead to horses being sold for slaughter in Mexico and Canada. To address this, Nevada authorities and the wild horse advocacy group Return to Freedom (RTF) have a cooperative agreement. Under this agreement, RTF can purchase the gathered horses for $100 each and collaborate with third parties to ensure the horses are not returned to the range. Additionally, RTF works with authorities to develop strategies like birth control, fencing, and diversionary feeding to reduce the need for gathers.
Bob Conrad, PhD, NDA public information officer, stated that about 58 horses have been gathered from the Virginia Range since August.
On October 28, the NDA released a statement addressing recent estray horse gathers. The statement highlights daily complaints about horses roaming residential areas near the Virginia Range and emphasizes that gathers occur only when horses pose a danger to themselves or public safety.
“This time of year is particularly challenging, as horses are continually coming into neighborhoods seeking forage and water,” the statement noted.
The NDA has increased gather operations to proactively prevent incidents such as horse-vehicle collisions, injuries to children from horse kicks, and horses getting stuck in fencing and cattle guards.
In response, RTF accused the NDA of delaying the proposed proactive public/private partnership solution to the wild horse issue.
Deniz Bolbol, communications director for American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign), criticized the delay in on-range herd management, such as birth control, as costly for all parties involved.
“As they continue this delay, the state is, instead, spending state funds to conduct horse removals that could have been prevented with humane management on the range,” Bolbol stated. “NDA's delaying tactics are jeopardizing the public/private partnership as well as significant donated funds to implement concrete steps to solve problems, as opposed to the NDA’s current Band-Aid approach of removing horses.”
Originally Posted By The Horse