Protest Against Private Sale of Virginia Range Wild Horses

CARSON CITY, Nev. (KOLO) About a dozen wild horse advocates gathered in front of the state capitol to protest a recent move by the Board of Agriculture to hand the Virginia Range wild horses over to private ownership.

The proposed agreement is expected to be offered this month, allowing new owners to manage the herd of over three thousand horses as they see fit.

"I see the worst-case scenario is they will conduct multiple gathers, removing all 3,000 or more horses from the Virginia Range, which spans 300 square miles, and send them to auction, leading to slaughter," says Louise Martin, a wild horse advocate.

Despite the board's nearly unanimous vote stating that slaughter was not their intent, private ownership of the Virginia Range herd means new owners could potentially decide the horses' fate.

Martin suggests that the horses could be worth millions in horse meat to whoever signs the agreement, proving their value. However, advocates argue that the animals have significant value alive as well.

"I used to be head of the Chamber of Commerce for Virginia City, and visitors would say that seeing the wild horses absolutely made their trip, not the gambling or anything else," says Julia Lee, another wild horse advocate.

Advocates claim the contract's nature makes it nearly impossible for any group to assume ownership of these horses. Liability alone would be cost-prohibitive, not to mention branding and even birth control. They believe anyone who gains ownership will seek to maximize their investment.

Slaughter, they argue, is the quickest and easiest way to profit from what they call an invaluable and irreplaceable resource.

Wild horse advocates plan to return to Carson City on Saturday, January 6, at 5:00 PM for a candlelight vigil. The public is invited to attend.

Originally posted by Kolo TV