Sample Letters to the Editor: Advocating for Wild Horses

Advocating for Wild Horses: Sample Letters to the Editor

Wild horses are a cherished symbol of American heritage, yet they face numerous challenges due to federal mismanagement and private interests. Below are sample letters to the editor that you can use to voice your support for these majestic animals. Feel free to copy and paste them here.

Federal Mismanagement

Dear editor,

Today is the age of gridlock in Congress. Can you imagine the U.S. House and Senate voting unanimously on anything?

Well, back in 1971, they did. Responding to a huge public outcry, all members of both chambers voted to approve the U.S. Wild and Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act.

Forty-five years later, Americans still love wild horses. Polls show three-fourths of the American public wants to see wild horses preserved on public land, and 80 percent of Americans oppose horse slaughter.

Yet, a vocal minority of self-interested folks continues to clamor for inhumane treatment of these treasured animals. They include ranching and mining interests that want to turn a profit on public land. And they’d just as soon not have horses in their way.

These private interests have pressured the government to force horses from the range via roundups and they advocate extreme measures, such as shipping horses off to slaughter, or subjecting them to dangerous sterilization surgeries. This is counter to the will of the American people.

Next time you hear that there are “too many” wild horses, remember that these animals inhabit only 12 percent of federal land. They are outnumbered 50 to 1 by livestock. Our local, state, and national leaders should remember also: Americans, by vast numbers, want our wild horses preserved and treated humanely.

Win-Win Solutions

Dear editor,

Without question, our nation’s wild horses enjoy broad public support. But the federal government’s system for managing these iconic and cherished animals is broken. The annual roundups and removals we see across the West are dangerous and deadly to mustangs, and they don’t even work for controlling horse populations.

Taxpayers pay the bill for this failing system – to the tune of more than $80 million per year. And we can’t seem to break out of the cycle.

Re-thinking our approach, however, is possible and would be a win-win for wild horses and taxpayers alike. We should take these steps:

• Make greater use of humane fertility control (PZP) to reduce population growth rates. Unlike roundups, PZP works.
• Create more public-private partnerships to administer PZP effectively and economically.
• Adjust horse limits on federal land. The courts have rejected the government’s “appropriate management levels” as unjustified and unscientific.
• Offer incentives to retire federal grazing permits. Private livestock outnumbers wild horses on federal land 40 to 1.

Decision-makers looking to cut spending and make change would do well to consider these proposals.