Supporters Mobilize to Save the Alto Wild Horse Herd
By Dianne L Stallings, Ruidoso News
August 28, 2016
Hundreds of supporters gathered on Sudderth Drive, chanting to save the Alto wild horse herd. The rally aimed to draw attention to the plight of mares and foals gathered off private land.
A town hall meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Monday at the Sierra Blanca Boys and Girls Club, 134 Reese Drive, in the old middle school Horton Complex. Melissa Babcock hopes to unite various groups that mobilized after the horses were collected by the New Mexico Livestock Board following a landowner's complaint.
Unfortunately, some information may not be what people want to hear, Babcock said.
State Rep. Zach Cook, a Republican from Ruidoso and an attorney, explained that the livestock board is unlikely to release the horses. "This bunch will never roam wild again," Babcock relayed, emphasizing the need for the meeting to consolidate fundraising efforts for purchasing the horses.
Shelley McAlister, another organizer, mentioned that enough funds have been raised to buy the horses and cover their care while attempting to return them to the wild. Conflicting information about the bidding process prompted her to gather herd advocates for a meeting. She hopes the herd could be released again, a sentiment echoed by rally attendees.
Debbie Wilcox of the Cloud Riders organized the rally to highlight the confiscated horses' plight. She vowed to secure their future protection, unlike past efforts that fizzled after a herd member was auctioned. A second herd section still roams Ski Run Road.
Babcock stressed the need to shift the movement's focus from "free the horses" to "save the horses" as they face auction. Ten acres have been offered to house the horses, and advocate Bruna Campos has enlisted a lawyer to attempt an injunction against the auction.
"What we mean by what can be done is 'O.K., guys, it is not going to happen,'" she said. "They are not going to roam free. So if you love them, who in the community wants to own one?"
Cook noted a past lawsuit over the Placita wild herd, but the current situation differs as the horses were captured on private land. Not everyone agrees on the livestock board's jurisdiction over the herd.
"This is the way the law is written, and we can change that," Babcock said. "But it takes time and money. Protests and signs won't change the board's decision."
During the rally, Wilcox and others distributed flyers urging attendance at the Monday meeting and participation in the Save the Wild Horses Petition. The petition neared 5,000 signatures by Sunday afternoon.
Besides live horses, a mock unicorn and a miniature horse added color to the rally, joined by motorcyclists who traveled to a "Wild Horses" traffic sign on New Mexico Highway 48 before joining the protesters.
Originally posted by Ruidoso News