Wild Horse Advocates and Santa Maria Ranch Residents Collaborate on Fencing Project

Wild horse advocates and Santa Maria Ranch residents have come together to address the challenges posed by wild horses in their community. Through a collaborative effort, they are working to build a secure, barbless wire fence that will protect both the horses and the community's landscapes.

When JohnD and Kay Winters, the original owners of the ranch now part of the Santa Maria Ranch development, managed the land, no horses entered the area as all fences were well-maintained and gates were always closed. However, after the land was developed, wild horses began causing damage to private and public landscaping.

These horses also started crossing U.S. Highway 50 East daily, posing risks to themselves and humans. After several meetings between Dayton's Wild Horse Preservation League (WHPL), Lyon County Parks and Recreation employees, and the Santa Maria Ranch Homeowners Association (HOA), solutions were devised to keep wild horses safely where they belong.

The plan is to surround the subdivision with a secure, barbless wire fence. Tim Hall, a member of the HOA board, is the resident labor coordinator for the project, dedicating significant time and effort to securing affordable fencing costs.

The HOA is purchasing the fencing materials, while wild horse advocates will provide most of the labor for the first phase. The fencing will not impact established hiking trails within and near the subdivision.

Hall stated, "I see this joint effort as an opportunity to meet all our goals, both wild horse advocates and homeowners alike. WHPL was the real 'spark plug' in getting this whole project up and running; and as time goes on, I see projects such as this will help to motivate our residents in becoming more involved in caring for and improving our HOA community as a whole."

The work party began on November 17, with Terry Strickland, responsible for maintaining the landscaping at Santa Maria Ranch, providing technical leadership and overseeing the project. Once installed, he will maintain the fence.

Willis Lamm of Least Resistance Training Concepts from Stagecoach remarked, "All of the different factions working here together (the fence was completed in only three hours), accomplish feats without having to have taxpayers fit the bill."

He continued, "Once the final section of fence is completed, the horses will help reduce the fire fuel load on the open range, and their sightings can be enjoyed by HOA residents without creating a hazard to those living in the development."

Originally posted by RGJ.com