Wild Horses in the American West Threatened by Foreign Slaughterhouse Imports
For over 50 years, legislation has protected wild horses in the West from being sold. However, this protection is at risk if the proposed budget cuts by the Trump administration are approved. These cuts could lead to thousands of wild horses being sent to overseas slaughterhouses, where they would be sold as food.
Advocates for wild horse protection have long been in conflict with livestock farmers. According to the Denver Post, the Trump Administration is siding with rancher groups who do not want to compete with wild horses for limited resources across approximately 40,000 square miles of ranchland in at least 10 states. These lands are managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). An estimated 60,000 wild mustangs roam these areas, with an additional 45,000 captured horses held in American holding pens or private prairies.
Previous administrations, including those of the last three presidents before Donald Trump, also faced challenges with the rising costs of managing wild horses. During the Obama Administration, the BLM's budget increased from $36.2 million in 2008 to $80.4 million by the end of his second term.
The director of the BLM has stated that wild horses in the West present significant budgeting challenges. If current practices continue, the organization could exceed its budget by over $1 billion. The cost of caring for and housing 10,000 horses over their lifetime is estimated at $50 million. Despite these high costs, the director has expressed opposition to reversing existing laws.
Supporters of selling wild horses include The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Nevada Farm Bureau. They believe this move would help ranchers clear government-run holding pens and capture more animals for profit.
The National Cattlemen’s public lands council stated that the original purpose of the law was to maintain a healthy population of horses, but currently, some horses are living in poor conditions without adequate nutrition. The BLM has declared that fewer than 27,000 horses can be sustained under the current budget. The Trump administration believes the current approach is unsustainable.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reacted with shock to Trump’s proposal, stating it would push wild horses toward extinction.
“America can’t be great if these national symbols of freedom are destroyed,” stated Suzanne Roy, executive director of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign).
The budget plan proposed by Donald Trump aims to save $10 million in operational costs by reducing expenses for feeding and housing the animals. Additional savings are expected through fertility management and shepherding.
According to the 1971 Free-Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act, the auctioning of senior and adoptable horses is permitted. However, Congress has consistently included provisions in budgets to ban the sale of wild horses for slaughter.
While the U.S. prohibits horse slaughterhouses, horse meat is considered a delicacy in other parts of the world, including Canada, Mexico, and some regions of Europe. The situation is still developing, according to the Denver Post.
Originally posted by The Navajo Post