Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

These articles/news segment are musts to read/watch.

WARNING: Some photos/clips are extremely graphic of horses badly injured during roundups.

Facing national scrutiny, BLM struggles to explain wild horse and burro program

Cruel or necessary? The true cost of wild horse roundups

In the grand scheme of things and in wide comparison, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area and its mustangs are in a fairly enviable position.

Our range condition is not great. Our water sources are widely spaced (ensuring grazing dispersal) but of poor (salty, at least) quality. But, because of recent roundups and a dedicated group of local advocates, our current population ensures both healthy horses and decent, if not great, forage, even in these drought conditions.

A fertility control program using native (one-year) PZP was implemented with the 2011 roundup. This is the first year we’ll start to see results.

There has been no cattle grazing in Spring Creek Basin for two seasons (permitted through BLM for dormant-season only: Dec. 1 through Feb. 28). That likely will continue for at least the next two seasons until drought and/or regulations necessitate a change (for continued grazing or continued lack thereof).

I certainly don’t have large-scale answers, but in this little corner of the wild world, our mustangs seem to be doing pretty well. I hope we can find solutions for all our mustangs.