I recently read about a new problem facing our federal government in the October 16, 2016 edition of the New York Times” Roundup of Wild Horses a Success, Spoiled by Cost of Storing Them” was the title. A few facts: 1. 60 private ranches, corrals and feedlots store 46,000 wild horses. 2. Currently this cost is $49 million per year. 3. One rancher in Oklahoma maintains a little over 4,000 horses and receives two dollars a day per horse. His monetary gross is approximately $3 million per year .4. This Bureau of Land Management Equine Program accounts for 60% of its federal budget. 5. The Bureau is predicting that its horse protection program could reach $1 billion, soon. 6. In 1971, Congress passed a law protecting wild horses that roam free on patches of public land in 10 Western states 7. Fertility control drugs for the horses, and natural predators like wolves have been considered to reduce this population. 8. Animal-rights groups oppose any killing of horses .9. Thousands of acres have been damaged by overgrazing. A lot of land is under extreme stress. 10. The Bureau of Land, Management can now barely afford helicopters to roundup wild horses .11. Each year we can expect an increase of at least 15,000 horses.

In a nutshell, there has been pressure not to kill any wild horses, regardless of the social, economic and natural consequences. I would argue that we consider a few other facts 1. It’s a shame that we contain these horses in a neglectful manner. 2. Anyone with over 4000 horses cannot care for them in any proper way. Natural diseases, infighting between horses result in damage to horses. There are many injuries that happen to groups of horses. 3. Think of the pain and no treatment to these equines that result from these injuries. 4. Think of the damage to the natural environment destroying the echo system. 5. Think of the homeless and hungry people in our country. 6. $1 billion is a lot of money to spend without a prudent solution. The problem will just become larger and larger, with no end in sight.

I propose that we devise a program to kill a number of wild horses [don’t have a number in mind] in order to feed, clothes and procure other products by using their hides etc. This would increase employment and new jobs. Morally, I would place the needs of people and make humans a priority over the wild, neglected equine. Yes, there’s going to be some outrage. Outrage is not unusual as we have freedom of speech. No one has come up with a better solution.

By the way, my wife rides her Mustang religiously. Patch our wild horse gets fed regularly, gets wormed properly, receives necessary shots, and gets groomed and ridden a lot. Patch has a life, a job, and is part of the family. He’s not neglected like the 46,000 others.