Picasso's yearling colts have both left their family band. First the pinto then the black. On this day they are alone together. Mustang brothers through and through.
These mustangs live on 160,000 acres of public land in NW Colorado. The world is closing in on them. All photos and words by Nancy Roberts.
3 comments:
Hey Nancy, do you know anything about the low stress round-up in the Roosevelt Natl. Park. We might get some pointers, as how to maximize bait-trapping with least trauma to horses. Looks like they had some good results there.
Revving up for our little artshow on Friday in Loveland.
I think Sand Wash is set up perfectly for humane bait trapping.... The southern portion of the HMA is the lowest point in elevation, it is also where the Hywy is. We could easily set out hay in the middle of winter and set up some sort of corral system where we could pull out a few horses humanely, mostly yearlings. We could also PZP a few select mares.
As soon as I mention "feeding the horses" people balk, but to me it makes sense. I don't believe all the horses at Sand Wash would come down, but the ones that have grown to trust humans and live towards "the front" would. The ones people have become familiar with and have grown to love.
First we have much work to do....Establish a working relationship with the HSUS and the BLM....Fence the entire HMA in...Remove old down fence lines and garbage.....enlarge the HMA to the East, where horses have already escaped....Discourage folks from dumping their domestic horses and pull out the ones already mixed in...Make a "Wild Horse Loop", to keep people in a certain area...Porta potties...Kiosks...We must continue to promote the horses...Document them. This is going to take time.
I love the idea of using PZP and drawing them in for it with food. If we can control the population, why not feed them during the bad months? I believe that contraception and selective breeding is the best hope for the Mustangs.
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