Sometimes in love and politics it's hard to separate romance from reality. That seems to be case when it comes to the wild horses of the American West. Images of the animals galloping across the hills — mane and tails flying — have been part of the wonder of the West since the days of Charlie Russell. And any attempt to corral them — even if its in the best interest of the region — is usually met with resistance.
It's not environmentalists who are tossing up the roadblocks to the current roundup of wild horses. Many of them agree with the Fish and Wildlife officers who see horses chewing up the landscape and using resources set aside for more vulnerable creatures. The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada, in fact, is currently at risk. And by curtailing a roundup of mustangs, horse advocates have inadvertently put bighorn sheep, pygmy rabbits, sage grouse, pronghorn antelope, mule deer and many other animals on the spot.
Can't we creatures just learn to get along?
The horse folks say they aren't against rounding up horses, they just want to make sure the animals don't end up in slaughterhouses and glue factories. They want to know they're treated humanely and want to know exactly how many horses the land can sustain.
Those are worthy concerns. If you're a horse. But the overabundance of wild horses poses a threat to motorists on nearby roadways and — besides eating the grasses — they eat up the "green" in budgets set aside to fund preservation of the wilds. The 1,600 animals are also damaging wetlands and hurting native plants. Water holes are drying up, which means horses are guarding water and keeping it from other animals.
As Westerners, we love horses as much as anyone. There is a mythical — even mystical — connection between the animals and humans. But sometimes a horse is just a horse, of course.
To borrow other Western thoughts, it's time for horse advocates to bite the bullet and stop riding herd on the round up. The issue is much more complicated than they care to acknowledge.
Sheep, rabbits, antelope and deer ought to have an equal say in this matter as well.