According to a Colorado Public Radio Report and the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, the Bureau of Land Management will begin another round-up of wild horses near Meeker on Thursday.
Malnourished Herd
The Colorado BLM agency conducted a visual assessment in May of the herd located in Rio Blanco County near Meeker and east of Colorado Highway 139. They concluded the horses were, “malnourished or otherwise in subpar health, and the population there is six times the maximum level the agency considers appropriate for the area.”
The May assessment revealed 40% of the horses received a body condition score of three or less, and five percent receiving a score of two.
According to the Henneke Body Score, that means approximately 180 horses are thin with accentuated bone structure and easily discernible ribs; 23 horses in the herd are one step above emaciated, with bone structure, ribs, tailhead, and withers prominent.
That means about 45% of the herd are, “malnourished or otherwise in subpar health,” according to the BLM as reported by the Daily Sentinel.
BLM’s Plan
The BLM plans to deal with such problems by gathering more than 1,000 of the horses this summer, removing 750 of them and treating another 200 with fertility controls. According to the CPR report, “The round-up will happen in two phases. Wildlife officials will begin to bait horses with food and water on Thursday. Gathering operations, which utilizes horseback riders and helicopters, will start in July.”
Some wild horse advocates who oppose removal of the animals from wild horse ranges point to the impacts of livestock grazing on land shared by horses.
Both NPR and Daily Sentinel reports noted drought has also impacted grazing conditions and available forage in the area.
The BLM also has been urged by some wild-horse advocates to suspend further removal operations due to concerns over how removed animals are being cared for. This year, some 145 horses removed last year from what the BLM calls the West Douglas area west of Colorado Highway 139 died after an outbreak of equine influenza virus in a holding facility in Cañon City.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis discouraged further roundups in August of 2021, writing to the BLM, “Given the outbreak at the Cañon City facility, I have serious doubts that the proposed roundup in the Piceance Basin can or should go on as planned.” He wrote that he is “deeply concerned that the proposed Piceance Basin roundup is simply a risk not worth taking until such time as enhanced welfare standards and improved biosecurity measures are in place.”
Join the Public Virtual Meeting
The BLM invites the public to participate in a virtual informational meeting about wild horse management in the state on Wednesday from 5-6 p.m. It will include updates on BLM management of wild horses, information about the upcoming Piceance-East Douglas operation, and discussion of next steps for the Cañon City facility. There will be a question-and-answer period, and written questions can be submitted during the live meeting and during registration, or submitted online prior to the meeting at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6T6BQJ3.
Participants must preregister by going to https://blm.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_c6JZuRO5QaGO39ZVMWu5tQ. For registration questions or issues, contact blm_co_news@blm.gov.
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The Colorado Horse Source is an independently owned and operated print and online magazine for horse owners and enthusiasts of all breeds and disciplines in Colorado and surrounding areas. Our contemporary editorial columns are predominantly written by experts in the region, covering the care, training, keeping and enjoyment of horses, with an eye to the specific concerns in our region.