SOME Wild Horse Cost!

[V_Key]

Link:
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_h ... sheet.html

In Fiscal Year 2007, the BLM spent $38.8 million on its wild horse and burro program; the cost for holding wild horses and burros in short- and long-term facilities was $21.9 million, meaning holding costs accounted for more than half of what the BLM spent in Fiscal Year 2007 on its total wild horse and burro program.
In the current Fiscal Year (2008), holding costs will exceed $26 million, accounting for three-fourths of the Fiscal Year 2008 congressional appropriation to the BLM of about $37 million. This level of funding is not sufficient to support summer removals from the range while maintaining lifetime holding for older unadopted animals. To continue its current removal and holding practices, the BLM would need for its total wild horse and burro program: $44 million in 2008, $58 million in 2009, $65 million in 2010, $74 million in 2011, and $77 million in 2012.

 

[Jalopy]

I do not doubt your numbers but if that is truly the case they are really between a rock and a hard place. Environmentalist won't like keeping extra horses roaming BLM land and if they are caught and held then the costs escalate as there isn't a place for older non-adoptable animals. And euthanizing older horses is not looked on favorably by animal rights people. And there has to be a fiscal limit on how many budgets increases will be allowed. So does any one have a positive solution to this problem? I am not arguing I am just curious and it is a good discussion topic.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Hunting permits-- and finally make some money instead of spending it.

 

[Brandonm22]

I am usually a budget hawk; but since U.S. govt is about to spend $700,000,000,000 buying mortgage, car loan, and maybe even credit card backed securities nobody wants from banks and brokerage houses I just can't see why they are whining about spending $44,000,000 wharehousing ponies nobody wants.

 

[1982vett]

:lol: At first I thought I had a post deleated. Then I realized this was also posted on the Government Bailout thread, so might as well repost here also. :nod:


Citizens of some countries like to eat horse meat, (not sure about burro). It would be nice if this country had a processing plant that could pack the meat and ship it to countries that could make use of it instead of letting a resource go to waste. :)

 

[Brandonm22]

We used to have three and they actually employed people in an industry that was a 99% export market. Bo Derek and some folks didn't like it though so now we warehouse horses and call it being "humane".

 

[kerley]

I can't see any other way but slaughter and export. Believe it or not, wild horses were no big problem when the ranchers were legally able to round them up and run them through the auction yard. It was never the ranchers intention to eradicate the wild horses, just cull the herds and retain the best for ranch mounts. Then after the Flower Sniffers from the city and PETA aroused the Government, centuries of ranch ways changed into the financial and regulated mess we have today. If any of you love horses as I do, the sight of these holding pens it will break your heart. The horses held there are fed and cared for but it is pitiful. Tom

 

[mischief]

Since horse slaughter in this country has been banned, horses are being taken to Canada or Mexico for slaughter. This is not a humane option either-the trips are long and very arduous on the horses, plus the Mexican slaughter houses are not run to the standards we have in this country. There is a bill pending in committee in Congress to make it a federal crime to transport any horse for slaughter anywhere. We are already dealing with unwanted and unusable domestic horses that are being held in horrible conditions, not fed, not cared for, etc. Euthanasia is expensive and body disposal is a major problem. Add in the high feed costs, economy declining, the wild horse problem, and you have the beginnings (or should I say, ongoing) of a major problem. Horse rescue organizations are full, and having financial problems.

I have not only my cows but my horses, and consider myself probably more a horse person than a cattle person! But proper slaughter is a humane option for these unwanted and unusable horses. And there is a ready market for horse meat!! It is hard for me to understand why we do not have this available anymore! Most of the people who have supported the horse slaughter ban are not horse people and do not have horses!! All of the major horse organizations have supported humane horse slaughter, including the veterinary groups, horse breed organizations, most of the horse humane groups. We need to get this straightened out before even more animals are not properly cared for.

 

[jcummins]

It’s the do good, feel good, liberal crap. Useless scum. They are bankrupting our country. And we don’t have a politician with balls enough to stop it.

 

[TheBullLady]

I agree... why do we look to the government to do everything for everybody? At some point (like now) poeple need to make their OWN decisions and support what they want to support.

If someone wants to complain about unwanted horses, let THEM adopt them and care for them. Put their money where their mouth is. It's a never ending debaucle...

 

[Brandonm22]

I don't know for certain, BUT I would bet money that 9/10s of the people who are writing their Congressman to outlaw horse slaughter have never spent a dollar of their own money feeding ANY horse, much less feeding somebody else's horse.

 

[brightspark]

why not dog meat or pet food , just an aussie asking,

 

[novatech]

why not dog meat or pet food , just an aussie asking,

The people that voted this in have trained their dogs to be vegetarians. :lol2:
This has become a country of the minority wins if they have the money to pay the lobbyists who pay off the right politicians.
Many laws in this country are implemented in a trade off system of if you want me to vote for your law then you will have to vote for mine. In my opinion this is still a pay off and should be as illegal as money changing hands.
Another way they get theses laws enacted and money appropriated is to stuff it into another bill that everyone wants to vote for. No one really seems to pay much attention at the time, but we sure notice when we have to live with the ramifications.

 

[BAGTIC]

why not dog meat or pet food , just an aussie asking,

Country would be better off if we ignored the horses and processed the damned politicians into pet food.

 

[jcummins]

why not dog meat or pet food , just an aussie asking,

Country would be better off if we ignored the horses and processed the damned politicians into pet food.

Hellva idea. I got a grinder, let's do it.