https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOI/BLM/NCR/NAR080108/listing.html

I browsed through the above Request for Proposal last night.  I printed and studied it for an hour this morning.  For me it's a matter of facing the facts and putting up or shutting up.  Obviously, I'm not shutting up.  I can't put up either, but I can think up.

So, I'm going to do some basic research after I study the RFP a few more times and dream about it.  To me, it's like designing a video game, "Sim Mustang Country".  By the way, in the gaming business, sim programs are called "god games".  They are very profitable and very successful in the "chick" market. 

Whether for a real business plan or a virtual simulation game design document, the thought process is the same.  I suspect however, that a sim would be cheaper to make and more profitable.  However, a true business plan properly executed would be an accomplishment beyond measure.

My Lord and Ladies, shall we discuss the welfare of our captured wild mustangs and design a realistic business and facility to provide for their care?  Shall we all study the RFP and THINK about it?!

When I first saw the headline on the BLM website, I said to my wife, "The BLM is looking for pasture for wild mustangs."  Her first thought and mine was that a few adoptable mustangs were being placed in various parts of the country so prospective adoptees could come and see them. That was exciting!  Then I read that it was for up to 2,500 head, held in a free roaming wild state with minimal human contact, inspected weekly and processed through a facility like the multi-million dollar BLM wild horse corrals we visit in Burns Oregon.

As much as she wants to have every horse she sees, she couldn't fathom caring for 2,500 wild horses even if she was paid to do so.  For the next hour, I kept saying "25 hundred horses!", followed by thoughts like "How much land would be needed for that?", "Could you imagine the fencing costs?",  "Why couldn't the BLM increase the natural predators in the management areas?", etc. etc.

Some notes:

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro.html

1 sq. mile = 640 acres

I just watched the video on the BLM Fact Sheet page on several Long-Term Holding Facilities.  Doing the math, it looks like it cost the BLM about $75.00 a month per horse.  BLM probably even pays less since the budget also pays for transport, etc.

The video states that the Teeterville East and West facilities segregate 2,000 geldings and 2,500 mares to avoid pregnancies.  "But why?" I chuckled, then thought for a minute.  I'm guessing that if geldings and mares were mixed, it would be near impossible to spot a stray stallion raiding the 2,500 mare facility.

I could imagine that there isn't a stallion within 10 miles that isn't trying to get in with all those wild mares.

Letting the natural predators get in the horses area would defeat the reason of protecting the horses to keep them from all dying. And them only having mares and geldings doesn't make sense either cause there are people getting yearlings when they adopt. They shouldn't geld all stallions. They should keep a couple of them that are nice looking and good blood to continue the true mustang heritage. Leave them a stud for a year then geld them and wait another few years to do it again.

At the moment, my interest in the RFP is based on a desire to setup a Long Term Holding Facility for the BLM somewhere in the prairie staters.  When the contract with the BLM expires, then we could pasture retired domestic horses.  It's very much what we want to do as part of our time-share business plan.

I like the idea of setting up a business that already has a ready and willing customer, the BLM.  Their requirements are pretty well defined.  They've had 20 years of experience in Long Term Holding facilities.  Unfortunately, I don't think it can be done nowadays for what they've been accustomed to paying.  Still, it's worth my time to figure out how we could do it for ourselves, starting with the BLM as a customer.

I just learned that there are large corporate ranches that happen to support several thousand wild mustangs.  These are wild horses that happen to range within their property.  The person I was having the conversation with, said they used to be allowed to shoot them but not anymore. 

I imagine this rule may be compromised if dumping of domestic horses becomes a major concern,  Hunting the newly feral to reduce stress on water and pasture resources will probably become common place.  I know that there have been reports that in Oregon open country, ranchers have shot and disposed of newly feral horses that trample fences to get to water or feed on crops.

How unfortunate that these ranchers are forced to deal drastically with abandoned livestock pets.

Gypsy

Thank you for posting this..I have to admit, interesting way the goverment is going about this and I..as you, cannot fathom allowing 2500 mustangs to run my pasture. Granted, I dont have near enough land, but even the large ranches..WHO really will do this? Will they have knowledge of horses? Where will they get the land?

I am thinking the goverment is trying to get some of the large ranches enticed by this..the ranches that have the land for this, and will think they can make money on the side..as if I understand, the goverment would pay its "contractors" for their work in taking care of these horses?

If I was a rancher, I can tell you I wouldnt. And Ill tell you why, being I have cattle as well.

I would be concerned about disease transmission between the mustangs and my own livestock. Even if they never saw each other, what about bacteria living in the soil? I would also have to deal with the fact the mustangs will ruin my  pasture..they rip the grass up by its roots, were-as cattle sever the grass on the top, like a lawnmower would, allowing the grass to still live. So this pasture will become useless in abit, unless allowed to rest..granted, you could do some sort of rotation...

Part of me feel for these mustangs...But the other part of me is angry....Is this plan the alternative to euthanising them? If so, Im sick...It almost seems like the goverment is trying to pawn off its problems on private citizens, because they allowed themselves to get into this mess by bending to a bunch of cotton headed ninnys.

I dont feel these animals should be exterminated, but the goverment has taken a back seat to population control on the mustangs(which are BTW NOT native to the USA!)..and now they are scrambling to take care of it. I feel like to much of my tax money is being devoted to this personaly. More power to them if they can convince some people to go with this plan is all Ive got to say.

Increasing predators might be an option..however, it could backfire as well.A large ranch near me  brought in afew cougars years ago to help control the TREMENDOUS overpopulation of wild hogs this way...it worked for abit, then the cougars started venturing further out and killing people's livestock...

Sarah

Cowgirl_Chic:

Letting the natural predators get in the horses area would defeat the reason of protecting the horses to keep them from all dying. And them only having mares and geldings doesn't make sense either cause there are people getting yearlings when they adopt. They shouldn't geld all stallions. They should keep a couple of them that are nice looking and good blood to continue the true mustang heritage. Leave them a stud for a year then geld them and wait another few years to do it again.

Sure, just add to the already exisiting horse overpopulation...:( And if the idiots get their way and end transportation of horses over the border for slaughter, I have to cringe at where these horses will go...you may wake up one AM with 3 extra horses in your front yard.

And Im sorry, but all animals have natural predators, that is what keeps nature in balance.

Not just predators, but also diseases and injuries attrite the wild mustang population.

Sometime last week, I had this nasty thought.  One of our friends was complaining that West Nile Virus vaccines were getting expensive.  In my mind, it would have been fair if she skipped the WNV on some of her horses.  In other words, let nature take it's course.  Preserve only the better of the herd by not getting over protective of every horse.  Draconian, I know and contrary to our care-taker role.  But, not too far from what happens in the wild.

Agreed, that is what happens in the wild. But like you said, in our role for caretaker, we try not to let that happen.

Same could be said about people too...