MINDEN, NV (Feb 1, 2023) — Five horses from the Fish Springs Herd were captured by the Bureau of Land Management over the last week, reports The Record-Courier.
The horses Noel, Smoky, Bolt, Blaze and Bunny, consisted of two young stallions, a mature stallion and two mares, according to the Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates.
Advocate Mary Cioffi said the capture occurred within days of someone dumping a bale of alfalfa hay along East Valley Road. She said a dozen volunteers took 6-7 hours to clean up the hay and haul it off. “They had to go out with rakes to get it all up,” she said. “The folks who usually deliver water stepped up to the plate.”
Cioffi said that she’d heard someone complained about the horses, which is sufficient to bring out the BLM. “They do not need to be fed,” she said. “There’s plenty of feed in the hills. We’ve been posting photos of them so people can see they’re not starving.”
BLM Public Affairs Specialist Lisa Ross said the Carson City District Office has been receiving requests to remove the horses since mid-December.
“Since Dec. 16, BLM Nevada, Carson City District Office has received phone calls and written requests from homeowners along East Valley Road near Minden requesting the removal of nuisance horses due to reasons including safety concerns for the wild horses and the public, private property damage, harassment of wild horses and harassment of pets,” Ross told The Record-Courier. She confirmed that five horses were removed by the BLM.
The major grazing lease holder, Christopher and Camille Bently,
have come out against gathering the horses.
Wild horses do not have to compete with cattle across Douglas County’s portion of the Pine Nut Mountains. The major grazing lease holder, Christopher and Camille Bently, have come out against gathering the horses.
“God forbid a government agency work with the community for a positive solution,” Camille Bently said. “I’m just so sick of it.”
The Advocates have been trying to get authorization to fence horses in Pine Nut in an effort to keep them from coming into the neighborhoods. Two horses were killed on East Valley Road on Dec. 20, 2021, something advocates say could have been prevented by a fence.
“We asked permission to put in 17 miles of fencing at our expense to keep horses off roads and we were turned down,” Cioffi said.
There are around 60 horses living in Douglas County’s portion of Pine Nut.
Featured Image Credit: Pine Nut Mountain Mustang. Paige O’Neill Photography. It is worth a visit to see O’Neill’s captivating work.
Tuesday’s Horse
Official Blog of The Fund for Horses
Tuesday's Horse 
He has to. He has egg all over his face.His mandate letter written Dec 23021. Someone ought to jog his memory. Americans DON’T EAT HORSEMEAT. And we don’t want you not eat our horses.We must shut down all meat killer auctions in this country. Let Mexico and China do their own dirty work. How the horses are slaughtered is beyond horrific and will be ingrained in your memory FOREVER. This is the 21st century not a 3rd world country OR IS IT? Winston Churchill once said a country shall be judged by the way it treats their animals. We are failing our country miserably.
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