Wild Horses of Alto. Save the Herd!

WILD HORSES OF ALTO (W.H.O.A!) disclaimer: this blog is in no way associated with the group WHOA (Wild Horse Observers Association). This blog has actually become like a vertical file in the library where important past documents - like newspaper articles - are filed and kept for research when needed. It has become almost a lesson in librarianship for me.

WILD HORSES OF ALTO The herd of wild horses in Alto, N.M., are the offspring of estray horses that roamed Sierra Blanca on Mescalero and National Forest land. Today the herds roam the same territory as well as dropping in to visit some of the subdivisions, such as Enchanted Forest, Sierra Vista, Sun Valley, LaJunta, Little Creek and occasionally Alto Lakes Golf & Country Club. For the most part, the herds are loved and welcomed. But sometimes not.

At this time, it is being decided in a court of law whether the horses are wild or domesticated (and therefore estray). At present, the horses fall under the auspices of the N.M. Livestock Board. We are trying to save all members the herd and other herds that exist in the area. We do NOT want to deny the horses the freedom they have known in the past and the comradeship the herd provides them.

To institute change in the policy and protect the future of our magnificent Wild Horses of Alto herd, we have a petition at https://www.change.org/p/new-mexico-governor-save-alto-wild-horses, a fundraising site for lawyers and feed/care at https://www.gofundme.com/altohorses, an account set up at City Bank-Ruidoso for donations to the "Wild Horses of Lincoln County Trust Fund" and an ongoing facebook group "Bring Ruidoso Horse's Back". Click on the Stallion's photo to go directly there.

PLEASE SPEAK UP, sign petitions, give to the trust fund for the horses. Sign up to this blog to get continual updates and to also post your own comments.

We LOVE our horse herd.

HELP save the Wild Horses of Alto (WHOA!) herd

Monday, August 29, 2016

Alto Wild Horses coming Home!

Alto wild horses coming home

Dianne Stallings, Ruidoso News 7:18 p.m. MDT August 29, 2016

Hundreds of people burst into applause and cheers Monday after learning that the Alto wild horse herd will be coming home next week.

(file photo)

And they will not have to be purchased, although they have been microchipped and must for the time being be kept confined. Herd advocates who had organized a rally, placed hundred of calls to state officials and raised more than $21,000 on the Gofundme website announced the news at the beginning of a town hall meeting where they had expected to go over details about bidding on the horses for their return.
But that wasn't necessary, they said, because officials with the New Mexico Livestock Board had agreed to return the horses to the community on the condition that they be contained until a legal process runs its course to turn them back into the wild. The horses had been penned by a private property owner and were picked up by the livestock board on Friday.
Check out the full story online Tuesday and in print in the Wednesday Ruidoso New

Trust Fund for Wild horses set up at City Bank in Ruidoso to pay for lawyers and feed/care. See Janna.