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.
& the concerned community didn't have to BID on them, the money in the GoGund site will go to pay the lawyer, so the herd will be eventually released out into the wild again. For now they have to stay corralled up till NMLB changes the horses status to WILD, not ESTRAY. OR, maybe the horses can come under NM Dept of game & Fish auspices. But it takes lawyers, courts and...legislature to accomplish this goal.
AND, the herd has to be fed until they are released. Go Fund money will help pay for their care, also.
All monies will go to the herd - for care, upkeep, and protecting.
https://www.gofundme.com/altohorses
Don't trust GoFund site? - then City Bank in Ruidoso has a Trust fund set up for the horses where you can give your contribution.
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.
Dave Tomlin, Ruidoso News
3:46 p.m. MDT August 29, 2016
Ruidoso’s
horse hullabaloo is almost identical to another situation near
Albuquerque in which the New Mexico Court of Appeals held last year that
unowned horses are not livestock and cannot be seized and sold by the
New Mexico Livestock Board.
But the case doesn’t hold much comfort
for anyone who wants special protection for herds of unclaimed horses,
according to Corrales attorney David G. Reynolds, who represented
Placitas area landowners in the case, Wild Horse Observers Association,
Inc. (WHOA) v. New Mexico Livestock Board.
“I think the horse
advocate people are shooting themselves in the foot on this thing,”
Reynolds said. “Under the situation we have now, if the animals are
determined not to be livestock, the landowner who captures them owns
them and they can shoot them right there if they want to.”
The
attorney for the wild horse association in that case, Steven K. Sanders
of Albuquerque, said Monday he agreed that the Court of Appeals ruling
is the controlling law now. But he said he hopes to use it on behalf of
wild horse lovers in Ruidoso who hope to bring the Alto herd back.
Sanders
said he was preparing to seek an injunction in 12th District Court that
would bar the Livestock Board from selling or otherwise disposing of
the dozen horses captured here until their status can be litigated.
The
Court of Appeals held in the Placitas case that the term livestock
“does not include undomesticated, unowned animals.” The court also
agreed with WHOA that the Livestock Board’s only duty with respect to
wild horses is to test them for Spanish mustang heritage and then
relocate them.
But Reynolds said the Placitas ruling doesn’t
really settle the legal status of horses like the ones his clients
captured or the Alto herd now creating controversy here.
A horse
is only a “wild horse” in the eyes of the law if it is on public land,
Reynolds said, and the legal definition of “public land” is so narrow
that there’s very little of it in New Mexico. An unowned and
undomesticated horse on land that is private or otherwise not legally
“public” is in a new category.
“If a horse on public land jumps
over a fence onto private land, it’s not a wild horse anymore,” Reynolds
said. “It is now a large packrat.”
So despite the Placitas case
ruling, Reynolds added, the law on unowned horses that aren’t legally
wild horses “is in total flux.”
After the Court of Appeals ruling,
the 14 horses in the Placitas case were checked for brands or ID chips
and then returned to the landowners who had captured them, Reynolds
said. The landowners then turned them over to a nearby Indian tribe.
Since
then, more horses have been captured. Whenever that happens, the
Livestock Board comes to the area with a portable testing unit. If no
evidence of ownership is found, the horses are turned back over to the
landowners who rounded them up.
Reynolds said he wasn’t familiar
with the facts of the Ruidoso situation, but he wasn’t sure why the
Livestock Board would not be doing the same thing with the Alto herd.
The
New Mexico Supreme Court refused to review the Court of Appeals ruling,
so it is now binding. The Placitas case was sent back to the district
court, which originally had agreed with the Livestock Board that the
wild herd was livestock and dismissed the case. WHOA then appealed to
the Court of Appeals.
Reynolds said there will be a hearing next
week in which the district court will consider whether to end the case
since the horses are now gone and the legal issues in the case have been
resolved.
But he said the 2nd District Court might choose to keep
the case alive if a fresh case with the same issues crops up in the
12th District Court.
Sanders said he hoped that might happen as early as late Monday afternoon.
Please call the Governors office NOW. She is getting a "tally." Of
concerned citizens. They will ask you name and zipcode. Please text
and share this number with your friends NOW. Time is of the essence.
505-476-2200. Thank you!
Rally
draws attention to plight of wild herd while organizers work to
consolidate efforts to bring the horses home one way or the other
Honking
from nearly every vehicle traveling Sudderth Drive Sunday drowned out
chants of "Bring Them Back" and "Save Our Horses" as hundreds of
supporters of the Alto wild herd lined both sides of the street at
School House Park to drawn attention to the plight of mares and foals
gathered Friday off private land.
A town hall meeting on the
situation is set for 5:30 p.m., Monday at the Sierra Blanca Boys and
Girls Club, 134 Reese Drive in the old middle school Horton
Complex. Melissa Babcock said she hopes to gather people from multiple
groups that sprang into action after the horses were picked up by the
New Mexico Livestock Board following a complaint from a landowner who
claimed they were nuisances and penned them for collection.
Unfortunately, some of the information may not be what people want to hear, Babcock said.
Based
on a conversation with State Rep. Zach Cook,a Republican from Ruidoso
who also is an attorney, she said, "The truth of the matter is (the
livestock board) is not just going to release the horses. This bunch
will never roam wild again, but I don't think people realize that."
Delivering
that message is one of the main reasons the meeting Monday is needed,
she said, as well as to consolidate fund-raising efforts to ensure that
when bidding begins for the purchase of the horses, people with the same
goals aren't competing against each other and driving up the cost.
Shelley
McAlister, another organizer in support of the herd, said enough money
has been raised to buy the horses and cover their veterinarian and feed
bills while trying to work out a procedure to return them to the wild.
She was trying to pull in several other herd advocates to meet with her
at the Ruidoso New Mexico Real Estate office that afternoon, because of
conflicting information of when the bidding will begin. She was told
initially, the horses would be held five days to allow any owners to
claim them, but since has heard bidding could be initiated as early as
noon Monday. She also holds out hope that somehow the confiscated herd
members could be released again, as did the hundreds at the rally.
Debbie
Wilcox with the Cloud Riders said she organized the rally that grew
throughout the afternoon to call attention to the confiscated horses.
She pledged that this time, securing their future protection will not be
dropped as a cause. In 2014, a small group rallied after Rock Star, a
member of the herd, was penned and sold at auction, possibly to go to
slaughter. But nothing was done to try to change the law or to develop a
specific legal protection for the Alto wild herd. A second section of
the herd still roams far up Ski Run Road out of heavy public scrutiny.
Babcock
said she hopes with everyone under one roof Monday, they can discuss
the realistic message that the movement needs to shift from "free the
horses" to "save the horses," because they are going to be up for
auction. Ten acres of land has been offered as a place to house the
horses, she said. Advocate Bruna Campos has contacted a lawyer,
who agreed to take the case. He was going to try to file an injunction
to stop the auction, but didn't know if he could accomplish that by noon
Monday, she said.
"What we mean by what can be done is 'O.K.,
guys, it is not going to happen,'" she said. "They are not going to roam
free. So if you love them, who in the community wants to own one?
That's what needs to happen, kind of what the article (posted online in
the Ruidoso News) said Friday, but we didn't want to hear that."
However,
for now, "This is the way the law is written and we can change that,"
Babcock said. "But that takes time. It probably won't help with this
herd or happen any time soon, and it will take money. The towns people
need to know protests and signs won't (cause the livestock board to)
haul them back and let them loose. Sadly that is not the case."
During
the Sunday rally, Wilcox and other Cloud Riders handed out sheets
urging people to attend the Monday meeting and to join the Save the Wild
Horses Petition, in addition to flooding Gov. Susana Martinez' inbox
with messages. "Keep up to date on meetings and news and how to help on
FaceBook pages, 'Cloud Riders of New Mexico'" and 'Bring Ruidoso's
Horses Back,' they said. The petition calling for the return of the
horses was nearing 5,000 signatures Sunday afternoon.
Besides live
horses, a mock unicorn and a miniature horse adding color to the rally,
a group of motorcyclists also joined the movement, traveling to one of
the "Wild Horses" traffic warning signs on New Mexico Highway 48 and
then adding their numbers to the protesters.
Debbie Wilcox with the Cloud Riders said she organized the rally that
grew throughout the afternoon to call attention to the confiscated
horses. She pledged that this time, securing their future protection
will not be dropped as a cause. (Photo: Kelly Brooks/Ruidoso News)
Horns were honking and protesters shouted Sunday voicing their
disapproval of the removal of the Alto wild horse herd Friday due to a
complaint by an Alto resident. (Photo: Kelly Brooks/Ruidoso News)
Stallion looking for his herd. Photo from Bring Ruidoso's Horses Back
Face book is alive with chatter and pictures. Group:Bring Ruidoso's Horses Back Sign a petition to the governor at:
https://www.change.org/p/new-mexico-governor-save-alto-wild-horses
Donate to a Go Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/altohorses
Attention:Bring The Horses Back- meeting
A town meeting will be held at the Boys and Girls club at Horton Complex, 134 Reese Drive, Monday at 5.30 PM.
Please pass the word and plan to attend.
On the agenda:
1) We will recap exactly what happened, so incorrect rumors are put to rest.
2) We will discuss a plan of action based by helpful insight from Zack Cook, our State Representative.
3) Raise Awareness of the go fund me account.
4) Stress the importance of our mission- bringing back the horses.
Let's use our energy for good. Protesting Ms.McCoy in no way
accomplishes this. She is irrelevant to us at this point..
**-
The "Save the Wild Horses" ride will meet on Sunday at Quarters at one,
meet and greet and leave at 2. Cars are also welcome. This is not a
public meeting/rally simply a way to gather together and meet those in
the community that share the love of our horses.Update: RALLY tomorrow at 1 at Quarters & RALLY from 1-3 by the Public Pool! Please bring a sign to hold up that says "save our horses,"or one that
says "honk for our horses". There will be extra signs there but
please try and bring one.
This website is the official site to check for accurate information: "Facebook Bring Ruidoso's Horses Back"
Now go share, share!!
Thanks.
Melissa Babcock
Reprinted Aug 31, 2016http://www.ruidosonews.com/story/news/local/2016/08/26/alto-horse-herd-rounded-up/89432320/
Alto horse herd rounded up
Dianne L Stallings, Ruidoso News 4:34 p.m. MDT August 26, 2016 http://www.ruidosonews.com/story/news/local/2016/08/26/alto-horse-herd-rounded-up/89432320/
Complaint leads to a dozen members of the Alto wild horse herd being removed to be auctioned
About
a dozen “wild” mares and their foals were hauled away from the Alto
area Friday in response to a complaint lodged by a resident of Enchanted
Forest, who contended they were a nuisance, posed a danger to traffic
and were damaging property.
Upset neighbors and advocates for the
herd gathered outside the area where Caroline McCoy and her adjoining
property owner had corralled the horses. They wanted to work out a
solution to her problem and halt the removal of the herd, but the
process continued.
New Mexico Livestock Board Executive Director
Ray Baca was on hand, as was District 20 supervisor Troy Patterson and
inspector George Mendoza. The neighbors and many others in the Ruidoso
area called the livestock board and the governor’s office to lodge
complaints. Several neighbors who said they enjoyed having the horses
visit, questioned why the “wild” herd is not protected by federal law as
are the mustangs and burros on Bureau of Land Management property. In
New Mexico, these types of horses are treated as stray animals that
probably came off the Mescalero Apache Reservation 20 to 30 years ago,
state officials said. When reported as a nuisance, they become the
responsibility of the livestock board.
However, a local attorney
said he was contacted by a neighbor and is looking into the possibility
of filing for an injunction based on whether the board has authority
over “wild” animals, questioning the definitions of wild and estray.
The
stallion of the herd, who apparently was a major part of the problem
for McCoy, was not among the horses corralled and removed, because McCoy
said she was unable to secure him on her property, a requirement of the
process. Those watching the removal said he was “going crazy” nearby as
his mares and foals were loaded and hauled away.
The horses taken
will never run wild again, Baca agreed. Once they are “in the system,”
they will be confined for at least five days for examination by a
veterinarian, checked for brands, microchips and other signs of
ownership, then put up for auction on the livestock board’s webpage
dealing with lost, found and estray horses.
“I think the biggest
thing I am looking at right now is that we examine these horses for
tattoos or brands, or microchips or such to make sure they don’t belong
to a rightful owner,” Baca said. “And if an owner comes forward, they
have a right to them, of course, by providing proof of ownership.
“We’re
going to take them to a facility where we can work with them closely
and have our veterinarian look at them, as well as our inspectors.”
He estimated about a dozen horses were involved.
“We
will publicize them for five days and people can come forward and bid
on them at that point,” Baca said. “The public bid is held on our
website.”
The exact location where the horses will be confined
until they are bought had not been designated when they left, but later
in the day, the destination was pinpointed as Santa Fe. A herd advocate
said Mendoza said photographs of the horses will be posted on the
board’s website Monday.
“Have them contact me and I will let them
know where they are,” Baca said for people who want to inspect the
horses before placing a bid. “We have our state veterinarian check them
for health and whoever the winning bidder is can retrieve the animal,
claim their property. We will microchip them and we will keep a record
of that.” The horses once purchased must be treated like any other
domesticated equine and cannot be released back into the wild, he
emphasized.
“The major concern and problem now is that we find a
safe place for the horses that has adequate care and facility for them,”
he said.
McCoy said she and her husband have been dealing with
the horses since they moved to Enchanted Forest from Nogal a year ago.
When they arrived, fences had been broken down and she repaired and
improved the arrangement.
“(An adjoining property owner), who
helped the livestock board, wanted them penned because they were
destroying his property and making substantial inroads into ours,” she
said. “I’m an older person (77) riding my mare and she becomes so upset
with all of these horses. When I’m riding and come across them or my
mare is in heat and there is a stud out there, it’s dangerous for me.”
The horses also eliminate in the driveway, eat her flowers and put hoof prints in damp ground, she said.
“But
more than that, these are not wild horses, not the romantic mustang,”
McCoy said. “These are abandoned horses just turned loose in the
mountains and now the herd has separated and the one herd is up over on
the mountain – a great place for them to be. Unfortunately, many
residents treat (the removed herd) like deer, which is really illegal to
feed, and put out grain. They say they will eat out of their hands,
which they will. But when we were working with them this morning, these
are not horses that are gentle by any means. If someone didn’t know what
they were doing, they could get hurt.”
More than that, however,
is the danger to drivers when the horses cross New Mexico Highway 48,
she said. “I’ve seen people hit one of the mares once. I know of people,
not with this herd, killed by horses on the highway. It’s a very
dangerous situation,” she said.
McCoy also contends that in-breeding isn’t healthy for the stock.
“That
stallion has his stamp on every one of the mares and again on their
colts,” she said. “My horses are racing around crashing against the
fences and hurting themselves. My mare has banged up her face because
she’s so excited. It just doesn’t work.”
McCoy emphasized that the
complaint also came from her adjoining property owner who helped load
the horses, but he could not be reached for confirmation by press time.
By
being rounded up, the horses will have a chance for a good home, McCoy
said. “We talked about that immediately, and they will be advertised and
they are legally bound to do that,” she said of the livestock board. “I
know people ready to bid on them.”
But based on an incident in
2014, involving Rock Star, a horse from the herd that was penned as a
nuisance by a new resident in the area and was sold at auction for
$42.59 by a business already charged with several counts of misdemeanor
animal cruelty, a positive ending isn’t guaranteed. Paperwork indicated
he probably was sent to slaughter, although McCoy said she was told by
livestock board officials that he was not destroyed.
Lynda Blaney,
who now lives in Colorado, went through an adoption of a filly from the
herd after the Rock Star incident in 2014. The horse turned out to be a
great addition to the family and has since given birth to her own
daughter, she said. During the uproar over Rock Star’s fate, Blaney and
other advocates met with livestock board officials including Baca and
Patterson about being able to receive automatic notifications on horses
and the procedures to adopt. They complained that the procedure in place
when Rock Star was picked up failed to allow them the chance to bid on
the horse and save him.
Alto resident Russell Perrin said his
family enjoyed having the herd in the area and watching horses that he
didn’t have to feed. They didn’t eat the flowers like the elk and deer,
he said. They just trimmed the grass.
Large wild horse herd in trouble. One woman in Enchanted Forest has about 15 horses penned and waiting for Brand inspector to come them pick up and take away-FOREVER. Herd is at ? Linda Vista. CALL governor 505.476.2200 and NM Livestock Board - District #20 Area Supervisor: Troy Patterson 505.250.5956, Brand Inspector: George Mendoza (575) 642-3993
Raise a ruckus! Say horses are a tourist attraction. Say they are a part of our heritage here in Lincoln County (they have been around a long time) Whatever to stop this. Dianne Stalling knows and will write up a story for Ruidoso News, but it is too late for today's paper. Know any radio personalities? - get them in our camp and the news out on the radio.
OH no - 8/26/16 noon: just heard they already picked up 12 horses. Only Stallion left.
Stop them from being moved away from our area. Watch New Mexico Livestock Board website - Estray notices. For 5 days horses will be listed - then gone to auction.
