Litigation must run its course on the future of the wild horse herd confiscated by the state livestock board




While the effort to return a herd of wild horses to their home in Alto continues, those who enjoy seeing horses running loose still may spot about seven in the same general area of the “wild horses” traffic sign at the entrance to Ruidoso on New Mexico Highway 48.
The herd seen Thursday morning apparently is not connected to Big Boss, the stallion who headed the 12 mares and foals loaded up last Friday by the New Mexico Livestock Board and hauled to Santa Fe after a resident lodged a complaint and penned them for collection.
The action exploded into a community wide outrage and a process is underway to bring them home under specific conditions dictated by the livestock agency and state statutes. Meanwhile, litigation over the fate of the horses and members of two other wild herds in Lincoln County, has been filed in the 12th Judicial District Court in Carrizozo.
David Smith, one of the “faces” connected to the organized effort of bringing the herd home, said Thursday that the “official” committee was downgraded to “a 6-person group,” that will stay in existence to ensure money collected for the care of the equines and to pursue the court issues is accounted for and expenditures are tracked. More money will be needed to care for the animals, he said.
All questions about the herd and when they will return should be directed to the attorneys, one of whom is Ruidoso lawyer Fredda McSwane. The group also urged advocates for the herd to tone down their rhetoric on Facebook and other social media, because threats and insults do not help the cause and might surface in court.
Teeatta Lippert, who began the gofundme for the horses when they first were removed, said a bank account is set up with City Bank of New Mexico under the name of the Wild Horses of Lincoln County. White Mountain Printing has developed a decal and T-shirts can be purchased with half of the money going to the horses and the other half for printing and material. Buckets also are available for business owners who want to collect for the horses.
Although during a Monday public meeting, group members were optimistic the herd would be returned by next week without being put up for auction while the litigation played out, Smith said the ultimate goal is to clarify their status and provide protection as they are returned to the wild. If the horses are purchased, they will be microchipped, become “property” and can’t be returned to run loose, he said.