Wild Horse Observers Association (WHOA)

PO Box 932

Placitas, NM 87043

(505) 867-5228

whoa@thedesertsky.com

SB861

Wild Horse Management and Tourism Programs

3/14/05

Clarification

This bill SB861, does not apply to any federal lands.

This bill SB861 applies to New Mexico State Lands only.

The 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act applies only to federal lands

Excerpt from Variety of Colors

Text by Dr. Phillip Sponenberg, DMV, Ph.D.
From "North American Colonial Spanish Horse—History & Type

"The frame overo pattern is especially interesting, since it is almost limited to North American Colonial Spanish horses or their descendants.

ATTACHMENT INDEX

                                                                              Page

Attachment 1                                                                          7

WILD HORSES TOURISM

Attachment 2                                                                                          13

Attorney General Statement Patricia Madrid 

Attachment 3                                                                                         16

Attorney General Opinion Tom Udall,  Opinion 94-06

Attachment 3                                                                                       25

Children of Santo Domingo Elementary School-

Support the Placitas Wild Horses Letters with Pictures

and Signatures

Attachment 4                                                                                      30

Junior Optimist Club of Placitas -

Support Wild Horses with Letters with Pictures and Signatures

Attachment 5                                                                                     31

SENATE BILL 861

CONSERVATION COMMITTEE with edits                                  33

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE with edits                                           34

F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T                                                          35

SB861

Wild Horse Management and Tourism Programs

3/14/05

1.      Tourism and Local Pride. Conquistadors are extinct in Spain and there are only a few left here. These are exciting historical living treasures and are an asset of this state.

·       Tourism; Become leaders in horse tourism and utilize the local customs to develop Wild Horse Festivals staggered in time across the state, all ending at the State Fair. See Attachment 1.

·       Encourage cultural pride in the youth of New Mexicans

·       Utilize the preserves and many horse rescues NM has while encouraging further private entities to open other preserves.

2.      NM Livestock Board gathers 25 unclaimed horses per year from all categories of lands (2001, 2002) See Exhibit 1.

·       Some of these are branded.

·       Some fit the definition of a wild horse in SB861.

·       Some fit the definition of Conquistador in SB861. 

3.      The “estrays” gathered by the NM Livestock Board are sold at auction where most go for slaughter, some in Mexico. See Exhibit 2. There is no way to avoid this under the current system except for the occasional sealed bids where the price is raised from $105 per Mother and Baby pair to from  $160 to $620 per individual horse.

4.      Two New Mexico Attorney General’s have recommended that New Mexico has the right to define wild horse in the statutes, as well as recommending what protections they should receive.

See Attachment 2.

5.      Discrepancies have occurred in determination of estray horses due to the lack of a New Mexico State definition of a wild horse. This has resulted in a loss of Conquistador horses and other wild horses of New Mexico. See Exhibit 3

6.       Local support including the founding of WHOA for our states wild horses.

                        a.      Over 800 citizen’s attempt to protect Placitas wild horses. See Exhibit 4

                         b.      Homeowners Association letter of Support See Exhibit 5

                         c.      176 Native American children’s written requests with colored drawings to save New Mexico’s wild horses. See Attachment 3.

                         d.      24 Placitas children’s written requests with colored drawings to save New Mexico’s wild horses. See Attachment 4.

                         e.      13 Affidavits See Exhibit 6

EXHIBIT SUMMARIES

(EXHIBITS To be supplied in committee)

EXHIBIT 1

NM Livestock Board FOIA Data on NM Estrays

2001    24 horses total

    2 branded

          Disposition

o       23 horses sold at auction

o       1 horse sold by sealed Bid

2002   27 horses total

            6 branded

Disposition

o       25 sold horses at auction

o       2 disposition undisclosed

EXHIBIT 2

NM Livestock Board FOIA Data on NM Estrays  

Horses garner higher price outside auction. 2002 data

EXHIBIT 3

NM Livestock Board Inspectors Report

Santo Domingo and San Felipe tribes contacted by Livestock Board Inspector to determine ownership of Placitas Estrays.

Tribe spokespersons say

“The Horses were not property of the tribe“

Inspector then calls BLM. BLM states without proof or without seeing the horses that they do belong are the “reservations”

The Livestock Board Inspector takes the BLM’s word although the BLM states that they are not unhappy about the horses being caught.

Letter from the current Assisitant Attorney General Elizabeth  A. Glenn 12/15/2003.

Shows that the Livestock Board claimed the San Felipe Tribe had claimed the horses during a meeting with the Livestock Board on Dec 4, 2003.

1.     FOIA response from Livestock Board to June 22ed 2004..

·        No such proof exists.

2.     Telecon of 3/19/04 with Ted Garcia of the San Felipe Governors office stating;

·        “They had not yet made a determination”

EXHIBIT 4

Over 800 Placitas and Alb Signatures in favor of the Wild Horses

EXHIBIT 5

La Mesa Subdivision of Placitas Letter of support to keep wild horses in Placitas

EXHIBIT 6

13 Affidavits showing that the Placitas horses which travel both New Mexico Open Space and BLM lands are wild horses. These affidavits also show the BLM and Livestock Board are incorrect with regards to the Native Americans ownership of the Horses in Placitas.

Attachment 1

Wild Horse Observers Association

New Mexico The Horse Friendly State

3/18/04

WILD HORSES TOURISM

Introduction 

The State of New Mexico has a natural and cultural resource that should be used to meet Governor Richardson’s goal of increased tourism and revenue for the State.

A partnership between the State government, the Forest Service, and the BLM, in which the State’s remaining wild horses are protected, managed, and promoted as a national legacy could result in increased tourism in and around the Wild Horse Territories of New Mexico.

Such is the case in Chincoteague, VA, where the wild horse population of Assateague Island is maintained below 150 animals originally by the annual pony swim and adoption, and birth control in the last 12 yrs. This event has grown from 15 colts sold in 1925 to the present day average of 85 ponies sold and an attendance that has continued to grow from 25,000 in 1937 (see attachment IV on pony penning). Countless other tourist-based businesses have been built on the legend of the Chincoteague ponies.

Wild horses can successfully draw tourists, especially when promoted in a state abounding with natural beauty that seems to change with every bend in the road and the added attraction of the Hispanic, Native American, and cowboy cultures.

FOREST SERVICE TOURISM

First Step 

Advertise our National Horse Territories at the New Mexico Tourist Centers and their kiosks. Also advertise wild horse-based  New Mexican businesses at those locations.

Opportunities

Historical Classes/Videos/Books/Lectures on the history of the Spanish horse in New Mexico could be shown/made available at the Ranger Stations. Other subjects include:

·        Wild horse training,

·        Round-ups,

·        Spanish Conquistadors,

·        Biology,

·        Ecological balance,

·        Birth control in wild horse management,

·        Evolution,

·        Cultural value/significance,

·        Role of horse in NM and US history, etc.

·        Hispanic heritage,

·        Native American heritage,

·        Wildlife photography of wild horses in their open range,

·        Eco-Tourism and information,

·        1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act Education

Eco Tours given by the FS. Few states currently offer ecotourism and ecotours!  Make NM unique for promoting our Wild Horses as income generators while we preserve our national heritage.

Sales of Wild Horse Territory maps, wild horse souvenirs (hat pins, magnets, Christmas ornaments, post cards, note cards, posters, booklets, stuffed animals, etc.)

Camping/Horseback riding.

Careers in Wild Horse Management

LOCAL TOURISM

Opportunities to promote

·        Involve the locals near the Wild Horse Territories and the Wild Horse Businesses in the state on how they would like to be advertised nationally at our tourist centers and how to maximize tourism potential.

·        Annual Wild Horse Parades and Hispanic and Native American festivals in towns adjacent to current Wild horse territories, preserves, sites etc, all coordinated to overlap so visitors can go from town to town. Towns/areas include include:

(Also See Attachments I, II,II)

Mt. Taylor

Placitas

El Rito

Santa Fe

Socorro (BLM herd)

Jicarilla

Cedar Crest

·        Find out what the local Hispanic and Native American traditions were and are for celebrating their heritage in relationship to the horse. Use these.

·        Horseback Rides/Camping with the Ranchers.

·        State Fair (Feature the Annual National Spanish Registry Shows/Meetings/Event.)

·        Bed n Breakfasts advertised near these sites.

·        Local training demonstrations.

·        Local Artists Paintings of Wild Horses.

·        Local stores with wild horse figurines/books etc.

·        Real estate ads in the adjacent towns should add wild horse viewing opportunities around the state.

·        Endurance rides from town to town during the time staggard wild horse festivals all ending at the time of the state fair.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Six National Registries exist for Wild Horses

·        Horse of the Americas (is a unified registry for lovers of America's First True Horses) Barb, Spanish Mustang, Original Native American Horse, Colonial Spanish or Cayuse.) http://www.horseoftheamericas.com/  National Horse Registry

Wild Horse Breeders/Conservators/Businesses in New Mexico                    

(Not a complete list)

·        http://www.mttaylormustangs.com/  Dan Elkins

·        http://www.caballosdecolores.com/aboutus.htm

·        http://www.buenasuertefarms.com/

·        Steve and Janie Dobrott
Ladder Ranch
HC 31, Box 95
Caballo, NM 87931-9702
(505) 895-5381

·        Jeff and Helena Hammer
P. O. Box 829
Tyrone, NM 88065-0829
(505) 388-1270
e-mail: spanishdun@cybermesa.com

·        Emmett Brislawn
Cayuse Ranch
2740 D Road, Oshoto, WY 82721
Telephone/Fax: 307 467-5394 Or email josie@cayuseranch.com http://cayuseranch.com/sales.html

Riding/Camping

·        http://www.laestanciaalegre.com/weekendwithhorses2002.pdf

·       Current Movie Hidalgo is about a Spanish Mustang

List of Books on training. Long but not complete!

·        http://www.mustangs4us.com/mustang_books.htm

List of Videos. Long but not complete!

·        http://www.mustangs4us.com/videos.htm

SUMMARY

The wild horses of New Mexico are a national treasure and an underutilized resource.  Benefits of promoting wild-horse related tourism include:

·        Additional revenue for the State and business communities around Wild Horse Territories

·        Another horse attraction that could gain National Attention such as the Arabian Nationals which we are losing to Oklahoma

·        Improved public perception of the Forest Service and BLM as caring and efficient stewards of public lands and wildlife

·        Tourism dollars could help pay for herd maintenance in some areas

·        More public attention on New Mexico’s wild horses would likely improve BLM wild horse and burro status.

Attachment I

Forest Service (FS) Inventory. 

The following is a listing of the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Territories in Region 3:

Wild Horse Territory Name                                                  Forest

Heber                                                                                       Apache/Sitgreaves (01)

Jicarilla                                                                                     Carson (02)

Mesa Las Viejas                                                                       Carson (02)

Mesa Montosa                                                                         Carson (02)

Jarita Mesa                                                                               Carson (02)

Deep Creek                                                                             Gila (06)

San Diego                                                                                Santa Fe (10)

Caja del Rio                                                                             Santa Fe (10)

Chicoma                                                                                   Santa Fe (10)

Wild Burro Territory Name                                                  Forest

Double A                                                                                 Kaibab (07)

Dome (Bandelier)                                                                     Santa Fe (10)

Saguaro                                                                                    Tonto (12)

Attachment II

The current FS total Target No. for the horses in NM 218.

*(Cattle x 165 days)/30 = Head Months,  therefore  Cattle = Head Months/5.5

Attachment III

BLM Inventory Soccoro = 70 Wild horses

 Total Wild Horses on Federal land in NM (411)

·        The total federally recognized and protected wild horse population on both Forest Service Lands and BLM multiple use lands is 411 in NM with a total target of 288.

CONTACT US:

Wild Horse Observers Assoc. (WHOA)

PO Box 932 Placitas, NM 87034

Ph/fax (505) 867-5228

A 501C3

Attachment 2   

Attachment 3

Children of Santo Domingo Elementary

School-

Support the Placitas Wild Horses

The children of the Santo Domingo Elementary School got together with pencil, crayon, and paper to send letters of support for the Wild Horses of Placitas.  See all their wonderful drawings below. 

We encourage all parents to discuss with their children the importance of the well-being of all creatures on this earth.  Click here to get a blank copy of the letter, so that your children can also participate.

Click on the thumbnail picture to see the drawing at full size