A herd of wild horses removed from an area off of Deer Run Road last month were purchased Saturday at a Bureau of Land Management adoption in Carson City.
The BLM-sanctioned silent bid adoption was held at Silver Saddle Ranch. The horses were bought for $850 by the Deer Run Preservation Group in a collaborative effort with the American Wildhorse Preservation Campaign.
About 100 people attended the auction, many of whom were supporting the group and its efforts to save the horses.
The horses will go to a 2,000-acre ranch in Northern California where they will live wild and free forever, said Annie Jantzen, spokeswoman for the group. Among the horses adopted are five adult mares, two males and two foals born recently at the Stewart Ranch.
“They will never see a pen, a saddle nor will they have to worry about their families being stripped away ever again,” Jantzen said. “This is a huge victory for the horses.”
The horses that were removed were a part of the Pine Nut Mountains herd management area that is adjacent to Deer Run Road in Carson City. The BLM said the horses routinely crossed the Carson River into River View City Park, where the agency said it received complaints of people feeling threatened. The removal was done for public safety reasons and for the safety of the horses, the BLM said.
The removal of the horses sparked passionate protests in front of the Nevada Legislature and from local residents and national organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States and the American Wildhorse Preservation Campaign.
A fact-checker with the Reno Gazette-Journal, Mark Robison, recently reviewed the controversy and reported that there were two Deer Run wild horses causing concerns over property damage and safety. They were removed seven months ago, and no documented complaints have occurred since.
The Deer Run Preservation Group raised the money to buy the horses. The remainder of the money raised will be used to ensure that any new horses in the Deer Run area will be protected from trapping, Jantzen said.
The Horse Network would like to personally thank all the wild horse advocates who kept this herd together. I will miss seeing them roaming the hills of Carson City, but at least they have a new permanent home.
Article Source: Carson Now