ENG 122-005

1 Nov. 2011

Save the American Wild Mustangs

Before there were skyscrapers, before there were convenience stores, and before there were neighborhood developments, our plains and mountains were home to the American Wild Mustang. These magnificent animals are our past, our present, and with proper handling our future. It is imperative that we protect the American Wild Mustang to ensure that many generations to come can appreciate them as we do today. By supporting the gathering, training, auctions, and domestication that the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management conducts we can preserve this heritage. In doing so, we are securing the future of these horses and the happiness that they bring to many
In some instances the BLM shoots from a non lethal gun, the mares of the herd to administer a procedure that does not allow them to reproduce, if captivity or adoption rates would not suit the animal. According to an article written by Doug McInnis, in the New York Times, the BLM is using a form of birth control called porcine zona pellucid, or P.Z.P. It is administered, usually into the neck, of a mare mustang and is effective for approximately two years. It is made from the ovum of a pig and it slows down the reproduction of the mustang herds, helping the starvation issue that claims the life of many mustangs.

If the BLM decides that a mustang herd qualifies for a round-up, they capture the selected horses and administer medical treatment, consisting of shots and de-worming medicine as well as treating any injuries the mustang may have. Then the BLM places the animals in designated holding facilities across the Western United States. Each horse is evaluated, medically treated, gelded if it is male, and fed properly. Each animal will be tagged with a number and is freeze branded on the left side of the neck. This is done for tracking purposes throughout the mustang’s life. It is almost unbearable to think about the fate of such wonderful animals if the BLM does not capture, medically treat, and rehabilitate them to sell at auction.

Once all of the proper procedures