Horse Crisis
Mike Smith
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Prices of gasoline in New Mexico have been reaching upwards of $4.00 a gallon. This has caused residents to re-evaluate their political affiliations, their travel habits and their entire family budgets. This considerable re-evaluation is affecting an unlikely local population: horses.
According to The Las Cruces Sun-News, people in New Mexico are trying en masse to offload their horses, because they can’t afford them anymore. Dona Ana County Animal Control (DACAC) Supervisor, Curtis Childress, has been fielding calls from horse owners who say, “Hey, what do I do with my horse? …and I don’t want to get in trouble.”
“They’re not cheap to feed,” notes Sam Wilson, supervisor for the southwest region of the New Mexico Livestock Board. With recent costs of corn and oil soaring, it is getting expensive to keep horses fed and well taken care of.
At Walkin’ N Circles Horse Ranch in Edgewood, twenty horses are on a waiting list to get onto the ranch, in addition to new calls everyday. Unfortunately, the adoption rate has gone down, making it less likely that new space will open up soon.
Because county officials and horse ranches are filling up people may sell their horses at auction, but horses sold at auction could end up in slaughterhouses in Mexico, or worse!
“All we can try to do is keep [people] educated and informed of outlets, where they can go with them [horses] and things like that,” says Sam Wilson.
HOWEVER, IS THAT ALL WE CAN DO?
In the midst of this gasoline/horse crisis, one lone heroic Hobbs native seems to have found a different solution to both his horse feed and gasoline expenses. According to a story re-printed in The Roswell Record, Neal Heard is using his fuel expenses to feed his horse, and instead of driving to work and to the store --- he has Jasper transport him in a rubber-tired buggy anywhere he wants to go.
“When the gas thing kicked in… I said I’m going to stick it to the man and I’m going to ride my little wagon…I’m saving a few dollars a day because I don’t drive my truck.” Heard said.
Although he is saving money, using a horse and buggy takes more time and effort. According to a news story on KRQE News Channel 13, "It takes 20 minutes to hook him up, and then another 30-35 minutes to get to Wal-mart…[and] when you go to Wal-mart there's no place to tie him up," Heard said.
“A lot of people look at me kind of funny when they see me…My wife thinks I’ve kind of flipped my lid because I’m enjoying my buggy and stuff,” he said, “To me, its pretty relaxing. I kind of enjoy it.”
And perhaps the rest of New Mexico’s irresponsible horse abandoners can take a lesson from the affable Neal Heard --- when life hands you high gas prices, stick it to the man and ride in your little wagon… off into the sunset.
—Megan Walker
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Reader Comments (3)
In case anyone is curious, British gardeners were more than happy to "police" the roadsides for all the free organic fertilizer. Some of the disputes that incurred, as to who's turf the "black gold" had fallen onto, were as funny as can be imagined, coming from a people who gave us Monty Python. In urban areas, a "nappy"(a pooh hammock) behind the animal was required. Gardeners would put out signs inviting trap drivers to, "Please Unload", at their compost pile, and would offer free carrots, or apples for the pony of anyone who would.
That does it! Someone needs to start an organization to put hitching post, and water troughs back on the edge of all large parking lots. The "West" has always been associated with horses. The horse made it all possible.
It's long past time to repay the favor.
Great writing, and subject choice Megan. One very dear to my heart.
I take back my comment about wanting to ride horses for travel here. They'd die on these streets the way people drive, and newcomers would complain incessantly about the horse manure smells.
"Why can't we ride horses to town for shopping? Or have carriage stops for stagecoaches pulled by horses for travel here? Some small towns are doing it to bypass the high price of gasoline." Get serious, will you!