Someone has to be the voice for the feral horse, and I’m here for that. First off, to tag them as trespassing is not right (Journal, March 25). Mesa Verde Park opened in 1906 – the horses were already there, who knows how long. How does Mesa Verde National Park have a right to say these horses don’t qualify for protected status under the Wild Horse and Burro Act? If the horses are not broke or branded, then they have no owner – therefore, they should qualify as wild horses. Just because they are horses does not mean they shouldn’t be considered wildlife.
Paul Morey is prejudiced against the horses, favoring the elk and deer. Elk, deer, and cattle stomp, chew, walk across ruins and disrupt many things – the horses should not get all the blame. The park has known for decades that the horses live there and are obviously multiplying. Why wasn’t the problem handled before it got out of hand? This is human stupidity, not the horses’. The excuse is limited funds, but where did the funds come from for expensive sensory cameras to detect if they’re bullying species, the expensive mesh fence favoring deer and elk, and also all the big solar panels the park had installed? To say the horses pose a threat to tourists isn’t any different than a bull elk in rut that might just charge a tourist. To force these horses off of Mesa Verde – their home – by taking away their water and favoring deer and elk is a cowardly act. Deer and elk can roam anywhere they want; they are not bound by a fence.
Donna Sellers
Lewis