Mustang A Day Personal Challenge of LindaLMartin

Spotlight 2013 Foal from Sand Wash Basin HMA Challenge Image #418

2013-05-21T13:02:00.001-07:00

"Spotlight"
Band Stallion Tuscarora, Dam: Lucky
4 by 6 inches Pastel Pencil on Paper
by LindaLMartin Artist
$40.00
info@llmartin.com

Cinnamon 2013 filly from Sand Wash Basin HMA Challenge Image #417

2013-05-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

"Cinnamon"
From Cimarron's Band
Dam: Spice
4 by 6 inches Pastel Pencils on Paper
by LindaLMartinArtist
$40.00
info@llmartin.com

Special Thanks to John Wagner for the Reference Photography

Bernie Rose 2013 Colt from Sand Wash Basin HMA Challenge Image #416

2013-05-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

" Bernie Rose"
4 by 6 Pastel Pencil on Paper
by Linda L Martin Artist
$40.00
info@llmartin.com

Meadow Sweet 2013 filly Picasso's Grand Daughter! from Sand Wash Basin HMA Challenge Image #415

2013-05-15T13:54:00.001-07:00


"MeadowSweet" Picasso's and Mingo's Grandaughter from Mango 4 by 6 inches Pastel Pencil on Paper by Linda L Martin Arist $40.00 info@llmartin.com

A special Thanks to John Wagner for the reference photography.

Cypress 2013 filly from Hoot's Band of Sand Wash Basin HMA Challenge Image #414

2013-05-14T14:39:00.002-07:00

"Cypress"
Little Wren's Niece
4 by 6 inches Pastel on paper
by LindaLMartinArtist
$40.00
info@llmartin.com

Reference photography thanks to John Wagner.

Wren 2013 foal from Eagle's Band of Sand Wash Basin HMA Challenge Image #413

2013-05-13T14:34:00.000-07:00

"Wren"
4 by 6 inches Pastels on Paper
by LindaLMartinArtist
$40.00
info@llmartin.com

Reference photography thanks to John Wagner.

2 Little Hurricanes of Sand Wash Basin HMA Challenge Image #412

2013-05-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

2 Little Hurricanes of Sand Wash Basin
Paz (the filly from Pablina) & Orgulloso ( the colt from Dusty)
From Hurricane's Band
by Linda L Martin Artist
5by 7 Graphite on Paper
$65.00 (original)
$35.00 in-house signed 11by8.5 print
Info@yahoo.com

Special Thanks to John Wagner for the reference photo for tonight's drawing.

Hurricane Band Stallion of Sand Wash Basin HMA Challenge Image #411

2013-05-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

"Hurricane"
4 by 6 inches Graphite on Paper
by LindaLMartin
Original $60.00
In-house 11 by 8.5 inches Signed Prints $35.00 each
info@llmartin.com

Just a little about Hurricane:

I painted him during hurricane season last year when a huge nor-easter was baring down on the Mid-Atlantic states. Some who it just seemed fitting. This beautiful Sandy Red Dun stallion is free of any white marks and a very good band stallion at keeping his mares fit and healthy. This spring he surprised everyone by showing off two beautiful Dun foals from his two gray mares.These two are identical to their band stallion/dad. I haven't been able to confirm the gender yet of the two foals how ever they are the spitting image of Hurricane.I will try to draw them later on this week.

Keep this in mind though alot of these mares are exchanged year to year and so their foals are by different sires. Even with those mares that stay consistently with one stallion year after year we can only be 90% sure that the band stallion the mares are with is the sire of their foals unless there is DNA testing. This is one way creation keeps genetic viability. There are a few that we suspect manage to not participate in mare swapping on SWB. Since 2010 Eagle has been consistently with one mare. Corona has been consistently with the same group of mares, and Picasso even though down to one mare has been consistently with that mare.

Special Thanks to John Wagner for the reference photography.

Jimmy Darksand Band Stallion of Sand Wash Basin HMA #410

2013-05-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

"Jimmy Darksand"
5 by 7 inches Graphite on Paper
by Linda L Martin Artist
Original $75.00
in-house signed prints $35.00each

How Jimmy Darksand Got His Name:

I suppose that more than a few people know that I was the one who named Jimmy for the population counts and to track the horses at Sand Wash Basin HMA. I thought you all might like to know the story behind the name. I have never shared it until now.

One day In 2010, on the Sand Wash Basin Wild Horses page in Facebook that Nancy Roberts started, she invited who ever happened to be around that day to help name this particular stallion.

Well, as I was looking through the photos of him. I thought he always seems so dusty and sandy, He was almost the color of dark sand. And the way he moved reminded me of my horse loving cowboy boyfriend from high school. So I suggested the name Jimmy Darksand to Nancy Roberts for the purposes of documenting the wild horses there.

At that time there was just over 300 people following the wild horses of the Sand Wash Basin Range on Facebook. Each day I couldn’t wait to rush in and see the new foals, hear of the exploits. When she agreed to the name, I was thrilled. And now I had a personal connection to the horses there. Each day I was thrilled to hear reports of how Jimmy was doing. I looked forward to hearing if anyone had a new sighting of my boy, Jimmy. Of course by that time I already knew that I was connected to him in my heart.

I am eventually going to paint a painting of Jimmy and Barbie, his one beautiful gray mare, together. I will share the rest of Jimmy's story with you when I paint the painting.I’ve been planning it for over a year.

But for right now enjoy this simple graphite of my boy, Jimmy. As many of you know he was humanely destroyed after breaking a leg on the last weekend of April.

A special thanks to Sally Wright for the Reference photo of Jimmy Darksand.

Picasso Band Stallion of Sand Wash Basin HMA #409

2013-05-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

"Picasso"
5 by 7 inches Graphite on #110 Paper
by Linda L Martin Artist
Original $75.00
Signed in house prints 11 by 8.5 $35.00 each
info@llmartin.com for information

Reference Photography thanks to John Wagner

Lozania 2 year old filly of Sand Wash Basin HMA #408

2013-05-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

"Lozania"
5 by 7 inches Oil on canvas board
by Linda L Martin
SOLD

Reference photography thanks to John Wagner.

Kissy, Orphan Foal of Sand Wash Basin Challenge Painting #407

2013-05-01T17:25:00.002-07:00

"Kissy and Kira her Dam"
4 by 6 inches Graphite on Paper
by LindaLMartinArtist
Original $75.00
In-house 11 by 8.5 signed prints $35.00 each
for more information info@llmartin.com

Reference Photography Thanks to Patrick Brennan

Kissy, Orphan Foal of Sand Wash Basin Challenge Painting #406

2013-04-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

Kissy and Her Band Stallion Viggo
5 by 7 inches Graphite on Paper
by Linda L Martin Artist
$90.00 Original
$35.00 for 11 by 8.5 inches in house signed prints
info@llmartin.com

Reference photos by John Wagner (Kissy) and Patrick Brennan (Viggo)

Kissy, Orphan Foal of Sand Wash Basin Challenge Painting #405

2013-04-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

Kissy the Orphan Foal and her Oldest Brother Stomper

"Stomper and Kissy"
5 by 7 Graphite on Paper
by Linda L. Martin Artist
Original $75.00
11 by 8.5 inch in house signed prints available for $35.00 each
contact me via Info@llmartin.com

Reference photography thanks to John Wagner and Patrick Brennan

Kissy, Orphan Foal of Sand Wash Basin Challenge Painting #404

2013-04-25T14:48:00.002-07:00

Kissy and her Brother, Jigsaw of Sand Wash Basin HMA

"Kissy and Jigsaw"
Brother and Sister of Sand Wash Basin
4 by 6 inches Graphite on Paper
by Linda L Martin
$65.00
8.5 by 11 inch on demand signed prints are available for $35.00 each
info@llmartin.com to purchase

Reference photography Thanks to John Wagner

Kissy, Orphan Foal of Sand Wash Basin Challenge Painting #403

2013-04-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

"Kissy"
4 by 6 inches Graphite Drawing
by LindaLMartin Artist
Original $65.00
Prints $35.00
for more information info@llmartin.com

Photo reference provided by John Wagner.

Dickie,Virginia Range Wild Band Stallion Part 2 Challenge Painting #402

2013-04-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of Dickie's Story:

"Dickie"
As A Band Stallion
5 by 7 inches watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
$65.00

After the drunk driving incident, in which three of Dickie’s band were killed on Highway 50, The Department of Agriculture stepped in. The idea was to prevent road deaths before a person was killed. For the first mare in Dickie’s Band and two others, it was too little too late.

Wild horse photographer, Mikel Ann Hettrick tells the story this way:

“A drunk driver killed his first mare her foal and another mare, because they were grazing alongside highway 50. Next thing, the Dept. of Ag. trapped the remaining band and put them up for adoption. Lacy J Dalton's Let ‘em Run foundation purchased the 8 horses. With the permission of a private land owner, of over a hundred thousand acres, and about 400 other wild horses, Dickie and his band were were released to freedom again. “According to Mikel Ann they were released on privately owned land.

“Jim Barbee, director of the Nevada Dept. of Ag. approved the gelding of him the day before the sale. “
“The next tragic event was when he was stolen from the range. He was missing for a period of six months and was found to have been released on the out skirts of Reno. Dickie would never have left his band, nor could he have traveled to that specific area unless he was moved by someone. “ according to Mikel Ann.

“ Time is giving all the leads as who took him. Again the the Dept. of Ag. trapped him, even though they were sent an e-mail stating we were aware of his whereabouts and were going to bring him in and place him in a private setting. How I wish I had put that rope around his neck. About a month after his capture he was released.” This time Mikel Ann brought him home and he lives safely with her now.

I asked Mikel Ann how they knew that someone had taken Dickie off the range.

“Dickie was definitely stolen. We are trying to prove it. A wild horse does not go missing for six months and come back knowing how to do things a trained domestic horse does. The tell-tale signs of him being captured were I haltered right off and as I ran my hand down his legs he raised each foot. He will ground tie and the second day he stood there for over an hour while I detangled his mane and tale. “

“The third day after having him at my house, he trotted on cue to both voice and cluck. He also went right into a canter the same. What was astounding was when at the lounge he would come to a sliding stop when I said whoa. He never had a bit in his mouth, as I am working on that. He also knew how to flex his neck. The strange thing was he had no whiskers on his lower lip, like someone clipped them. He now has whiskers under his chin. He does not mind when I lay my body over his back, I have never straddled his back, but sat sideways on his back. The only mystery left is where his older mare is.”

The events with Dickie, in the opinion of this blogger, were caused by feeding a wild horse so that it became tame enough to loose fear of people. After seeing video tapes of The capture of the Pine Nut Mountain HMA wild horses being lead into a trap simply by shaking a bucket, I understand how easy it would have been to approach Dickie and any of his band out on the open range, even on private property and simply sake a bucket and capture him. This irresponsible behavior not only endangered people driving along roads where wild horses congregate but it endangered Dickie and his band. The side effect was that it also makes it possible to illegally steal wild horses right from the range. This is why it is against the law to feed wild horses.

Currently in Nevada a group of Citizens are working with the Nevada State Legislature to tighten Astray laws that forbid the feeding, trapping, impeding or harassment of free roaming wild horses on state land in Nevada by private citizens. In the initial language any of these things could become a class one misdemeanor which includes a hefty fine and jail time for each incident.

Dickie,Virginia Range Wild Band Stallion Challenge Painting #401

2013-04-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

Dickie, Wild Stallion of the Virginia Range: "When Civilization Directly affects Wild Horses."

"Dickie"
5 by 7 inches watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
$55.00

Dickie is alive and well, however, he has quite a story. This is a story that plays it’s self out every day every time wild horses come into contact with humans near subdivisions and towns. You see whenever development is put in the place that cuts across the historic trails to water or pasture, wild horses will come into contact with humans.

This isn’t unique to wild horses, these sort of conflicts arrive anytime any wild life comes into contact with humans and learns, through no fault of their own, that humans are a source of food.
Here in Virginia we have the same problem with black bears, deer, raccoons and skunks. However, the danger is, as with the wild horses of the Virginia Range, that untamed, un-handled animals are not only dangerous to humans, who mistake them for tame, but the animals are in danger of abuse or injury because they have a false sense of security near the food source.

Part of Dickie's Harem grazing on
bunch grass near the Bunny Ranch
Brothel in 2011

Generally, when a wild horse, or any wild animal, becomes what is known as a nuisance animal, It is captured and released in an area far away from human interaction . Generally, if there is plenty of food and water in the new location the horse will stay put. In the 300,000 plus acres of the Virginia Range there are still plenty of locations to remove horses too. However, sometimes if there is a food shortage or even an overpopulation of stallions seeking mares, a stallion might migrate back to his old range with his mares seeking relief from hunger and constant defense of his harem.

In the case of Dickie's Band, part of the year , like many of the Virginia Range Horses, they come down from the mountains in search of food and water. Because of development around his home range near route 50, Dickie and his band were forced to migrate through developed areas. Had the residents of those areas not interfered and not fed the horses , the band would have simply passed through the location and returned to their mountain range.

Mikel Ann Hettrick, a long time resident and wild horse photographer, on the Virginia Range now owns Dickie. Mikel Ann tells his story:

Dickie 2011

“I was taken with him from the moment I found him up in the hills behind my house. From that time on he was mine in my heart. I have always said I wish I would have put a rope around his neck and had taken him home. I will always regret I did not do that.”

“ He stands at fourteen hands, has a stocky body with attractive pinto markings. He has a N brand on his neck, which means he was captured and relocated by the state of Nevada. That was in 08 and I followed him where ever I could find him. I was there when he got his first pinto mare and when they had their first pinto foal. Over the years his band grew to ten. What happens next goes deep into my emotions."

“The prostitutes at the Bunny Ranch brothel began feeding and watering them. This act was absolute stupidity since there are hundreds of acres of feed. And within half a mile from the brothel there is a large watering hole. The brothel only sits three tenths of a mile from highway 50. By feeding the band they never went back into the hills.”

Dickie and His Band grazing near
the road at the Bunny Ranch in 2011
Click Image
to see larger version.

“In between feedings, the band was often seen foraging along the side of the highway. On one occasion they crossed the highway where one of his mares was killed by an oncoming vehicle. Feeding horses in this environment makes them loose their fear of people and traffic and the brothel still continued to feed. "

“A month later a drunk driver killed Dickie’s first mare, her foal and another mare, because they were grazing alongside highway 50.”

Tomorrow: More of Mikel Ann and Dickie's Story; Complete with intrigue, rescue and a bitter sweet reunion.

Virginia Range Wild Horse Pinto Foal Challenge Painting #400

2013-04-01T19:55:00.003-07:00

Mike Holmes, Former Nevada Department of Agriculture Astray Manager, Interview Part 3 of 3

"Virginia Range Foal"
5 by 7 mixed media
by Linda L Martin Artist
Original $65.00

Mike Holmes, wasn’t just your average mustanger coming into the job of full time Virginia Range Estray Manager . He had experience with horses . Enough experience to know that he had to learn the difference in handling wild horses and those horses who had been domesticated from birth. His many years in the construction business and ranching also gave him the people skills to understand how to work with people.

Among his skills was a fair and honest method of understanding people and being diplomatic, as well as respectful, while clearly stating his case to make the point. He didn’t just go out and “manage” wild horses he also tried to learn from those who knew about them.

When asked who probably influenced him the most as he developed his management style, this is what Mike told me: “ Dawn Lappin , she was the person I went to when I needed to know something about wild horses. She knew and worked with Velma Johnston.” According to Mike, Dawn understood wild horses almost better than anyone he had met. She had also worked with Mrs. Johnston to help get the pass the laws protecting the Virginia Range horses on both a state and federal level.

“Those were the precise horses that were left out of the Wild Horse and Burro Act. Dawn fought alongside Velma to get them protected. No one ever worked to treat those horses well before Velma came along. “ Mike said.
Velma Johnston of course is also known as Wild Horse Annie. “There was just something wrong that the Federal Government managed to protect so many wild horses but the Virginia Range was left out.”

Dawn Lappin was also the person that knew enough about wild horses to help with orphan or injured foals. “ I always brought the foals to her when we found one orphaned. She would nurse them until they were old enough, then we would adopt them out. “According to Mike, Dawn also took orphans and injured foals from Nevada BLM Sources. Mike also cooperated with the BLM on a lot of the management issues. “ It was good to work with everyone and share resources. It was better for the horses that way.”

Dawn Lappin’s program is WHOA or Wild Horse Organized Assistance . You can read about the work of that organization here: http://www.mustangsofamericafoundation.org/index.html

“I worked with several different legitimate non-profits who helped us place and train the horses that we had to take from the range.” Mike added.
Jill Star and Life Savers helped with a lot of adoptions and placement in sanctuary. Their web page address is http://wildhorserescue.org/about/history-of-lifesavers/

And LRTC or Least Resistance Training at http://www.whmentors.org/   Helped with the saddle training program and adoption auction held each year to help offset costs of the management and help place some better started animals in home for easier adoption.

“We had a yearlong waiting period for adopters .“ Mike said, “ I would sign the title over to the non-profit that helped adopt them and they would release the horses’ titles once it was proven that the adopter had the horse for a year and the horse was being taken care of. The non-profit organization would decide if it was a good fit and mentor the new adopters if need be.

Unfortunately, the program that Mike Holmes started in managing the Wild horses of the Virginia Range was de-funded in 2009. As a result Mike lost his job as Virginia Range Estray Manager. Although he doesn’t work in Nevada any longer, he is still a wild horse manager on a private ranch.

“There is a lot of difference between wild horses and domestics” Mike stated. “ You have to move slowly and steady around them. You can’t rush in and run at them like you do with a domestic. They will go straight over or through a fence if you do. They think you are chasing them to eat them. A wild horse will not follow a domestic horse in, you have to gently push them forward from behind. This is the way you can move them from place to place safely.”

“We have 2000 acres here and run about 134 wild horses.”   According to Mike, some of the horses were nuisance horses from the Virginia Range. Others were some that had over run a ranch and were too old to adopt out.

I asked Mike what advice he would give to anyone who wanted to become a Wild Horse Estray Manager. He answered: “ They need to keep in mind that they are a public servant. They are holding these horses in trust for the people. If they can work with everyone they will be successful. The main thing is to do the right thing by the horses.”

A special thank you to Mike Holmes for taking the time to speak with me and share his incites about wild horse management on the Virginia Range in Nevada.

Thank you to Mikel Hettrick for the reference photography.

Virginia Range Wild Horse Challenge Painting #399

2013-03-29T17:14:00.002-07:00

Mike Holmes, Former Nevada Department of Agriculture Astray Manager, Interview Part 2 of 3

"Running Through Lava Rocks"
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
LindaLMartin Artist
Original $65.00
11 by 8.5 inches In house Signed Prints: $35.00
To check availability email: info@llmartin.com

One of the Questions I asked Mike Holmes, was, 'Why do you think your approach to wild horse management was so successful?"

“ I think it was because I listened to every body.” He said thoughtfully “ I was a public servant and I listened to everyone’s ideas and what they thought.” He was quick to insist that didn’t mean everyone agreed with all of his decisions or they way he handled things. That was to be expected. Mike knew how to be diplomatic and he knew how to generate working compromises. His ability to work with people and also his fair and compassionate treatment of wild horses has made him probably one of the best loved wild horse managers in Nevada.

Mike also came to the position armed with common sense and the law as well, as the ability to solve problems. While he was busy listening to people, he was also making good decisions that reflected well on his superiors and generated a lot of public support for them. His handling of the Virginia Range horses had a very positive Public Relations affect and he was always available to address groups and meet with individuals when asked.

“ When schools or organizations invited me to come and speak about what I did and the Virginia Range Horses, I always tried to make myself available.” Mike told me.

Mike’s job consisted of a number of management tasks. He was charged with maintaining the herd numbers so they didn’t grow to be too many to sustain on the available habitat. The state managed well over 300,000 acres for wild horses and under Mike the numbers stayed between 1200 and 1500 head of horses. This was unlike the BLM managed Pine Nut Mountain HMA which can only sustain 110 to 175 horses on about 90,000 acres. Mike was also empowered to remove nuisance horses and issue citations for people who insisted on feeding or harassing the horses.

“ Mostly what I tried to do was educate people, “ Mike said when talking of visiting people who had been sighted feeding wild horses. He explain to them how what they were doing was harmful to the horses and would prevent them from going off and finding food as they should in the wild. Then he told offenders that if he issued them a warning citation and they continued feeding the horses and someone was injured or killed because of what they had done, then because he had warned them, he would testify if they were charged, that they had been warned. “ I usually didn’t have to warn people twice” Mike insisted. He made them aware that the civil suits would probably be worse than the fines, if they continued feeding wild horses and someone was hurt or killed.

When horses would continue hanging around people’s homes, the public roads or other industrial areas where they or people could be hurt, Mike would trap the horses and release them in another part of the range far from towns and populated areas. If he had to remove the same horse or band 3 or 4 times then Mike would call one of several non-profit groups that work with wild horses and place the horse with them. The non-profits would then seek either sanctuary for them or to place them in adoptive homes.

“I would usually have to remove between 100 and 150 wild horses a year”Mike explained “ That kept the numbers steady. That was about the size of one year’s foal crop.” Mike told me that most of the removals were with traps or on horseback, however ,Mike did several round ups using contractor helicopters. "When we did those sort of removals we knew exactly how many horses we expected to remove from the range and we had per-arranged with one( or more) of the approved legitimate non-profits to take the horses in advance.”

According to Mike Holmes he always tried to do right by the horses first and foremost. “ The horses in our care were always taken care of. I can go on record that no horse ever went to a stock sale under my watch, not even the few domestic horses that we had to bring in occasionally.”

Also under his watch was the first PZP round up for Birth Control of Virginia Range Wild Horses. “ The contractor rounded up as many horses as they could in 2 or 3 days. We gave about 150 mares a dose of PZP. That kept the numbers from going up for a few years.”

Also under Mike Holmes’ watch was a special "Saddle Horse Program" in which non-profits were chosen for their horse training programs. Selected wild horses were accepted for training and then auctioned off much like the BLM auctions, with the Non-profit holding the title until the new owner had the horse for at least one year under approved supervision. “This protected buyers from taking the horses and turning around then selling them at auction for slaughter. “ He said.

Mike tried to use the best most successful and most humane management practices available and made himself available to help educate and solve problems.

Tomorrow : Groups Mike Holmes worked with and people that influenced and aided him in the good management of the Virginia Range Horses.

Special Thank-you to Mikel Ann Hettrick for the reference photography for today's painting.

Blogger's Note: A lot of people have misgivings when talking about rounding up wild horses and removing them from the range. Some people think that good range management should not include removing horses. However, if wild horses were not protected and removed they would soon over populate and that would lead to starvation and suffering , the like of which many advocates have neither seen nor experienced.

All forms of wild life in the United States have some sort of "culling" procedure and also a relocation plan for nuisance animals. One of the many things that impresses me about what Mike Holmes did was that instead of stock piling the wild horses that were removed from the range in hopes that people would come forward to adopt or provide sanctuary for them, he made sure that there was a place for each horse to go before it ever was taken from the range.

Placing horses to be removed before removal required working together with a number of people and organizations that didn't always agree on every aspect of range management. That he was able to do this, in my opinion, is part of Mike Holmes' success as a wild horse manager.

Virginia Range Stallions Challenge Painting #398

2013-03-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

Part 6: The first part of a 3 Part Interview with Former State of Nevada Estray Manager Mike Holmes:

"Scuffle"
Virginia Range Stallions
11 by 8.5 inches Graphite on #110 paper
by LindaLMartin Artist
Original $200.00
Signed Prints $35.00 each plus S&H
info@llmartin.com

I had the great privilege to interview Mike Holmes, the first full-time Estray Manager for the Nevada Department of Agriculture, this evening. Mike and his Wife and their Son currently reside on a privately owned Ranch in California. Mike is the Wild Horse Manager of the ranch there. The majority of the wild horses managed by Mike and his family on the ranch are horses in sanctuary. The newest additions are a group of Pine Nut Mountain Horses recently removed from a housing development where they were considered a nuisance, outside of Carson City, Nevada. Horses in Mike’s care are allowed to roam freely on the ranch where he and his son inspect each band almost daily on horseback to make sure they are healthy and injury free.

Over the years Mike Holmes has developed a unique skill as a wild horse manager and understands that wild horses must be handled differently than domestics. He loves the life and wouldn’t change it.

“I really never expected to be doing this all the rest of my life” Mike told me in our phone conversation. “ We are glad we did. As my wife always says: One right turn changes everything down the road.”

While Mike says that he was always involved in ranching growing up; however, his main occupation had been in the construction industry. One day a friend ,who happened to be brand inspector for the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) at Carson City asked him if he would like to work part time as the Virginia Range Astray Manager.
“I agreed and 3 or 4 months later they decided to make me full time” Mike shared with me, “ I wasn’t the first. That was Bruce Greenhalgh.”Mike also told me that prior to the creation of the Astray Manager it was the state brand inspector under the state Veterinarian who removed the horses that caused problems.

Mr Greenlalgh was a retired state trooper who had already retired from one job and according to Mike didn’t want to take on another full time position. “At the time the job was mostly picking up nuisance horses and releasing them in a part of the range that was farther away.”

Occasionally, a horse would keep coming back in to the industrial areas and make themselves a nuisance again so the astray manager would basically remove the animal and then contact a local non-profit organization to take the horse.

“When they made the job full time, I basically had to answer only to three people, Paul Iverson, the Director of NDA; Dr. David Thaine, the State Veterinarian; and The Governor of Nevada.” said Mike.
Mike Holmes’ superiors were looking to him to build a program for wild horse management on the Virginia Range that would serve both the public and the wild horses.

When the state assumed responsibility for the Virginia Range horses in the 1980s there had been no real management. Ten years later all these horses were spread out and into the developed industrial areas and some were becoming a problem in great number .

Although it didn’t happen overnight the number of horses had grown to between 1200 and 1500. Even though technically the State Was responsible for the management there was no agency in place to manage the horses. “ There were always wild horses there” Mike insisted, “ but the management was slim to none until the Virginia Range Estray Manager position was created.”

Tomorrow: What may have been the most successful State Run Wild Horse Management program in The United States.

Special thanks to Mikel Hettrick for the use of her photography.

Virginia Range Wild Mares Challenge Painting #397

2013-03-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

Part 5: Figuring Out Who Would Protect the Wild Horses of the Virginia Range in Nevada

Virginia Range Wild Mares
5 by 7 inches Drawing on #110 Paper
by Linda L Martin
Original $65.00
11 by 8.5 inches Signed Prints $35.00 plus S&H
info@llmartin.com for availability

At the time the Wild Horse and Burro Act one estimate said that fewer than 17,000 wild horses lived on public federal lands across the entire west. One estimate put the number as low as 12,000. Due to lack of grazing and frequent drought conditions most range specialists and biologists agreed at the that the total number of horses that could be sustained on all Wild Horse Herd Areas was a maximum of 27,000 total for all range areas in the west.

These numbers were based on what the land could sustain in an average rain year. Had there been plans in place managing wild horses, which was a totally new science at the time, those numbers probably would not have gone over 25,000 at any given year. And under drought conditions, die offs would have lowered the numbers substantially. Instead the number of wild horses not only exploded but, the horses, due to lack of forage and water, as well as territorial issues when new bands were created, began to expand into areas that prior to 1971 had no wild horses.

The arduous task of figuring out which horses were owned by whom and what their legal status was became that action that took precedence to any hard core management plans. In fact, on some Herd Management Area plans are still evolving and changing even after 42 years of learning how to manage wild horses.

After a number of court rulings, several decisions were made to establish the ownership and control of wild horses. By 1976 property owners were requesting that wild horses be removed from their property by the BLM. These horses were considered by the BLM to be estray, or formally domestic horses, that had gone feral and were not among the original wild horses protected by the act. In fact, it was geography and time period that determined which horses were wild and which were not. If title could be proven in ownership, private citizens were responsible. If in the wrong place at the time of the Wild Horse and Burro Act they were estray.

The first group of Pine Nut Mountain HMA wild horses had migrated down to High Way 50 by 1978 and were causing problems on private land and road hazards. Due to fencing and natural obstacles the BLM took responsibility for those horses and removed any horse that became a problem in that area that bordered the Herd Area and has done so since.

Another document stated that both the BLM and The Nevada Department of Agriculture recognized the ownership of wild "feral" horses by private land owners . Private land owners had to make a determination. If they did not want the horses removed by the BLM on their property the horses, no matter what the origins, were theirs and they must control both the populations and the migration. Some property owners did round up and sell off wild horses others did not. Wild horses were being rounded up by privately hired helicopter contractors on private land well into the 1990s, until pressure was brought to bear by private groups living in the areas of the Virginia Highlands.

Yet still, wild horses were running freely throughout the state controlled region and private citizens had stopped claiming ownership. In 1982 the Nevada Department of Agriculture took responsibility for the horses and solidified their legal rights to do so.

The feeling was that the Department of Agriculture, the citizens of Nevada and the local government and land owners didn’t want to remove the horses totally. They wanted to preserve them to healthy levels so that they could be enjoyed by everyone safely. The determination that the Virginia Range could sustain from 100 to 150 wild horses in good health was actually determined sometime in 1995.

What was needed was a good plan to keep the animals healthy, control the populations and to make sure the animals were protected. The Department of Agriculture created a position: Virginia Range Astray Manager. Governor Bob Miller of Nevada from 1989 to 1999 appointed Mike Holmes, to that position.

Tomorrow: Mike Holmes and what he accomplished for the Virginia Range Horses.

Special thanks to Mikel Hettrick for the use of her photography.
Sources for some of the information in this section are from different wild horse advocacy groups, public information, The State of Nevada and interviews provided from advocates of the Virginia Range horses who wish to remain anonymous.

Wild Stallion on the Virginia Range Challenge Painting #396

2013-03-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

Part 4 History of the Virginia Range: Complications

"Virginia Range Stallion"
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
$65.00
In house signed prints available $35.00 each
info@llmartin.com

The wild horse privately held round ups had legally ceased in 1971 with the enactment of the Wild Horse and Burro Act. It had two dramatic affects.

The first effect was on the domestic horse population. This is something I lived through. Before I went to college anyone could buy a low end domestic horse for less than $100. I had a friend who started her horse business that way in 1972. In 5 years there was a population explosion on the range. While the population of wild horses was going unchecked on the range the prices of low end domestic horses was pushed up by Kill buyers who needed to fill their orders. A $50 domestic healthy over weight horse in1970 by 1978 was selling for $650 to $850 through the stock sale. By 1983 the market did taper off, And 45 cents to 55 cents a pound was frequent for domestic horses. It hurt a lot of us who were just starting out.Although it was only in hind sight that any of us in the horse industry in the east at that time realized how we were impacted by the "horse meat slaughter market".

I have to say that I have never supported in principle or in fact any portion of the industry that deliberately bred horses for a cruel use including slaughter for human consumption. The reason many of us supported the Wild Horse and Burro Act in the 1970s is because we all knew that in some states that is how wild horses were being used. And the slaughter mentality for the most part did not include humane treatment for any horses they considered "walking dead". This is still true today.

Cheatgrass

Since, I and the majority of my friends in college all supported the Wild Horse and Burro Act, as I am sure we all do to this day because it stopped the majority of the cruel and bloody round-ups that were a daily occurrence at the time, we didn't realize how it would change our own participation in owning and training horses once we finished college. In fact no one knew what the outcome would be because this whole situation was uncharted territory for us as advocates, for ranchers and stockmen and for the Federal and State Governments involved. Those who were not advocates of wild horse protection and humane treatment had always looked at wild horses as a commodity. After 42 years that perception has not changed much in the horse industry.

Too many horses on the range because the round ups ceased in 1971 began to created a crisis. With too many horses and frequent droughts anyone who was at ground zero in the situation including the cattlemen, horse advocates, outdoorsmen, as well as conservationists were beginning to sound the alarm. If the horse populations continued to go unchecked then there would soon be no grasses of any kind in low rain areas of the ranges. Wild horses and other wild life would begin starving in great numbers.

On the Virginia Range this was a cataclysmic prospect because of the nature of the grass. The main grasses were clump grasses. Unlike the continuous grass that we see here in the east and in other rain plenty states, clump grasses were adapted to low rain and high temperatures of harsh high desert habitats. This is why when you look at photos of the range you see a dotted effect where these native grasses grow. There are many varieties of this type of grass all good for grazing and they grow this way to conserve water and provide protection for their roots.

Cheatgrass grows well between the
volcanic rock that covers much of
The Virginia Range.

The other type of grass the horses exist on is called cheat grass. It is an invasive species that thrives is low rain areas like the Virginia Range. Several articles I’ve read on cheat grass say that its nutritional value isn’t as high as the native clump grasses. The problem is that when a range of clump grasses is over grazed, especially during a drought, the cheat grass over runs the area of the clump grass, because it grows faster and has an extensive underground root system. One story compared it to eastern crabgrass, which also so over runs the native grasses by its strong root system. Another side effect of cheat grass is in drought conditions it’s the first to dry out and the first to catch on fire. It acts as a tinder. When other grasses burn out the Cheat grass over runs the area and replaces the native grasses.

The population explosion of wild horses was heading toward a crisis that was further complicated by another practice: horse dumping.

For the uninitiated, horse dumping has a wide and varied history in the west and indeed it was also happening just recently during the economic down turn of the last decade. Horse dumping is pretty much done for the same reason that puppies and kittens are dumped by the side of the road. The idea is that if an animal is sold at a sale it would cost more money than it could bring in. That would mean that the blood lines of good horses might end up purchased for slaughter. Or a rancher in poor economy might not even be able to pay the transport to a sale facility, much less get his money out of the sale. For a rancher that was already having economic trouble transporting good stock to a sale where it wouldn’t even pay for the gas to get there was impossible.

When every effort was made to sell horses during an economic down turn and the prices could not be met, traditionally all over the west horses were simply let loose. The hope was that they would be picked up by another rancher who could benefit with a stock upgrade or that when the rancher could get back on his feet financially he could get his horses back. Most often it was opportunistic band stallions or bachelor stallions looking for a band that got the mares. It was really rough going for the horses that were use to being fed because many, especially those who were not adopted by bands, died cruel deaths of starvation or froze during the winter. Those who became part of the a band were able to survive and infuse the wild horses with some pretty amazing blood lines.

Through out history so many horses have been dumped in western states that sometimes it is difficult to tell the domestics from the wild ones. Now it is against the law to dump horses. By 1978 it inflated the numbers of wild horses further and during the frequent drought years it taxed the land to badly that some areas of the range would never recover. Then die offs began.

A lot of people would like to hold the cattle and sheep producers completely responsible for land degradation in the west, however it is not just cattle that the horse must compete with in the fragile high desert areas. There are a number of wild animals that graze there as well.

There was a desperate need for a management plan. This management plan needed to make room for the horses and the range to be healthy as well as make room for other Nevada wild life and to prevent destructive over grazing. Since this was all new terrirtory there was no scientific data available and no people other than professional mustangers who knew how to handle wild horses.

A management plan needed to be put in place that would both preserve the horses and would protect them from abuse as well as starvation. The Virginia Range Horses needed a savior. And because of the circumstances that savior was going to have to come from the Nevada Department of Agriculture.

The designation of Virginia Range horses was astray. They well might have been wild the entire time but because of the fact that no unbranded stock was left on the Virginia Range Public Land except on Pine Nut Mountain, the horses had no protections except what was designated by the Nevada Department of Agriculture.

Tuesday: Who would Save and Protect the Virginia Range Wild Horses?

Happy Mustang! Reno Seaman HMA Challenge Painting #395

2013-03-21T15:43:00.002-07:00

"Reno"
Seaman Herd HMANevada
5 by 7 inches Watercolor
by Linda L Martin Artist
Private Collection

Virginia Range Foal Challenge Painting #394

2013-03-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

Part 3: Virginia Range After 1971 ( Who Owns the Horses and Where?)
When Congress unanimously declared America's wild free-roaming horses and burros to be Living Symbols of the Historic and Pioneering Spirit of the West in 1971 Everyone who loved horses and history through out the USA seemed to breath a sigh of relief.

"Woolly Bear"
Virginia Range Foal in the Snow
5.5 by 8.5 inches Graphite on #110 Paper
by Linda L Martin
Original $75.00
Signed Prints $35.00
info@llmartin.com for information on purchases

The very thing that pulled at the heart strings of the American public regarding Wild Horses was the idea and romance of these beautiful creatures running free on the range. This is a symbol of our freedom and a historic documentation of where our peoples came from. However, most American’s love their wild horses from a distance. The romance is far from the reality, as life often is.

The very first thing the New Wild Horse and Burro program had to do was figure out who owned what horses. On the Virginia Range in Nevada it was a complicated process. I think the Alliance of Wild Horse Advocates sums it up best in their Introduction to the Document on the "Virginia Range Horses and the History" of their management.

“There are two distinctly separate BLM Herd Use Area s (HUA) areas located near the large block of private lands currently holding estray horses managed by the State of Nevada. They are known as the Jumbo and Horse Springs HUAs.

The Jumbo HUA is located west and south of the aforementioned private lands, and the Horse Springs HUA is located to the east. Following extensive planning and public input all horses were captured from both areas and both were declared horse free following completion of the removals. BLM received only positive responses to its capture plans with no one objecting to either the removals or the horse free designations.

The rationale behind each removal was somewhat different but both were backed by not only the law and regulation but extensive case law as well.
No federally protected horses occurred within the Jumbo HUA at the time the Act was passed in 1971. The law specifically restricts (BLM's) management to those areas where horses occurred in 1971 thus Jumbo was eliminated from consideration for long-term management. The horses remaining within theJumbo HUA had relocated there from the Pine Nut HMA after passage of the Act and as a result were removed in late 1984, and the area was declared horse free.

The land use patterns within the Horse Springs HUA are heavily skewed toward private holdings with 15,000 acres of BLM lands as compared with 37,000 acres of private lands. Written requests from the private landowners, and several traffic accidents involving wild horses, necessitated the removal of all of the horses from the HUA. Again, extensive public input and planning were completed prior to the removal of the horses with no entity opposing BLM's proposed removal.

All horses were removed in 1983 and the area was declared horse free. At the time of the removals a Mr. Woodrow Cox ran horses on the adjoining Curtis Wright lands leased by Nick Mansfield. The horses now present are believed to be descendants of these horses. Prior to the State of Nevada assuming management of these horses, several large removals were conducted by Nick Mansfield that held their numbers in check. At that time the State of Nevada recognized Mr. Mansfield as the owner of these horses. A lack of any substantial removal effort since has resulted in the numbers now present.

Over the years the BLM has worked extensively with the all divisions of the State of Nevada concerning the remaining horses located on the private lands and have on numerous occasions reaffirmed our position( the AOWHA) that all remaining horses are not under the protection of the BLM”

Keep in mind that from the time the first census of wild horses was taken in 1971-1973 no one was legally removing wild unbranded horses from the range. As the wild horses produced more and more offspring the bands began to spread out. The nature of wild horses is that each band stallion has a territory. The territories do over lap . However if all the space is taken by existing band stallions then when a young stallion gets his first mares he has to establish his own territory. As stated before wild horses go where they need to.

Add to this the fact that any wild horses who ranged on privately owned lands were not protected by the Wild Horse and Burro Act in 1971. When their herds began to re-populate out of control with nothing to keep the numbers in check they began to fill up and overlap into Nevada Department of Agriculture managed land because there was nowhere else for them to go. It wasnt long before the Virginia Range was again covered with wild horses, a lot of them from private sources This population explosion created the beginning of a crisis for both the wild horses and the ecosystems on the range.

Monday Part 4: More complications for Virginia Range Horses

A special thank you to Mikel Ann Hettrick for the use of her photography.

To read more about the History of the Virginia Range management you can read the white paper put together by the AOWHA: http://www.aowha.org/documents/virginia_range_horses_history.pdf