Passions And Tempers Flare Over Wild Horses In New Mexico Town

For decades, free-ranging horses have roamed this mountain village in New Mexico, galloping on residents' property, dashing along roads and attracting tourists and wildlife fans hoping to catch a glimpse. Their presence has long defined Placitas. But the horses are now drawing the ire of some residents who say their growing numbers are hurting the delicate desert landscape because they eat what little vegetation there is amid an ongoing drought. "We're going to be living in a dust bowl in a few years," said resident Peter Hurley, noting that it may take possibly a decade before the vegetation in some areas in the village north of Albuquerque returns to normal. Horse advocates say the drought is to blame for damaging landscape and state officials have blocked their attempts to administer a female contraceptive to help control the horse population. A round-up of some of the 125 or so horses by state authorities and a plan by federal officials to remove some from nearby federal land have raised the potential for a standoff between horses advocates and federal officials over the animals' fate. "People are willing to die for these horses," said Gary Miles of the Placitas Animal Rescue. "I know I am." Miles said any new roundup of horses could spark a "Cliven Bundy situation," referring to the Nevada rancher and his armed supporters who got into a confrontation in April with federal government over public land use. Sandoval County officials say they understand the passion around the horses and their importance to village, but Commissioner Orlando Lucero said the horses pose safety concerns, especially for motorists in the increasingly busy area. "My biggest fear is that someone will be killed or maimed for the rest of his life by hitting one of these horses at night," said Lucero, who has long sought a compromise. He and others have proposed a private horse sanctuary to house the animals.
"No county in the country is in the livestock business," he said. "So we can't be the ones who pay for these horses." There are differing stories about how the horses ended up in Placitas...more