Feeding the horses consists of many things. Not just giving them actual hay and food (i.e. apples from your lunch etc…) but also salt or mineral blocks.
Please DO NOT DO IT. The current regulations state nothing about this (so in the strictest aspect it is not against the law. It is allowed, but discouraged). But hopefully the new RMP will change that. You still have a couple of days to submit your comments. If you need to find out more about the RMP, please click on RMP. This link will take you to a post that I made back in early May.
I do not have cell service at my house. So when I am not in Missoula (or Seeley Lake), I do not get any messages or texts. I know, this may seem very strange in this day and age, but it is the truth. I could switch to AT&T, then I would have some service and the ability to text out, but AT&T does not work on top of the Pryors. So my choice is to stay with Verizon and have the ability to have service (limited) while I am in the Pryors. If I hold my hand just so and place a rock on a certain spot, I will have some service in the Pryors. Texting is even easier.
That being said, I was heading to Seeley Lake yesterday (to take the dogs to the lake), when I heard my phone telling me I had a text coming in. It was Linda D saying that someone had placed mineral blocks at Mystic Pond.
I immediately texted Jared (even though it was several days later) and this morning I did a follow through email. Jared told me they did not place the mineral blocks there (I did not think so) and was sending Ryan up to see if they were still there. I doubt after this amount of time that there would be anything left, but thank you for your immediate attention.
Please DO NOT FEED the horses. There is enough unrest this time of year (it is breeding season) and to add yet another aspect to the already extreme unrest is extremely detrimental and dangerous to the horses. This will only cause more fighting and add the risk of a horse (stallion, mare, foal) to be injured or killed in the process.
And if you see someone doing it, please contact Jared. Or at the very least, myself, so I can report it.
Thank you so much.
Sandy
Wouldn’t feeding them go against the whole concept of them being wild? I understand the stewardship of protecting them, but I agree with you — people should not be feeding them (unless there was some sort of dire emergency).
Hi! Yes, I agree. But I think there are still people out there that think they are doing a good thing by feeding or placing mineral/salt blocks. I hope it is just lack of understanding.. But the worse thing would be if they did it so they can get some” better photos”.
I totally agree with you Sandy, and I had heard the same thing, but probably too late. I do believe that someone did that so that they could get “better photos.” I cannot think of any other reason that someone would do this. It was probably some “other” individual who does tours on the mountain. I sure hope this does not happen again and I do hope that the BLM will be keeping a close eye on the activities on the mountain.
Thank you for bringing this to the attention of the BLM and others.
Hi Lori! That was my first thought when I heard about it. But after talking to Linda and hearing the description of who she thought did it, I don’t believe it was anyone that gives tours up there. Unless they had someone else come up to do it for them. Let’s hope that is not the case and that it was just some person thinking they were doing some good for the horses. It does seem strange that they would place them at that pond though. Why not just drop them off by the road if they were going to do it? That is why I still think that it was someone doing it for the purpose of getting some “good shots”. Don will be up there more this year, so hopefully if it happens again he can catch them at it. I know I will be keeping a close eye out.
Maybe we all can keep our eyes open for any photo’s of the Pryor horses that would have a mineral lick in them…ha ha….just a thought!!!
I am glad that Don will be up there more often this year, and you also, to keep an eye on the
people who try to “pet” them, or to “feed” them. They are WILD, respect that and let them live
their lives Wild!!!
I dont understand why this is such a hard concept for some people to grasp
Good luck out there! Be careful of the tourists!
Thanks Diane! 🙂
When I saw the salt block(s), 1 large, 1 small, the horses were already milling around them and some were taking big bites. I thought about picking them up and taking them with me until I could find out if they were supposed to be there. However, I was the only one still on the mountain at that time, and getting in the middle of 20 wild horses who were all intent on getting their share didn’t seem like a good idea to me. If I were to be injured (very likely, since they are wild horses), there would be no one to assist me in any way for many hours. My biggest fear at that time was that there was something other than minerals in the blocks, meant to hurt the horses, but I calmed myself with the realization that someone probably 1) wanted to give the horses (particularly the ones right around Mystic Pond at the time) what they (in their lack of wisdom about these horses), thought they could not find for themselves, or 2) they wanted to make sure certain horses would be hanging around that area even when the blocks were gone. I was quite sure the blocks would be gone within a couple of hours, so there wasn’t much to do about it. I certainly did not believe that the BLM would put out 1 mineral block among 80-100 horses, and anyone else with half a brain wouldn’t have either.
I did, however, feel that the BLM and the Mustang Center should be notified, so I texted Sandy so she could send the word on for me. I did not have #s for Jared or the BLM office with me. Since this experience, I have discovered a place on the mountain where I do get some signal, and will go there to make calls, or texts, if need be, in the future.
It really angers me to think that some people think they know so much about these horses that they have the right to make decisions like that. I’m really glad there will be more of a presence of BLM personnel up there in the busiest season, but those who consider themselves above the law, and rules, will find a way. 🙁
Thanks Linda! You did the right thing. It would have been to dangerous to try and take them. Still wondering who and why would have done such a thing. I will certainly be watching closely while I am here this summer.
I am here in Lovell, about to head up the Dryhead. It hot right now, but hopefully in a few hours some horses will come out. I forgot to ask you if you saw Jemez while you were here.
Sure wish I were going with you…
No, Sandy I didn’t see Jemez at all. I also missed seeing Corona and family, Hidatsa/Belle Starr and Hidalgo and his gang. 🙁 I am very happy that I did see all the ones I did, tho. 🙂 I’m not complaining.
You know, I just realized that the numbers to call are on the signs as you enter the Range up there…DUH! Guess I wasn’t thinking that clearly. 🙁 Must be the altitude… 🙂