More horses abandoned in the wild

RENO -- A growing number of owners are abandoning their domestic horses in the wild across Nevada and other Western states as the economy worsens and the cost of caring for the animals rises.

No statistics are available nationally, but an unprecedented 63 abandoned domestic horses have been found this year in Northern Nevada, said Ed Foster, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Agriculture.

"It's accelerated since the beginning of the year, and it's a national trend," Foster told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "It's a real problem."

In Wyoming, state Brand Commissioner Lee Romsa said he would normally handle six to eight cases involving abandoned domestic horses per year. This year, he said, he has dealt with at least 41 such cases.

"People are just dumping them out there, and they don't know how to survive," said Jim Schwartz, director of the Wyoming Livestock Board.

In Idaho, state Brand Commissioner Larry Hayhurst said he's dealt with about 50 such cases this year, up from one or two in a normal year.

In Oregon, state officials found 11 abandoned domestic horses, all sickly and starving, in September on a rural road in the Willamette Valley.

"They were just let loose, and they were severely malnourished," said Jack Noble, field operations manager for the Oregon Department of Agriculture. "It's disturbing to see any animals that have been abused in that way."

Montana also has seen a "significant increase" in the problem, said Steve Merritt, spokesman for the Montana Department of Livestock.

Nevada is home to roughly half the estimated 33,000 wild horses that roam the open range across the West. Many horse owners are mistaken that their animals will be adopted by wild herds, Foster said.