Wild horses to help patrol along borders

CARSON CITY -- Six wild horses from Nevada are headed to the Mexican and Canadian borders to help U.S. Border Patrol agents keep a watch on remote areas.

For the first time, border patrol agents last week acquired horses that were trained by state prison inmates in Carson City, KOLO-TV of Reno and the Nevada Appeal of Carson City reported.

Felix Morales, an operations officer with the border patrol, said wild horses are particularly suited for the task because they're hardy animals that will work in landscapes similar to Nevada's.

"After about two days of evaluating, riding, we look for temperament and look at the animals themselves to see how much weight they could put on in the future," Morales told KOLO.

The agency began buying wild horses in 2007 so agents could ride them while guarding roadless areas along the border. The agency has 123 wild horses.

Morales said he was impressed with the caliber of horses at the Carson City facility, and the agency will return to adopt more.