Keeping and Killing Wild Horses - Assignment Example

Mustang is a breed of small, enduring wild horse of the North American plains that originated from Arabian horses transported to America by Spanish voyagers during the 1870s. By the time of the end of the 19th century, the days of horses were over and around 2 million mustangs were roaming across the North American range. They now became a cash crop. A period known as ‘the great removal’ started and countless Mustangs were packed in tin cans and sent back to Europe or serve in foreign wars. The passing of the Burro Act in 1971 was an important event for animal lovers. The act was passed by efforts of Wild Horse Annie who once witnessed bleeding mustangs carried to the slaughterhouse and began a drive to defend them.

It is unfortunate that illegal helicopter roundups are being conducted in the present time that defies animal rights. It is true that mustangs often sneak staples from other grazing animals. However, cruelty, such as frightening wild horses with rustling noise, is unacceptable to animal rights activists as they come out to watch hundreds of mustangs being chased by noisy machines. According to Smith, over 100 wild horses had to sacrifice their lives in Nevada in 2009 during such roundups. According to officials, as wild horses have almost no natural killer, their number has increased excessively. Although claims are made that round-ups with their relocation are for the welfare of horses, those who have watched round-up operations say it was the most distressing sight they have ever seen during their lifetime.

It is unfortunate that cruel means are employed to safeguard interests when there are other ways to deal with the situation. If wild horses are really a threat to neighboring farms, building fences or other such deterrents can prevent such lands. The US as a nation can certainly afford to spend dollars on such creative projects that give messages of kindness and empathy. It would obviously not cost amount anywhere near the money spend on going to war on Iraq or Afghanistan. On the contrary, such gestures by state authorities together with citizens would make the nation a beholder of strong values.

Deanna Stillman recounts that during the 16th century when European explorers were crossing the sea entering the new world, their ships across the equator often faced a situation in which they became stranded when the winds stopped blowing. In order to lighten their ships, horses were thrown overboard. It is believed that about half of the horses expired because of this. The horses that persisted helped in the Spanish conquest of the new land. Interesting to note is the comment by Stillman that horses, unlike explorers, were not newcomers to this land. They had a common DNA link with the horses in this region before the ice age.

Wild horses are not a direct threat to human beings. They may periodically harm in terms of sabotaging farming lands etc., but eliminating mustangs for such reasons is barbaric. One finds it difficult to agree with Peterson, who has herself narrated about bleeding mustangs and then agrees with the policy of rounding up for better land management. In the US, the approach should no more be Spanish explorers’ opportunistic ways of lightening things by eliminating under provocation. Let there be resilience on state’s policies by looking beyond economic interests. I would suggest finding every other way of addressing problems raised by the mustang population other than eliminating or inflicting cruelty on this vegetarian breed.